Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Positions in Disease Dynamics and Evolution Dept. of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC
To prospective post-docs: Funding is available for a postdoctoral associate position with Katia Koelle in the Dept. of Biology at Duke University in Durham, NC as early as Jan. 1, 2008. The position involves the development and application of mathematical and statistical models to understand the ecological and evolutionary patterns of rapidly evolving pathogens. Specific applications include influenza virus in multiple different hosts (including humans), dengue virus in humans, and HIV. Applicants should have (or be expecting) a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Biology, or Applied Math. Experience in mathematical modeling or statistical data analysis is necessary. Previous research in infectious diseases is desired but not required. The ideal candidate would also be familiar with research in the field of complex systems. Post-doc salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. The initial appointment will be for one year. Funding is available for a second year, with continuation depending upon performance. Interested applicants should contact me by e-mail by December 15. See below for further information. To prospective graduate students: If you are interested in using quantitative approaches to study the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases, please feel free to contact me by e-mail. I am looking for one to two graduate students to start next fall (August 2008) and the following one (August 2009). I am specifically interested in students who think innovatively and preferably have some background in theoretical biology (ideally ecology and/or evolutionary biology). Although undergraduate degrees in math or computer science are not necessary, the candidate must already possess or feel extremely comfortable in developing quantitative skills. Main research projects in my lab currently focus on (1) understanding the role of climate variability in driving disease dynamics, (2) developing mathematical and statistical models to understand the disease dynamics of rapidly evolving pathogens such as influenza and dengue, (3) drawing quantitative comparisons between the ecological and evolutionary patterns of rapidly evolving pathogens at the population level versus at the within-host level. Although most of this research has focused on bacterial and viral pathogens that infect humans, current projects are also considering the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of pathogens in other hosts (e.g., avian and equine hosts). Individuals interested in joining my lab should generally be interested in one or more of the research topics listed above. I expect incoming graduate students to be excited about their research, to be able to synthesize and incorporate material from different fields, including ecology, evolution, virology, applied math, and epidemiology. Most importantly, graduate students of mine should see infectious diseases as providing a great model system to quantitatively study open questions in ecology and evolutionary biology. See below for further information. Further information: Beyond the important interactions that grad students and post-docs will have with ecologists and evolutionary biologists in the Department of Biology, there are also many other resources at Duke that a student/post-doc studying infectious diseases with me could tap into. Specifically, Duke is home to a recently founded Global Health Institute, a Theoretical Immunology group, a Vaccine Institute, and a Center for Nonlinear and Complex Systems. My lab has established collaborations with several of these groups, and is looking to further these ties. Furthermore, NESCent, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State are all within half an hour of Duke University, creating a larger academic community in the Triangle Region. Contact info: Katia Koelle Dept. of Biology Duke University Box 90338 Durham, NC 27708 Phone: 919-660-9457 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
