Postdoctoral Position: Global Cholera Dynamics
Our group in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is looking for a postdoctoral fellow to work on projects related to cholera dynamics aimed at understanding the global burden and geographic distribution of the disease. The ideal applicant will have both quantitative experience in epidemiology, statistics, and/or ecology and an interest in public health research related to disease prevention and control in global settings. In addition to analytic work, the position will provide opportunities to engage with officials at Ministries of Health, the WHO, UNICEF, and other high-level partners on matters related to the control of cholera and in disease mapping. Applicants with, or nearing completion of, a doctoral degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, or a related public health field will be considered. Those with experience in global health practice or technical expertise setting up web-based systems for communicating results to a general audience will be given priority.
The successful applicant will work with Dr. Justin Lessler and colleagues on a project primarily funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that aims to improve our understanding of cholera epidemiology in order to design rational strategies for use of oral cholera vaccine in critical settings throughout the globe. Our team has built a massive database of global cholera incidence and mortality data, with a preliminary focus on Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean region of the WHO. We are now expanding our work to the global scale. This work will involve methods to estimate the incidence and endemicity of cholera across the world and the exploration of how various covariates shape cholera risk across time and space. In addition, the applicant will help with modeling the potential impact of oral cholera vaccine strategies in endemic areas. There will be opportunities to lead analyses using genetic and epidemiologic data to understand the spatiotemporal patterns of cholera transmission. This work will be highly connected to ongoing cholera control work throughout the world through the Global Taskforce for Cholera Control, and the successful applicant will have the chance to share results with policy and operational partners including the WHO, MSF and others.
The successful applicant be joining a highly collaborative group (iddynamics.jhsph.edu) who work on projects ranging from empirical data collection to theoretical modeling of disease dynamics, and there will be ample opportunities to work on cross-cutting projects focused on issues in infectious disease transmission and control.
The position will be for 1-2 years, depending on applicant interest and career plans.
Interested candidates should contact Laura Bowles (lbowles@jhu.edu) with a CV, statement of interest, and references. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and should be submitted by March 15, 2018.