Join the Lab

We are recruiting PhD students in fall 2026 for an AY27-28 start. If interested to apply, please fill out this brief Expression of Interest by Friday, October 16 at midnight PT!

This page last updated August 6, 2026.

A note on diversity and inclusion

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We are an equal-opportunity group, committed to enacting anti-racist and anti-sexist policies to promote inclusivity in our lab, the biological sciences, and the academy. We believe that black lives matter, women’s rights are human rights, and no life is illegal. Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and lifestyles are enthusiastically encouraged to apply to any of the positions outlined below.

 

PhD Positions

We are recruiting PhD students in the fall 2026 application cycle to start in AY2027-2028. In general, my lab attracts motivated students with broad interests in disease ecology, conservation biology, and/or epidemiology who are eager to undertake a multi-faceted PhD involving some combination of field study, molecular work, and dynamical modeling. For recruits to start in AY2027-2028, I am particularly interested in a field-capable graduate student with a strong interest and/or background in international research and a desire to spend extensive amounts of time in Madagascar. I am also interested in students with strong wet lab skills in molecular detection of viruses in biological samples (PCR + NGS) or serological detection of antibodies in field-collected serum. Finally, I am always interested in students with a background or interest in building and fitting dynamical, mechanistic transmission models to infectious disease data and/or matrix population models to abundance data. Please see the UC Berkeley Department of Integrative Biology for details on graduate applications.

If you are interested in joining the Brook Lab in AY2027-2028, I ask that you please fill out an expression of interest and upload a short CV or resumé at the form linked here prior to midnight on Friday, October 16, 2026.

Please do not feel pressure to spend exorbitant amounts of time on this submission–it is not intended to be an intimidating application! I am simply trying to make the graduate admissions process as fair and transparent as possible, and I believe that considering applicants in one, consolidated block will support this goal.

Postdocs

Applications for the Postdoctoral Scholar position in Bat Infectious Disease are now closed, and we have made an offer to a candidate. If you are interested in applying for an independent fellowship to postdoc in the Brook lab, please reach out to Cara directly at cbrook@berkeley.edu to discuss.

Undergraduates

We have several UC Berkeley undergraduate researchers in the lab at any given time and many small projects available for an interested student. As a policy, I do not allow undergrads to intern without pay, a practice that has been shown to exacerbate inequities in opportunity and access. We do not currently have any specific positions available at this time; however, UC Berkeley abounds with opportunities for proactive undergrads to acquire funding to carry out mentored research.

Undergraduates wishing to conduct summer research should explore funding opportunities through URAP, SURF, and Rose Hills programs at UC Berkeley.

If you are an undergrad with an interest in applying for one of these opportunities to conduct research in the lab, please email me at cbrook@berkeley.edu to set up a meeting to discuss! The earlier you reach out prior to these deadlines, the better. Please note that you should reach out with a specific project idea for one of these proposals in mind. We are unable to craft project ideas for you at this time.

Field Technicians

We typically employ two Field Technicians in one-year positions based in Madagascar. These technicians work with Association Ekipa Fanihy to undertake bat capture and collection of biological samples for our longterm project, as well as rudimentary laboratory processing. These positions are targeted towards American post-baccalaureate students eager to work with Malagasy PhD students on Ekipa Fanihy. I have found this to be a rewarding experience for both American and Malagasy students in the past, allowing both parties to engage in scientific and cultural exchange.

Please see the field technician page for a description of the last job posting. Please contact Cara Brook at cbrook@berkeley.edu with any questions. We will likely hire again in January 2027 for a ~April/May 2027 start date.

Outside of my lab, if you are interested in finding research positions in the field, you may want to explore the following job boards or research opportunities: