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Call for Master of Veterinary Science (MVSc) candidate in little penguin health

Want to help conserve little penguins now and into the future? Are you interested in assessing the health and mitigating the risk of disease outbreaks in little penguins?

The One Health Research Group at University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia together with Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP) are offering an MVSc project to investigate the health of little penguins at PINP through clinical health assessments and screening for moderate to high-risk pathogens. The MVSc scholar will be advised by Drs Lee Skerratt, Jasmin Hufschmid, Astrid Oscos Snowball and members of the One Health Research Group and staff from PINP. The project will be based at the Melbourne Veterinary School at the Werribee campus with field work at Phillip Island (Millowl).

The primary objectives are to obtain information relevant to the improvement of penguin conservation and management. This project will provide a baseline assessment of the health of little penguins at PINP along with an assessment of the prevalence of pathogens and parasites. Samples will also be collected that can be used for establishing other baselines if required, such as pollutant levels. This is essential for detecting current and new health threats and their likely causes. The work conducted can then lead to management and mitigation of these threats to support the population and its conservation. Project funds and a two-year, tax-free stipend of $40,000 pa are provided.

To be eligible:

Expertise needed: Applicants must be either Australian or New Zealand residents and have a veterinary degree eligible for registration in Victoria. Research experience, an excellent academic record and peer reviewed publications are preferred. At least two years of experience in clinical practice are required and applicants should also have good written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work effectively in a team. Skills or interest in clinical pathology, avian medicine, molecular biology, microbiology, parasitology, immunology and statistical analyses are ideal for the project. Applicants will be short-listed and interviewed. The successful candidate will need to submit an application to the University of Melbourne’s admission office for the Master of Veterinary Science (Research) course to receive a formal offer for the position.

The project will commence in late 2024 or early 2025

Please submit a CV (including academic transcripts), cover letter and contact information for two referees to Prof. Lee Skerratt l.skerratt@unimelb.edu.au by 13 Sept 2024 to be considered.

For more information about the research team please visit the website:

One Health Research Group | Melbourne Veterinary School (unimelb.edu.au)

Facebook page www.facebook.com/pg/onehealthresearchgroup

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