The Department of Epidemiology is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to work on projects related to tracking emerging infectious diseases using serologic cohorts. The position is envisioned as a 2-year opportunity. The first year will be focused on launching a new study to understand the frequency and mechanisms of cross-species transmission of henipaviruses in Bangladesh. This project is in collaboration with the broader Bat One Health Research Consortium, a highly interdisciplinary, international network of researchers. The Fellow will help in developing and piloting field sampling and data collection protocols for monitoring spillover of bat-borne viruses into cohorts of domesticated animals and human populations living near bat roosts. The Fellow will spend time in Bangladesh with the field teams sampling bats and domesticated animals and will assist with setting up data reporting procedures and databases for samples and test results. In addition to field work, the applicant will have opportunities to analyze existing datasets related to bat ecology and serology and develop manuscripts from these analyses. In addition, during the first year, the successful applicant will spend a 3-month part-time practicum working at the interface with policy and emerging infections.

During the second year, the fellow will broaden their work to include analyses of data from other infectious disease serological studies ongoing in the department. Dr. Emily Gurley will be the primary supervisor for the Fellow and Dr. Andrew Azman will co-supervise and provide guidance on analysis of serological data.

The position will be primarily based in Baltimore but will require considerable time (20%) traveling to work with collaborators, primarily in Bangladesh. The minimum duration of the position is (1) year, but would ideally be extended based on suitability and interest of the candidate. Applicants must hold or be nearing completion of a doctoral degree in a field relevant to the position (e.g., ecology, epidemiology, public health, veterinary sciences). The ideal applicant will have quantitative skills in epidemiology or ecology, experience with serology assays and interpreting serological data, and experience with field-based projects, preferably in low-income settings. The first year of the position is funded by the “Research in Practice: Translating Infectious Disease Epidemiology (RIP-TIDE)” NIAID grant T32AI165369; therefore, applicants must be a US citizen or green card holder.

Interested candidates should send their application to Maya Demby (mdemby1@jhu.edu) with a CV, cover letter, and a list of three (3) references. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis from August 15, 2022.