Alexei Maklakov, Assistant professor

Contact

Address
Animal Ecology
Department of Ecology and Evolution
Evolutionary Biology Centre
Norbyvägen 18d, SE-752 36
Uppsala, Sweden

Telephone
+46 (0)18 471 2702

Telefax
+46 (0)18 471 6484

Research:

My research interests can be defined as evolutionary biology. More specifically, I am interested in the evolution of life histories, conflicts between the sexes, consequences of inbreeding and social behaviour. My study subjects come from many different taxa such as birds, spiders, beetles, fruit flies and humans, since my research is generally driven by the question rather than by the organism.

The main focus of my current research is the evolutionary theory of ageing, which is a fundamental and, as yet, unresolved issue in biology. I pursue this line of research both on an empirical and theoretical level. I am very interested in i) the evolution of sex differences in lifespan and ageing; and ii) the role of extrinsic mortality in the evolution of ageing.

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5 recent publications (for full list click on the link above):

Maklakov AA & Arnqvist, G. (2009) Testing for direct and indirect effects of mate choice by manipulating female choosiness. Current Biology doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.08.058 in press

Maklakov AA, Bonduriansky R & Brooks, R. S. (2009) Sex differences, sexual selection and ageing: an experimental evolution approach. Evolution 63, 2491-2503

Maklakov AA, Hall MD, Simpson SJ, Dessmann J, Clissold, F, Zajitschek F, Lailvaux SP, Raubenhimer D, Bonduriansky R, Brooks RC. (2009) Sex differences in nutrient-dependent reproductive ageing. Aging Cell 8:324-330

Bilde T, Maklakov AA, Meisner K, la Guardia L & Friberg U. (2009) Sex differences in the genetic architecture of lifespan in a seed beetle: extreme inbreeding extends male lifespan. BMC Evolutionary Biology 9:33 -Highly Accessed-

Maklakov AA, Simpson SJ, Dessmann J, Clissold, F, Hall MD, Zajitschek F, Raubenhimer D, Bonduriansky R, Brooks RC. (2008) Sex-specific fitness effects of nutrient intake on reproduction and lifespan. Current Biology 18:1062-1066

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PhD position in Evolutionary Biology of Aging

PhD position in the evolutionary biology of aging is available at the Department of Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Sweden.

The project will focus on two crucial yet poorly understood issues in the evolutionary biology of aging – sex-specific selection and condition-dependence – using animals with short generation time, such as the dioecious nematode worm Caenorhabditis remanei and the seed beetles (e.g. Callosobruchus maculatus), as main model systems. The project will combine the experimental evolution with classical behavioural ecology approach. The main objective is to understand the evolution of sex differences in lifespan and reproductive aging.

Applicants should have a MSc (or equivalent) in biology/ecology and a strong interest in evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology. Special interest in the evolution of life-histories and/or sexual selection is a plus. The project will be supervised by Alexei Maklakov and the candidate will receive her/his postgraduate training within the postgraduate school at the Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC) (see http://www.ebc.uu.se/index_eng.php). The working atmosphere is international with English as working language. EBC constitutes an exciting arena for multidisciplinary research in evolutionary biology in a broad sense, with research programs including ecology, systematics, genetics, genomics, and developmental biology. Uppsala University is the oldest university in Scandinavia and the city of Uppsala is a vibrant student town with beautiful surroundings conveniently situated 40 minutes by train from Stockholm.

This position is financed for four full years, and the successful candidate will receive a postgraduate fellowship the first year (15.500 SEK/month) and a postgraduate position year 2-4 (22.000 - 24.500 SEK/month).

Important dates: The position is open until filled but all applications submitted by November 15, 2009 will be given full consideration. The preliminary starting date is January 15, 2010, but is flexible.

Applications should include: 1) short letter of interest / background (2 pages max); 2) complete CV; 3) a description of undergraduate training; 4) a copy of undergraduate degree and 5) the names and e-mail addresses of 2-3 referees. Applications should be sent by e-mail to Alexei.Maklakov@ebc.uu.se. Alternatively, send hardcopies to the following address:

Alexei Maklakov
Animal Ecology/EBC
Uppsala University
Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36
Uppsala, Sweden.

Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or by phone (+46-18-471 2702) for more information.

Note that there is another PhD position on a related topic available at EBC in the Department of Evolutionary Biology under supervision of Urban Friberg (see http://www.egs.uu.se/evbiol/Persons/Urban.html). This creates opportunities for discussions and collaborations between the research groups, which will be greatly encouraged!

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Potential MSc projects:

1. The Roles of Sexual Conflict and Population Size in Speciation
2. Cost of Mating and Mutation Load in Drosophila
3. Evolutionary Ecology of Same-Sex Behaviour in Seed Beetles

Post-doctoral opportunities:
There are several Swedish (e.g. VR, Wenner-Gren, Swedish Institute, Carl Tryggers) and international (e.g. Marie-Curie, Human Frontiers) funding bodies that can provide fellowships for young researchers who wish to conduct a post-doc in Sweden. Some of these rely on Sweden-based PI to submit an application; others require a perspective post doc to submit one. Drop me a line if you are thinking about applying and your research interests are broadly similar to mine (also check my current collaborations below).

Evolutionary Biology Centre in Uppsala University is probably the largest conglomeration of evolutionary biologists in Europe, situated in a largely ‘student ‘ town (there is also another university, SLU) - therefore, it provides a multitude of opportunities for collaboration as well as socializing.

Current collaborations:#
- Sex-specific effects of diet on reproduction and lifespan - Prof. R. Brooks & Dr. R. Bonduriansky, The University of New South Wales, Australia

- Inbreeding and sex differences in lifespan - Dr. T. Bilde, University of Århus, Denmark & Dr. U. Friberg, UC Santa Barbara, USA

- Costs and benefits of female resistance - Prof. G. Arnqvist, UU, Sweden

- Ecology and mating behaviour of group-living spiders - Prof. Y. Lubin, Ben-Gurion University, Israel

- mtDNA variation and ageing - Dr. D. Dowling, Monash University, Australia

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Some pictures of current and previous study animals:

Mating attempt in the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus.
Photo: Alexei Maklakov

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Copulation in the spider Stegodyphus lineatus.
Photo: Trine Bilde

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Arabian babbler Turdoides squamiceps. The sentinel female.
Photo: Vladimir Khazin

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