A postdoctoral position in computational and mathematical modeling of pathogens spread in the food supply chain is available at Texas A&M University. It is a position between the Martial Ndeffo’s Lab (https://vibs.tamu.edu/person/9727/) in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences working in close collaboration with the Sapna Dass’s Lab (https://animalscience.tamu.edu/people/chitlapilly-dass-sapna/) in the Department of Animal Science. The successful candidate will contribute to one or more research projects funded by USDA. The research project will focus on the development of mechanistic models which consider drivers and pathways of SARS-CoV-2 (and selected pathogens) transmission in livestock systems in a multipartite livestock-human-environment-wildlife systems approach. The models will be used to investigate transmission dynamics in space and time by considering and understanding the impact of biosecurity practices on the introduction and spread of pathogens at the farm level.

Candidates should have a Ph.D. in biology, epidemiology, mathematical sciences, or related fields. Strong quantitative skills are required and candidates should demonstrate a good track record of peer-reviewed publications, have strong programming skills, organizational, written, and oral communication skills. Candidates will be expected to lead modeling and data analysis projects and contribute to proposal writing. Prior research experiences and a strong interest in infectious diseases modeling, stochastic computational modeling, and experience in agent-based modeling are required for this position. Additional desirable skills and experience include one or more of the following: animal disease epidemiology, model fitting/calibration to empirical data, and/or statistical analyses. Candidates will need to work independently and as effective members of multidisciplinary collaborative teams. The candidate will have the opportunity to integrate with the investigators and partners at different institutions including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center.

Review of applications will begin immediately and the positions will remain open until filled. The expected start date is Fall 2023 (but can be postponed if needed). The initial appointment will be for two years (with the second-year contingent upon adequate progress in the first year). The salary will be in the range of $50K-70K, depending on experience. Applications should include a CV, a statement of research interests, the names of three references, and the most relevant publications. Application materials should be e-mailed as a single PDF to Martial Ndeffo (m.ndeffo@tamu.edu)