MOTIVATION LETTER FOR Ph.D IN BIOLOGY

Hello teachers,

I am applying for a PhD project in Spain. I wrote a motivation letter and your help would be very much appreciated. Being accepted for this Phd it is the turning point of my life. it means a lot to me.

Thank you very much for your time and for your help.

Lucy

MOTIVATION LETTER:

Dear Mr. xxx,

I am writing to express my great interest in applying for the Ph.D. position at University of xxxx, at the xxxx Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, on Parasites of Cetaceans.

I have always been interested in aquatic life and living on the coast has been a major advantage for the ambition of becoming a Marine Biologist since I was young . Several years later, through keeping aquariums along with semi-aquatic terrariums, I have gained a strong interest in disease and pathogens. This made me knowledgeable about basic care of aquatic organisms and able familiarize myself with how parasites affect almost every aspect in the life of their hosts including physiology and behaviour.

In 2012 I graduated from Università degli Studi di Bari with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Biology and in 2015 I obtained a Master of Science degree in Marine Biology with honors at Università degli Studi di Bologna and I placed among the very best students of my year. During my final year of my Master program, my interest in marine parasitology has grown thanks to the lectures on the subject and I decided to undertake my master thesis work at University of Aberdeen on anisakid parasites in cetacean stomach contents and the relationships between diet and parasite burdens. I worked hard and effectively, learning parasite and prey identification and quantifying both parasite numbers and diet composition. Prey remains investigation, recovered from cetacean stomach contents, consisted principally of otoliths of fishes and beaks of cephalopods, which were shown to be an important dietary source of nematode for the hosts species in our study area. I had the privilege of being mentored by Professor xxx who helped me with the identification of the nematode parasites recovered from the stomach contents of 42 cetaceans stranded off Scottish coast over a period of 10 years.

However, my master work permitted only tentative conclusions about the population ecology of the anisakid species we studied, since it was based on observational data. Therefore, earning a Ph.D would be the ideal vehicle to enhance my knowledge about of the many facets of host-parasite interactions, from the molecular bases to adaptive strategies and their ecological and evolutionary consequences. Moreover, I would expose me to distinguished professors from which I will be able to learn advanced theories of evolutionary studies of parasitism and sophisticated experimental skills.

I am also aware that University of xxx is one of the most reputable and respected institutes of its kind. Particularly, the xxxxs Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology is wholly known for his pioneering studies focused on the ecological and evolutionary determinants of parasite community structure in cetaceans and sea turtles.

In addition to my academic achievement, I have done an Internship at the University of Bologna on a research project focused on the comparison of hematological parameters in two different stages of development of the European eel, for management and conservation purposes. As well as, I have joined an ecotoxicological study focused on the evaluation of the concentration of biochemical biomarker metallothioneins, determined spectrophotometrically in the soluble fraction of the digestive gland of mussels, collected from several coastal and estuarine locations along the Western Adriatic coast. I benefited from the laboratory experience and know-how to develop technical skills, especially in numerical simulations, as well as changing my learning devoted brain into a research oriented mind.

I have excellent communication and negotiation skills. I am flexible person who enjoys learning about new cultures and traveling. I have got the experience of volunteer participation for the NGO Frontier in the Fiji's marine research and conservation program run in association with the University of the South Pacific. The work aimed to provide the local stakeholders, research organizations and government bodies with the information they need to design and implement management plans for the future protection of Beqa island and lagoon marine ecosystem.

I am Self-organized and able to manage several tasks simultaneously. Moreover, I am an enthusiastic team player with experience of collaborative working. I have worked as Resident Marine Biologist for xxx Maldives where I met people from different backgrounds and cultures. I found this experience personally and professionally rewarding because, by comparing our backgrounds and our outlooks for the future, I have a deeper appreciation of achieving a common goal.

I believe that with my work and studies I have a solid foundation and I hope to develop expertise and boost the quality of my research. This subject is a personal passion, I will do my best to exceed your expectations. In addition to my academic qualifications, I am confident that my international background and interdisciplinary education will add more diversity to your program. I would be honored if you decide to accept my application to be PhD student in your prestigious University.

Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to receiving your acceptance.

Sincerely yours,