POST DOC in Statistics and Pathogen Phylodynamics; Imperial College

Overview

POST DOC in STATISTICS and PATHOGEN PHYLODYNAMICS (Imperial College London)

Mar 29, 2018

We have an open 2 year post doc position here at Imperial in the Stats Section with partners in Seattle, on epidemiology and new Bayesian methods for estimating sources of transmission with phylogenetics. No pre-requisites in phylogenetics are required. We are looking for someone with solid foundations in Bayesian Statistics (e.g. hierarchical modelling, non-parametric inference, graphical models), paired with excellent computing skills (e.g. R, MCMC, Stan, github, Tensor Flow).

The project is joint with partners in the US, so the post might be a great opportunity for someone who is about to graduate, and who would like to build a research network across the pond. The data also have just been collected, so I imagine there is scope for good papers both in stats and epidemiological journals.

• Department:
  Mathematics, Statistics Section
• Salary: £36,800 – £38,730 per annum plus benefits
• Duration: 24 months, starting as soon as possible
• Closing date: 06 April 2017

How to apply:

NAT
00099

Applications are invited from a talented individual with strong quantitative skills to join Dr. Oliver Ratmann’s research group in the Department of Mathematics at Imperial College London as a Research Associate in Statistics and Pathogen Phylodynamics, and in strong collaboration with Dr. Joshua Herbeck (University of Washington, USA) and further international academic and public health partners.

This post holder will work as part of an international team to address key questions in HIV prevention from an objective marker, viral sequences, through state of the art statistical approaches that build on branching process theory, structured coalescent, and Bayesian hierarchical models (in short pathogen phylodynamics). The project brings together a multi-disciplinary team of public health communities (Public Health–Seattle and King County), and academic partners (Imperial College London, University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children’s Research Institute).

Outcomes will have direct impact to prevention and intervention programmes in Seattle, North America and Europe, as well as the UNAIDS cities initiative to fast-track elimination of HIV transmission.

This post is an exciting opportunity to expand on significant recent methodological advances in pathogen phylodynamics, to build collaborations within an international, multi-disciplinary and world-leading team, and to shape a cutting-edge research project between core methodology and public health partners. The position is initially funded through the U.S. National Institutes of Health for a duration of two years. Potential further funding through a strongly connected research project with the HIV Transmission Elimination Initiative and partners in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is a possibility ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).).

Prior expertise in molecular epidemiology/ pathogen phylodynamics is not required. The successful applicant will be supported in their career development with a range of formal courses and on-the-job training.

Qualifications and requirements:

• You will hold a PhD in statistics, mathematics, physics, evolutionary biology, epidemiology, computer science or closely related discipline by the time of appointment; have an excellent track record in carrying out original research in statistics or an equivalent quantitative field;
• strong programming skills, especially software development for statistical computing, and skills in R, UNIX, text processing and data handling;
• ability to work and communicate effectively in a multi-disciplinary team; excellent verbal and English-writing skills; willing to travel and spend time in Seattle as part of the project.

The position would suit applicants interested in developing a career at the intersection of infectious disease epidemiology, statistics and phylogenetics. Most important are an inquisitive mind and the desire to develop and apply statistical methodology to questions of substantive importance to HIV epidemiology. There will be opportunities to take on senior roles in the research group including student…