Applications are invited for a post-doctoral position supporting the newly-funded JUNIPER consortium. The role will focus on mechanistic and data-based modelling of COVID-19 epidemiology including disease outbreaks in specific setting such as schools, prisons, care homes and hospitals. The post will be expected to receive an honorary contract with Manchester Foundation Trust to facilitate data access. ​​​​​​​

The Research Associate will join a rapidly-growing infectious disease modelling group within the Department of Mathematics, working directly with Dr’s Ian Hall, Thomas House and Lorenzo Pellis, and in close collaboration with research software engineers, epidemiologists, clinicians and microbiologists in Manchester, in the wider JUNIPER Consortium, the UK and internationally. This position benefits from being a part of a large consortium that will provide unique and agile collaborative relationships during its lifetime.

The project lies at the interface between applied mathematics, statistics and data science. The overall aim of the project is to develop practical tools to advise the ongoing response to COVID-19 at national and local scales. Current tools that may be extended and improved include non-parametric (or semi-parametric) regression analysis for evaluating trends in data, robust (complex) model fitting via MCMC, models for outbreaks in enclosed societies as well as evaluation of frameworks for assessing the wider impacts of COVID on the at-risk population.

You will hold (or be about to complete) a PhD or equivalent in Statistics, Data Science or a closely related field. You will have a solid track record of publications relevant to the project area, and an aptitude for interdisciplinary research. A practical experience in at least one of the following areas is essential for the project: epidemic modelling, stochastic processes, uncertainty quantification or operational research. Please see further particulars in the Person Specification document available at the online application site.

The Department of Mathematics and the University as a whole are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusiveness. We value a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all sections of the community. The Department holds a Bronze Award of the Athena SWAN charter for promoting women’s careers in higher education, and we particularly welcome applications from women for this post. All appointments will be made on merit. For further information, please visit: www.manchester.ac.uk/connect/jobs/equality-diversity-inclusion.

Happy to talk flexible working. Blended working arrangements may be considered.