Postdoctoral Position: Statistical modeling of animal behavior and immunity to understand large-scale patterns in zoonotic disease risk
A postdoctoral position is available to understand how shifts in animal behavior and immunity drive contact between rodent hosts and tick vectors that fuel spread of the pathogen associated with Lyme disease. In collaboration with John Orrock (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Marty Martin (University of South Florida), and with multiple years of funding from NSF, the successful candidate will be able to continue their training by using large-scale data collected from 8 sites across the U.S. via collaboration with the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The postdoctoral researcher will be primarily responsible for analyzing data on gene expression, B. burgdorferi infection, environmental variation, and individual behavior for two rodent species over three years of sampling to link individual variation in competence to variation in the abiotic and biotic environment and hence variation in Lyme disease risk. The value of this approach will be further evaluated by using these models to forecast disease prevalence as a function of current climatic and habitat conditions at other NEON sites and in future years. Applicants must have relevant Ph.D. experience in ecology or closely related discipline. Preference will be given to applicants with strong programming and analytical skills, demonstrated aptitude in disease ecology, small-mammal ecology, and/or behavioral ecology, and demonstrated effectiveness in scientific communication. Funding for salary and benefits is available for 1 year, with renewal possible for a second year contingent on satisfactory performance. There is flexibility regarding the start date, although May 2025 (or sooner) is preferred. Interested applicants should send a curriculum vitae, a 1-2 page statement of research interests, copies of 2-3 relevant publications, and contact information for 3-4 references. Send materials (e-mail preferred) to: John Orrock, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, email: jorr...@wisc.edu<mailto:jorr...@wisc.edu>. Additional information regarding the Orrock Lab can be found at: https://orrocklab.zoology.wisc.edu/ Applications will be considered starting December 20, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. Those individuals who identify with groups currently under-represented in STEM fields are strongly encouraged to apply. The University of Wisconsin is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. ************************************** John Orrock Department of Integrative Biology University of Wisconsin Madison, WI 53706 Phone: 608-263-5134 To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://community.esa.org/confirm/?u=RhPWqPxFwODKvbkiT32nkIqRrsiSgulp
