Postdoctoral Research Associate

Appointment Type and Duration

• Full-time 2-year appointment (renewal contingent on performance and funding)
• Anticipated start
  :
  Fall 2026 (flexible)

Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison (Madison, WI)

We seek an exceptional postdoctoral scientist to join our team and collaborate with the RuFaS project team and the Dairy Brain data hub, leading model enhancement and scenario simulation within the open-source Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) whole-farm model ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).). You will develop and validate new RuFaS capabilities that connect animal genetics, health and fertility, methane and feed efficiency, diet interventions, and whole-farm economics.

Additionally, you will help deliver reproducible, stakeholder-relevant results and open-source releases.

This project will (1) estimate multi-trait genetic/phenotypic relationships among methane, feed efficiency, health, fertility, and production traits, and (2) embed those relationships into RuFaS to quantify system-level trade-offs and co-benefits under genetic and management scenarios, with outputs disseminated through  and stakeholder engagement.

• PhD in Animal Science, Biological/ Agricultural Engineering, Systems Modeling, Data Science, Applied Statistics, Computer Science or a closely related field by start date
• Demonstrated experience with computational modeling (simulation, stochastic modeling, optimization, or statistical computing) and strong programming skills
• Evidence of scientific productivity (peer-reviewed publications) and the ability to work independently while collaborating across disciplines

The postdoc will be co-mentored by Victor

E. Cabrera (UW–Madison) with close collaboration with the project’s RuFaS leadership and interdisciplinary team spanning quantitative genomics, nutrition, physiology, and data engineering. The role offers high visibility through open-source contributions, stakeholder-facing deliverables, and publications.

Competitive salary commensurate with experience; UW–Madison postdoctoral benefits package.