Postdoctoral Research Associate – Network Science/Epidemic Modeling/Network Epidemiology – The Roux Institute

About the Opportunity

The Network Science Institute (NetSI) is growing the research hub site at The Roux Institute in Portland, Maine. NetSI is hiring postdoctoral researchers to join a global community of interdisciplinary faculty, researchers, and graduate students.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting December 15th, 2023 until the position is filled.

This fully funded position is renewable for up to two years pending satisfactory performance. Starting date is negotiable, beginning as early as January 2024. Compensation is competitive and includes benefits. The successful candidate will be affiliated both with the Network Science Institute and The Roux Institute. This position is in Portland, Maine.

This joint NetSI-Roux position targets early career interdisciplinary computational and network scientists with a particular focus on candidates with prior research experience in infectious disease modeling, network epidemiology, agent-based modeling, disease forecasting, and scenario modeling.

The Postdoctoral Associate will contribute to projects aimed at the development, calibration, and validation of disease-specific models designed for forecasting and scenario analysis. These models will reflect the impact of policy interventions, human behaviors, and of differences in socio-economic-demographic attributes of the target populations. The research will primarily delve into exploring and modeling the effects of heterogeneous behavioral patterns and structural social disparities on disease dynamics. The appointed candidate will be instrumental in offering insights into methodological and algorithmic strategies for the accurate characterization of infectious diseases within diverse populations, and in formulating research inquiries addressing the core challenges of the project.

The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to be involved in the activities of the newly CDC-funded Center for Advanced Epidemic Analytics and Predictive Modeling Technology (EPISTORM) at Northeastern University. EPISTORM is a consortium comprising 10 different research institutions, healthcare systems, and private companies that will use a variety of tools including wastewater surveillance, AI and machine learning, and other predictive analytics to help the U.S. make more informed decisions during future outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Responsibilities

• Assist in initiating, executing, and completing research and experiments
• Prepare and write research papers, presentations, grant proposals, and other research related activities as assigned
• Foster a safe, inclusive, welcoming, and collaborative environment
• Collaborate with the principal investigator and students across multiple academic and industry organizations
• Potential additional responsibilities, depending on position seniority, include: assist in laboratory management, graduate student training/advising, and co-op student mentoring

The individual filling this position will also be expected to actively participate in the community by organizing and attending scientific talks, workshops, and conferences; by engaging with The Roux Institute community, which includes faculty, researchers, graduate students, and industry researchers (co-located at the Roux Institute); and with the doctoral trainees enrolled in the NetSI PhD program in Network Science.

Qualifications

Applicants should have completed or be near completion of a PhD or equivalent by the start date of the position. Successful candidates should be able to undertake substantially full-time research or scholarship; work under the supervision of a senior scholar; and have strong communication and writing skills.

Applications are invited from any relevant discipline including: Physics, Statistics, Economics, Data Science, Computer Science, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Public Health, Transportation Engineering, Urban Studies, or other related quantitative topics.

Experience in large-scale simulations and/or analyzing large-scale datasets is strongly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

There will be a preference for candidates who have past experience with, or show the potential for, interdisciplinary collaborations and who have strong computational/analytical skills.

Preference will be given to candidates with: a) relevant coding experience in (Python OR R) AND (Julia OR C OR C++); and b) prior experience in using HPC and/or cloud computing resources.

Application Materials

The Interested candidates should submit the following: 

• Curriculum Vitae with pointers to your research/expertise-related online profiles (e.g. Google Scholar, Github, Gitlab, Bitbucket, Kaggle, etc..)
• Cover Letter explaining your background and interests
• Research Statement: The research statement should include a clearly articulated description of past research experience and research interests (1-2 pages)
• References: Please provide the names of at least two mentors/supervisors or senior colleagues who will be able to provide (upon request) letters of recommendation.

Position Type

Research

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer. 

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information. 

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion. 

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University’s commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity.

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