Postdoctoral Position: Integrated Ecological Forecasting of Mosquito-Borne Disease Risk
I am seeking a postdoctoral researcher to participate in a NASA-funded study on West Nile virus risk mapping and early warning in Great Plains region of the United States. We are developing a novel "EcoHealth Informatics" approach for integrating mosquito surveillance with environmental monitoring data from earth observation satellites and applying data-model fusion to generate forecasts of the timing and locations of future West Nile virus outbreaks. The position is funded for up to three years and will be located in the Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence at South Dakota State University. The postdoctoral researcher will use remotely sensed data to develop novel environmental indices of disease risk, analyze relationships between environmental variability and spatial and temporal patterns of malaria, conduct simulation modeling of mosquito population dynamics and disease transmission, and work with public health partners to implement the results in an early warning and decision support system. Qualifications: A Ph.D. in epidemiology, geography, ecology, or a related field. The preferred candidate will have experience in both (1) processing of satellite remote sensing data and other types of geospatial datasets, and (2) application of spatio-temporal statistics to analyze epidemiological and ecological datasets. Knowledge of data assimilation methods and their application for ecological forecasting, knowledge of the R environment for statistical computing, and a strong interest in disease ecology are also highly desirable. To apply for this position, send the following information in electronic form to the address below: cover letter, curriculum vitae, names and contact information for three references, and unofficial copies of transcripts. Review of applications will begin on July 31st, 2015 and continue until the position has been filled. The position is available beginning September 1st, but the exact start date is negotiable. Michael C. Wimberly Professor, Department of Natural Resource Management Senior Scientist, Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence South Dakota State University Brookings, SD 57007-3510 (605) 688-5350 michael.wimbe...@sdstate.edu
