Statistical modelling of infectious disease outbreaks

I am seeking a postdoctoral researcher to lead a project modeling infectious disease outbreaks. The successful candidate will fulfill the following tasks: 1. Develop a database of infectious disease outbreaks, 2. Create and collate predictive GIS layers to forecast disease, 3. Use georeferenced locations to statistically model and forecast outbreaks, and 4. Publish resulting papers. There are avenues to work on almost any pathogen of interest and also to develop GIS workflow skills (such as interpolation) to create predictive layers of disease. There are funds to cover this position for at least three years. The position will be based in the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, which is a field station that is part of University of Georgia. The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory is located near Augusta, GA and Aiken, SC. You can find more information about the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at https://srel.uga.edu/.

The postdoctoral candidate will be mentored by PI Mekala Sundaram. I am a quantitative disease ecologist, who uses statistics and machine learning tools to predict disease outbreaks. I am an Assistant Professor in Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia. My lab group is composed of very mature, welcoming and nurturing scholars. You can learn more about my lab at mekalasundaram.com. The successful candidate for this position will have experience coding and programming in R. Previous experience with GIS is preferred. Candidates with experience building statistical models using ecological and/or disease datasets will be preferred. A valid drivers license will likely be needed for this position too, for access to the Laboratory area.

Salary will depend on experience but is expected to start at $55000 with competitive health care benefits. This should be enough to live well in Augusta GA or Aiken SC, wherever the scholar chooses. To apply for this position, please fill in the application on UGA Job boards website: https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/363890

You will need to upload the following to be considered: (1) Cover Letter (maximum 2 pages), (2) CV with contact information for 3 references. Applications received before 20th April will be considered fully and I will continue to consider applications until the position is filled.