EastBio: Ageing in a rapidly warming Arctic: why do Svalbard reindeer differ in rates of senescence?

Details

This fully funded, 4-year PhD project is part of a competition funded by the BBSRC EASTBIO Doctoral Training Partnership.

Individuals of the same chronological age can differ in how rapidly they senesce, the age-related decline in physiological function and fitness. Evolutionary theory predicts senescence because natural selection weakens with age, while trade-offs between reproduction and somatic maintenance can shape late-life decline. Environmental conditions may therefore alter both the rate and expression of senescence in the wild. Yet most mechanistic understanding of ageing comes from humans and laboratory models. A key question is whether molecular signatures of ageing measured in blood help explain why individuals differ in physiological resilience under environmental challenge in the wild.

Svalbard reindeer provide a distinctive system because they age in an extreme but rapidly changing Arctic environment. The Arctic has warmed around four times faster than the global average. Females endure an eight-month winter when forage is limited, and energy conservation is critical. Rain-on-snow events can cause ground icing that restricts access to forage. By late winter, females differ in body mass, back-fat reserves and reproductive status, traits linked to fecundity and survival. Repeated annual measurements allow us to quantify within-female changes in winter condition and ask why some females decline faster than others.

Late-winter fat reserves are particularly informative because total fat mass, rather than structural body size, strongly predicts fasting endurance in Svalbard reindeer. An age-related within-female decline in these reserves, after accounting for environmental and reproductive effects, would therefore indicate a reduced capacity to withstand winter energetic stress.

The same marked females provide repeated blood samples across their lives, allowing molecular change to be tracked within individuals. RNA sequencing will test whether immune and inflammatory responses, mitochondrial and metabolic function, and cellular maintenance pathways change with age and covary with physiological decline. Analysis of DNA methylation in matched DNA samples from the same females will identify age-associated epigenetic changes and test whether these track chronological age alone or also covary with physiological decline. Longitudinal models will separate differences among females from within-female change while accounting for selective disappearance.

The student will gain training in Arctic ecophysiology, ageing biology, longitudinal modelling, RNA sequencing, DNA methylation and bioinformatics. They will work with long-term individual-based data and biological samples, integrating physiological, molecular and life-history data to understand why individuals age at different rates in the wild.

This project is available for part-time study (Home/UK students only).

Interested applicants should contact the lead supervisor to discuss the project prior to applying. You can do this by selecting the first listed name at the top of this advert and sending your enquiry. Alternatively, you can search for the supervisor through the University of Aberdeen staff directory and email them directly.

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ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants should hold a minimum of a 2:1 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant subject. Those with a 2:2 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) may be considered, provided they have (or are expected to achieve) a Distinction or Commendation at master’s level.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and are committed to having a diverse, inclusive team.

All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on funding for postgraduate training and development. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the Terms and conditions for training funding – UKRI.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

For full details and to download the application form, visit: https://biology.ed.ac.uk/eastbio/how-to-apply

Please note that you may only apply for one EASTBIO project.

1. Application submission

Submit your complete application by 23:59 GMT on 16th November 2026 to smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk.

Send your application as a single email with the subject line: “EASTBIO Application – [Your Name]”

2. Required documents

Your application email must include the following:

• Completed EASTBIO application form
• Academic certificates and transcripts
• Two references (one reference may be non-academic)

3. References

All references must be provided using the official EASTBIO reference form (available here).

References can be either:

• Included with your application, or
• Sent directly by referees to smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk with the subject line: “EASTBIO Reference – [Your Name]”

All references must be received by 23:59 GMT on 16th November 2026.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure both references are submitted by the deadline, as we cannot request them on your behalf.

Important notes

• No research proposal is required.
• Do not include any additional documents (for example, school certificates, conference papers, or dissertations).
• Incomplete applications or those including unnecessary materials will not be considered.
• Due to workload constraints, we are unable to follow up on missing documents or process incomplete applications.
• All candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application.

For any questions or assistance with the application process, please contact smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk.

Funding Notes

This fully funded, four-year PhD project is offered as part of a competition within the EASTBIO BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership. The opportunity is open to both UK and international applicants, although the proportion of international students recruited through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30% by UKRI BBSRC.

EASTBIO studentships provide a tax-free UKRI doctoral stipend (estimated at £22,437 for the 2027/28 academic year), a training grant of £5,000 per year for the first three years (and £1,500 in the fourth year), and a travel and conference allowance of £230 per year.

Please note that EASTBIO is unable to fund visa costs or associated healthcare surcharges for international students.