Proposal description:
Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a viral, vector-borne disease transmitted by midges of the genus Culicoides. EHD has important consequences in cattle herds. The virus was first discovered in the United States in 1955, and has since spread to Asia, Australia and Africa. It was first detected in Europe in 2022 (in Italy and then Spain), before reaching France in 2023. A vaccine for the serotype 8 currently circulating in France has just received a temporary authorization of use, but methods are still lacking to identify effective targeted vaccination protocols, taking into account resource constraints (number of doses and deployment time) and the spatio-temporal
heterogeneity of host distribution. To develop such a method, you will adapt and extend the framework previously developed in the team on the evaluation of vaccination strategies against bluetongue virus in cattle, a vector-borne disease with characteristics similar to those of EHD. The goal is to use a multi-host species and spatio-temporal epidemiological model that allows vaccine characteristics (type of protection, efficacy, spatio-temporal coverage, etc.) to be taken into account. This work will complement projects led by ANSES (B. Durand) and CIRAD (C. Garros) on the epidemiology of EHD and the population dynamics of its vector, as well as those led by VetAgroSup (T. Porphyre, E. Gilot-Fromont) on the transmission dynamics of EHD on a large scale, depending on the methods of virus introduction. Joint reflection on the models proposed in these projects will enable us to select the main processes to be integrated when adapting our model to evaluate and compare a wide range of EHD vaccination protocols at large scale. Regular interactions with governmental stakeholders will take place, as there are strong expectations on how these modeling results can inform policy.

Expected skills:
PhD in mathematical modelling
Experience in mechanistic modelling, with application to a biological system
Experience in optimal control theory
Excellent programming skills (Python, R, C++)
Interest in infectious diseases, epidemiology, interdisciplinary research
Willingness to make results accessible to stakeholders, and take their expectations into
account
Strong organizational and written/oral communication skills, fluency in English
Be highly motivated towards scientific research

Starting date:
Between January and May 2025

Duration:
Minimum 18 months (depends on the starting date)

Salary:
Basic gross salary ~3100-4000 €/month (according to experience)

How to apply :
Please, send simultaneously to pauline.ezanno@inrae.fr and helene.cecilia@inrae.fr :
your CV, a cover letter expressing your research experiences and interests, and at least two reference letters (with contact details of referees). The position is currently available, with flexible starting date. Review of applications starts immediately and will stop as soon as the position is filled.