Position Title: Postdoctoral Fellow
Duty station: National Wildlife Research Center, USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services
Funding and co-advised by: Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Salary: $55,000
Start date: negotiable, open until filled
Description: Full-time, two-year term

Position Summary

The successful candidate will develop disease dynamic models for guiding implementation of management strategies (particularly vaccination) against bovine TB in a deer-cattle system in Michigan, USA. This is an excellent opportunity to develop models that will be used to guide a state-wide disease elimination program. The candidate will work in collaboration with scientists from National Wildlife Research Centre (NWRC) in Fort Collins, CO USDA-APHIS and Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (MSU-FW). The MSU scientist (PI: Dr. Henry [Rique] Campa III) works on wildlife habitat ecology and ecosystem management, with an emphasis on wildlife-habitat interactions and the effects of disturbance on species, populations, and communities. The NWRC scientists (PIs: Dr. Kim Pepin and Dr. Kurt VerCauteren) are applied quantitative and field-based disease ecologists (respectively) with emphasis on understanding spatial processes of disease spread for risk assessment and control. The duty station will be at NWRC in Fort Collins in the Pepin group, although remote work stations are acceptable. The work will also involve broader collaboration with researchers from USDA-APHIS-Veterinary Services, and managers and veterinarians from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), thus affording the opportunity to rapidly develop collaborative networks in applied disease management.

The postdoctoral fellow is expected to:

1. Develop statistical models of bTB occurrence in free-ranging white-tailed deer and cattle that evaluate the effects of interventions using bTB surveillance data.

2. Develop mechanistic transmission models to predict optimal spatial vaccination strategies in deer for eliminating bTB in cattle, while considering alternative control measures (e.g., habitat manipulation, biosecurity measures).

3. Collaborate with research team members and natural resources managers from the USDA, MSU-FW, and the MDNR to meet the project goals.

Minimum Requirements

1. Ph.D. degree by the start date of the position in a pertinent biological, physical, or computer science field with demonstrated experiences working on applied ecological problems using quantitative skills.
2. Strong record of productivity and publication.
3. Demonstrated competency in statistical and disease-dynamic modeling.
4. Demonstrated abilities to work independently and on a collaborative, diverse team.
5. Proficiency with a programming language (e.g., R, C++, Matlab,) and experience manipulating, cleaning, and linking diverse data streams, especially GIS and GPS data.

Required Application Materials

Applicants should create a single document (Word or pdf) that includes a letter of interest that highlights the desired attributes specified in the job description, CV/resume, unofficial transcripts, and a list of three references and their contact information. The name of the file should contain the last and first name of the applicant (e.g., Doe.Jane.pdf). The letter of interest should include a statement of the applicant's areas of interest regarding ecological research on spatial disease ecology and/or control of disease in wildlife or at the wildlife-livestock interface, including the applicant's perception of the most important research questions in this discipline, the connections between these areas of research and the applicant’s prior work, and an account of the applicant’s skills in statistics, modelling, and other pertinent quantitative methods. Apply to: Posting #689873: https://careers.msu.edu/cw/en-us/job/504726/research-associatefixed-term