Project ideas
Here we list ideas for potential research projects, often extensions of old ones or side quests of new ones. If you are interested in collaborating on these or related topics, please contact christy.hipsley@bio.ku.dk. We also welcome new ideas, so feel free to get creative!
For prospective postdocs, scroll down for funding opportunities to work in Denmark.
Biomechanics of cranial sutures
Amphisbaenians are fossorial reptiles with astounding variation in the size and shape of cranial sutures, likely related to the biomechanics of digging. Use finite element analysis and other methods to investigate this relationship.
Gliding lizard morphology
The African lacertid genus Holaspis is one of the few known examples of gliding flight in lizards, yet it lacks many of the phenotypic features enhancing aerial ability in other gliding clades. Describe cranial adaptions in this species based on X-ray CT scans of a Holaspis growth series.
Heritability of head bobbing in lizards
Analyse digital recordings of head bobbing behaviour in hatchlings of the side-blotched lizard Uta stansburiana , for which we have pedigrees and genetic data over multiple generations.
Diversification in desert reptiles
Using dated molecular phylogenies, compare and contrast diversification patterns among desert-dwelling reptiles above (surface) and below (fossorial) ground.
Genotype-phenotype mapping in wolves
Analyse an extraordinary dataset of matched genotypes and phenotypes to document the genetic basis of wolf diversity across their range.
Skeletal variation in Xenagama spiny tails
Instead of long thin tails, some species of agamid lizards have short spiny tails resembling paddles. Use CT scans to describe and quantify variation in tail morphology of Xenagama in relation to ecology and microhabitat use.
Funding opportunities to study in Denmark
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship
Two types of postdoctoral fellowships are available from MSCA: for researchers moving within or to Europe from other parts of the world, and for researchers outside of Europe working 1-2 years in a 3rd country. Both would give the possibility to collaborate with our group.
DFF International Postdoctoral Grant
The Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) offers a number of options for researchers at different levels, including postdocs in and outside of Denmark. See the current calls and external announcements to which DFF contributes.
Innovation Fund Denmark Industrial Researcher
Industrial Researcher invests in Industrial PhD and postdoc projects. In both cases, the candidate is employed in a private company and enrolled in, or works with, a public research institution on the same project.
Carlsberg Foundation Posdoctoral and Visiting Researcher Fellowships
The Carlsberg Foundation supports basic research by danish and foreign nationals at various levels and durations, including postdocs and visiting fellows. Check the open calls to find out more.