The College of Veterinary Medicine seeks applicants for the position of Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on modeling of West Nile Virus. This position is a mentored postdoctoral opportunity for a person who aspires to a career in vector-borne disease research. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will work as part of a diverse multidisciplinary team studying the dynamics of West Nile Virus in the Chicago area, including data on mosquito genetics. This position is fully funded for 2 years, and will include mentorship from across the University of Illinois, the mosquito abatement districts in Chicago, and others.
The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Statistical and computational modeling of West Nile virus dynamics, incorporating weather, climate, landscape, and mosquito genetics.
• Mentorship of PhD students working in vector-borne disease modeling
• Field work and laboratory work are optional.
• Fully remote work is possible.
Minimum Qualifications: A PhD in a relevant field (such as epidemiology, entomology, ecology, or computational biology) is required. Computational modeling experience is required. The successful candidate will have outstanding written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to initiate and drive multiple projects to completion simultaneously. Demonstrated creativity and innovation in problem solving are also required. The successful candidate will have maturity and sound judgment, as well as the ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
Environmental Demands: Physical requirements are those normally associated with general office work. All field and laboratory work are optional; duties can be adjusted to accommodate physical or health-related constraints.
To Apply: For full consideration, please submit your application materials, resume/CV and cover letter by Dr. Rebecca Smith, at rlsdvm@illinois.edu. The search will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. This is a 12-month position. Salary is budgeted at $47,484 in the first year, with 3% cost-of-living increases in following years. For more information on the position, you may contact Dr. Rebecca Smith, Associate Professor of Pathobiology at rlsdvm@illinois.edu. Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job applicants upon acceptance of a contingent offer.
The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Convictions are not a bar to employment. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment. As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.
University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This employment offer is contingent on your timely submission of proof of your vaccination. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption in accordance with applicable University processes.