Levesque Lab

This summer research experience project hosted in collaboration with the Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation (IBEC) at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) aims to prod several questions regarding mammalian endothermy in generally nonseasonal tropical climates: what are the characteristics of mammalian endothermy in the wet tropics? Why maintain homeothermy while your environment is constantly warm? and so on. Our targets consist of several squirrel, murid rat, treeshrew, and moonrat species. The methods we employ measure a number of proxies that approximate an animal’s energy expenditure such as metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, etc. You will be trained in the necessary methods for this project; no prior experience is necessary:

-Cage trapping and live-animal handling

-Morphometric measurements

-Flow-through respirometry

-Radio-collaring and telemetry

Here are a couple publications from our lab:
Staying Hot to Fight the Heat
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00360-018-1160-7

Non-Torpid Heterothermy in Mammals.
https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/63/5/1039/7220016

The REU will commence late  May and conclude by (approximately) mid to late August 2025 up to 12 weeks (start and end dates are flexible and will be determined upon candidate selection).

Field work typically is conducted on a weekly basis with occasional time in town to allow for resupply of respirometry materials on the UNIMAS campus

Stipend (700$/wk) included

Covered expenses:

Travel to/from and within Sarawak

Accommodations

Travel insurance

Food while in the field

-Must be a US citizen or permanent resident

-Must be a continuing undergraduate student in the Fall 2025 semester (i.e. cannot be graduating before/during this REU)

-Must be in the second or further year of their bachelor’s degree.
-Hard working, responsible, enthusiastic
-Preferably someone interested in pursuing research, conservation or related fields in ecology biology in the future.
-No prior experience necessary! This REU is intended to facilitate new experiences and develop new skills

-Must be comfortable in a wet, tropical, forested climate with biting critters

-Avg high temps ~33-34°C; avg. low 26-27°C; high humidity always

-Venomous and spiked creatures abound at our field sites: vipers and cobras, ants, centipedes, spiked trees, etc.

-Must be able to hike regularly on uneven terrain in light and dark

-Must enjoy eating really good food every day and open to different styles of food.

-Must have an appetite for new experiences: culture, language, science, food, etc.; Sarawak’s got it all!

If interested, please send a 1-page letter of interest and resume/CV to Claudia Saldaña (claudia.saldana@maine.edu) by day’s end 30/January/2025 describing why you are interested in joining us in Sarawak on this project, how the project aligns with your future goals, and why you think you would perform well in the project and the humid tropics. Also provide with your application a least 1 recommendation letter and minimum 2 recommender contact emails (professors, TAs, PI’s you’ve worked with, work boss, etc). Please send me an email with any questions! Check out our lab website for more info on our research.