Abstract
The black salt march mosquito Aedes taeniorhynchus is a vector of Venezuelan equine fever, dog heartworm, and a serious nuisance biter in the Cayman Islands and coastal areas of the Caribbean, North, Central, and South America. Control efforts, using insecticides and habitat management, are crucial to the economy and quality of life around Ae. taeniorhynchus habitats.
Globally, the rapid evolution of insecticide resistance in insect disease vectors and crop pests is a major threat to public health, food production, and a barrier to economic growth. Despite insecticidal control since the 1970s, the potential evolution of insecticide resistance and the molecular mechanisms of such resistance have not yet been evaluated in Ae. taeniorhynchus. In order to select and develop effective control strategies, there is a pressing need to discover which insecticides are working in each local context.
This PhD project will characterize resistance of Caymanian Ae. taeniorhynchus populations to the key insecticides used for their control. Population genomics has been instrumental in understanding the evolution of vector populations including monitoring the geographic spread of resistance mutations and the development of markers for molecular surveillance.
This approach was successfully used to tackle Ae. aegypti in the Cayman Islands, with key information informing Ae. aegypti control strategy generated during PhD research by Angela Harris in a collaboration between LSTM and MRCU. This PhD will develop genomic resources for Aedes taeniorhynchus, mapping population structure across the Cayman Islands and using a population genomics approach to identify genetic markers of insecticide resistance.
These markers will be used to develop and test a genetic marker panel for insecticide resistance in Ae. taeniorhynchus across the Caribbean. This resistance panel will inform future control strategies. Finally, a comparative phylogenetics approach will be applied to key aspects of vector ecology including salinity tolerance, which combined with trap and insecticide resistance data will inform models of Ae. taeniorhynchus populations to predict the impact of control measures.
Funding Package
This studentship is funded by Clarke Mosquito Control and Central Life Sciences, with possibly additional funding through the Ministry of Education.
The studentship includes:
- Stipend of $35K (KYD) per annum for 3 years.
- Tuition/programme fees at the ‘Home’ rate.
- Research support fees for all necessary lab consumables, travel, subsistence, computing hardware and publications.
The PhD student will be based in Cayman Islands with a 6-month visit to LSTM Liverpool (UK). Subject to approval by LSTM, the student will be registered at LSTM, primary supervisor Naomi Dyer and secondary supervisor Eric Lucas, and additional supervision from the MRCU (Alan Wheeler, Kristoffer New, Carlos Pechana).
About this Studentship
With a mission to protect the health and well-being of the Cayman Islands by developing and implementing the most effective, sustainable, and environmentally responsible mosquito control methods available, the is dedicated to advancing research that improves existing control methods and evaluates new technologies.
Becoming part of LSTM’s dynamic, cutting-edge research environment will allow you to realise your potential as a researcher; to make a significant contribution to your field of research; and to prepare you for a wide range of careers in academia and beyond.
LSTM’s department of Vector Biology is a world-leading centre of research in the control of disease vectors and the evolution of insecticide resistance. As well as a vibrant academic environment, LSTM is host to major international organisations in vector control and genomics, including:
- Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC)
- Liverpool Insecticide Testing Establishment (LITE)
- Anopheles gambiae 1000 genomes project (Ag1000G)
LSTM offers a vibrant, collaborative environment for postgraduate research students with a strong emphasis on connection across our community of students based in Liverpool, across our global hubs and beyond. PhD students receive high‑quality supervision from experienced research teams, access to state‑of‑the‑art laboratory and technical facilities, and opportunities to engage in a diverse programme of regular research seminar series, departmental group meetings, conference and symposia and development and training workshops.
Students benefit from a comprehensive package of student support services including counselling, wellbeing, library resources, study skills and other dedicated research administrative support to guide progress through the degree.
Requirements
This opportunity is open exclusively to Caymanians (permanent residents, work permit holders, or other residents of the Cayman Islands are not eligible).
We would normally expect you to have the equivalent of a UK first class or upper second Bachelor's degree (e.g. University of West Indies GPA 3.0 or above, US universities GPA 3.3 or above), and/or a Master’s degree in a relevant subject.
Application Process
Fill out this form: by 31st October 2025.
Applicants will be shortlisted by 10th November. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview and required to submit the following documents:
- Certificates and Transcripts for any qualifications at Bachelors level or above. If your certificates are translated into English, we also need copies of the original untranslated versions.
- Your Curriculum Vitae/Resumé
- Scanned valid passport photo page.
Interviews will take place in the week of 24th–28th November.
Candidates will be informed of the outcome by 5th December, and feedback provided to all interviewed candidates. The successful candidate will then go through the “MyLSTM” application process and be registered as a PhD student subject to LSTM checks.