The successful research officer will be involved in both data analysis activities and project management activities at the Teagasc Dairy Research Centre, Moorepark. The successful candidate will have proven experience in animal science and data analysis in addition to working in a team environment. The successful candidate would need to have a keen interest in epidemiology and be a good communicator with a capacity to organise, manage and prioritise workload
Background
Eradication of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) remains a significant challenge in Ireland and internationally. The single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test is used to screen all cattle herds for infection annually, with the gamma-interferon test being used also in certain cases to increase sensitivity. Both of these tests rely on the animals’ own immune system to detect infection. It is well established that physiological stress can lead to immunosuppression in both humans and animals, and it is hypothesised that it may therefore impact TB diagnostic test performance which rely on the hosts' immunological response. The objective of this project is to investigate the factors that may affect the outcome of bTB tests in cattle in Ireland. The project will involve collaboration with various industry stakeholders, including DAFM, to carry out a large retrospective data analysis using in-depth animal-level data from 2002-2022.

Duties & Responsibilities specific to this project:

Completion of all project tasks under supervision of project coordinator and principle investigator.
Maintain high standards of data management and organisation for the duration of the project.
Lead meetings with project partners to facilitate data sharing and collaboration.
Ensure all research and statistical methods employed during the project are appropriate and effective for each task.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities:

To interpret research findings and prepare scientific and popular press publications.
To disseminate research findings to a variety of audiences as appropriate.
To assist Teagasc in meeting the commitments of the Quality Customer Service Charter and Action Plan.
To comply with all relevant Teagasc policies and procedures.
Fully co-operate with the provisions made for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of themselves, fellow staff and non-Teagasc staff and co-operate with management in enabling Teagasc to comply with legal obligations. This includes full compliance with the responsibilities outlined in the Safety Statement.
To actively participate in the Teagasc Post Doctoral Fellowship programme and review processes, and to undertake all Post Doctoral fellowship training and associated duties as agreed in the Training & Development Plan.
To take up additional duties as they may arise and be assigned by management.