IREC offers a contract to do the doctoral thesis in Amphibian Ecotoxicology

    With a duration of between 3 and 4 years, the objective of this pre-doctoral contract will be to develop strategies to improve the evaluation of ecotoxicological risks derived from the use of phytosanitary products for terrestrial amphibians.


    El Wildlife Toxicology Group of the Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC – CSIC, UCLM, JCCM) has begun the process of selecting a candidate for a pre-doctoral contract associated with the "TerAmphiTox Project”, whose fundamental objective is the development of strategies to improve the evaluation of the ecotoxicological risks derived from the use of phytosanitary products for terrestrial amphibians.

    During the development of the project, the beneficiary of the contract will investigate the factors that determine the toxicity of phytosanitary products on terrestrial amphibians, and will prepare recommendations that contribute to improve the regulations related to the evaluation of environmental risks derived from the use of these chemical products, with special emphasis on the conservation of terrestrial amphibians.

    The beneficiary of the contract will carry out his doctoral thesis in the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC), located in Ciudad Real (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain), under the supervision of the Dr. Manuel Eloy Ortiz-Santaliestra, from the IREC Wildlife Toxicology Group, and the Dr. Isabel Lopes, from the University of Aveiro (Portugal).

    TerAmphiTox

    The TerAmphiTox Project, financed by the German Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt – UBA), starts from the assumption that half of the European amphibian species are present in agricultural areas, which are frequently treated with phytosanitary products. Although exposure to these chemicals could be among the causes of amphibian population decline in Europe, these are not routinely considered in the environmental risk assessment to which phytosanitary products must be subjected before being placed on the market.

    It is assumed that amphibians are protected from the impacts of these chemical substances when assessing the risks they pose to birds or mammals, but there is increasing evidence that this extrapolation underestimates the real risk of exposure to plant protection products for amphibians.

    The project includes 2 stages of development: an experimental one, focused on investigating the toxicity of different phytosanitary products on the terrestrial phase of amphibians, determining effects on different organs with special attention to the skin before direct dermal exposures; and an analytical, aimed at identifying patterns of toxicity through the study of biomarkers and comparison with other taxa, with the aim of developing recommendations that can be incorporated into the environmental risk assessment process of phytosanitary products.

    The predoctoral contract

    This is an excellent opportunity to carry out a doctoral thesis in a multidisciplinary research center belonging to the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM).

    The contract will be full-time and will last 3 years, started between October 2020 and January 2021, with the possibility of extending for a fourth year depending on the progress made. The beneficiary or beneficiary receive highly specialized training in animal experimentation, analytical chemistry and the study and characterization of the toxicity of chemical products through the use of biomarkers. In addition, he will have the opportunity to complement part of his training and research work at the University of Aveiro, as well as to carry out other Research stays in European public and/or private entities through the activities programmed in the context of PERIAMAR, the COST Action aimed at evaluating the risks derived from the use of phytosanitary products on European amphibians and reptiles.

    The candidate's profile

    We are looking for a person highly motivated by the subject in which the doctoral thesis will be developed, with good command of English, That this in possession of a Master's degree or a Bachelor's or Bachelor's degree obtained after passing at least 300 ECTS. These academic qualifications must have been obtained after January 1, 2017, with a minimum average score of 6,5 on a scale of 0 to 10, in an area relevant to the fulfillment of the objectives of the projector, such as the fields of Biology, Toxicology, Environmental Sciences, Veterinary Medicine or Ecology.

    In addition, aspects such as having knowledge of amphibian biology, environmental toxicology and biostatistics, and previous experience in preparation and analysis of histological samples, animal experimentation, scientific writing, and attendance at scientific congresses and/or seminars, will be valued positively.

    How to participate in the selection process

    Those interested in applying for this predoctoral contract should send an email to Dr. Manuel E. Ortiz-Santaliestra (manuele.ortiz@uclm.es) before August 20, 2020, specifying in the subject of the message "PhD TerAmphiTox" and including the following attached documents in PDF format:

    • Motivation letter, explaining the reasons why you are interested in obtaining the contract (maximum half a page, in English).
    • Copy of the original academic titles necessary to apply for the position.
    • CV, which includes all the relevant aspects that the candidate considers should be taken into account when evaluating their candidacy (in English).

    The shortlisted candidates will be contacted to arrange an online interview that will take place throughout September.