[ES_JOBS_NET] Postdoc, vector-borne disease and climate, NCAR, Colorado

[Christine Wiedinmyer]

Postdoctoral Fellow I

*http://tinyurl.com/ya6hkjnw*

Job Description

    *Postdoctoral Fellow I*

    This is a full-time, 2-year term position. This position will be
    posted until 4 pm on June 18, 2017 or until a sufficient number of
    applications have been received.  Thereafter, applications will be
    reviewed on an as-needed basis.

    NCAR – Research Applications Laboratory (RAL) – Climate Science and
    Applications Program (CSAP)

    Partial relocation costs paid per UCAR’s relocation policy.

    U.S. Citizenship, Permanent Residency, or other protected status
    under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) is required for this position. UCAR/NCAR
    will not sponsor a work visa (e.g., J-1, H1-B, etc.) for this position.

    *Where You Will Work*

    Located in Boulder, Colorado, the National Center for Atmospheric
    Research (NCAR) is one of the world’s premier scientific
    institutions, with an internationally recognized staff and research
    program dedicated to advancing knowledge, providing community-based
    resources, and building human capacity in the atmospheric and
    related sciences.

    The Research Applications Laboratory is one of five laboratories
    within NCAR.  Its mission is to conduct directed research that
    contributes to fundamental understanding of the atmosphere and
    related physical, biological, and social systems; to support,
    enhance, and extend the capabilities of the scientific community;
    and to develop and transfer knowledge and technology for the
    betterment of life on Earth.

    **

    *What You Will Do*

    Based on the success of the postdoctoral training fellowship program
    begun in 2010, a new round will commence in 2017, continuing a
    partnership between the National Center for Atmospheric Research
    (NCAR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    This is a full-time, 2-year term position. The fellow hired for this
    position will conduct research on current and future health risks.
    The fellow will collaborate with the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne
    Diseases (DVBD) in Fort Collins, CO. The fellow will acquire
    specific training in atmospheric and climate research following
    NCAR’s established advanced study postdoctoral training program
    (ASP), as well as training in public health at CDC. The goal is to
    increase the number of scientists with the appropriate experience
    and training to conduct research in the emerging field of weather,
    climate and health.

    In this position, in collaboration with CDC’s DVBD, the fellow will
    focus on research that will include development of spatially- and
    temporally-explicit models to predict the risk of vector-borne
    diseases such as human plague, Lyme disease, tularemia, dengue,
    chikungunya, Zika, and West Nile viruses. The population dynamics of
    disease vectors (e.g., fleas, mosquitoes, ticks) are linked to many
    factors, among them meteorological variables such as temperature,
    humidity and precipitation; therefore, the position will focus on
    the ecological and disease expertise necessary to develop and employ
    useful disease risk models for present and future (i.e., predictive)
    conditions. This fellow will divide his/her time between Fort
    Collins and Boulder CO.

    The postdoctoral fellow will work closely with scientists and other
    professionals at CDC, NCAR, universities, and public health agencies
    undertaking research on weather, climate and human health and will
    be expected to submit the results of the research to peer-reviewed
    journals and present research at scientific meetings.

      * The NCAR/CDC DVBD fellow performs independent and collaborative
        research developing spatio-temporal models for analyzing the
        effects of weather, climate and other variables on the
        distribution and abundance of disease vectors and the
        transmission dynamics of disease agents. Bacterial diseases of
        particular interest include plague, tularemia, and Lyme disease;
        arboviruses of particular interest include dengue, chikungunya,
        Zika and West Nile although models should be broadly applicable
        to other vector-borne diseases. Temporal analyses may include
        the effects of short-term meteorological events, seasonal
        changes, annual variation, and potential long-term climatic
        change on vector abundance, human case occurrence and pathogen
        transmission.  Spatial analyses may explore the relationship
        between spatial heterogeneity in temperature and rainfall,
        particularly in topographically diverse areas, and human risk of
        exposure to vector-borne pathogens. Initial predictive models
        will be evaluated with existing independent data sets obtained
        from NCAR, CDC or other state and county health departments or
        by future field studies.
      * Assists in developing survey sampling strategy and collecting data.
      * Participates in research development with internal and external
        collaborators across disciplines.
      * Communicates research results through publication in
        peer-reviewed journals, meeting proceedings, and presentations
        at scientific meetings.

    **

    *Decision Making & Problem Solving*

      * In consultation with the research team, the new hire helps to
        shape the specific research tasks to be conducted as part of the
        project.
      * Solves problems that may arise in the course of completing the
        research plan. Works independently to solve these problems,
        establishes schedules to meet deadlines as needed by supervisor.
        Obtains guidance when she/he cannot make a decision or solve a
        problem independently.

    **

    *What You Need*

      * In-depth knowledge of spatio-temporal statistics
      * Demonstrated skill working with applications in public health
        (e.g., biostatistics in epidemiology)
      * Familiarity with vector-borne diseases and/or disease ecology
        research
      * Previous experience working with large datasets including
        environmental, health, demographic and survey data
      * Demonstrated ability to participate in interdisciplinary
        projects and interact productively with physical and social
        scientists and public health practitioners.
      * Ability to establish and maintain a strong publication record.
      * Strong skills in written and oral communication of research
        results, including in an interdisciplinary context.
      * Technical/computational skills:
          o Excellent programming skills in a statistics environment
            (e.g., R, Matlab or STATA, SAS, SPSS)

      * Familiarity with GIS

    **

    *Education & Experience Requirement*

      * Ph.D. degree in statistics, epidemiology, atmospheric and
        environmental sciences, climatology, medical geography, ecology
        or related disciplines

    The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is an
    equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer that
    strives to develop and maintain a diverse workforce. UCAR is
    committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and
    applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of
    race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex,
    gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual
    orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy.

    Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at the
    University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). We are
    committed to inclusivity and promoting an equitable environment that
    values and respects the uniqueness of all members of our organization.

Job Location
    Boulder, Colorado, United States
Position Type
    Full-Time/Regular

Appointment Type
Term Full-Time (T1)
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