POSTDOCTORAL POSITION: Adaptive Management of Foot-and-Mouth Disease ~ Bioblogia.net

30 de agosto de 2012

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION: Adaptive Management of Foot-and-Mouth Disease



A postdoctoral position funded by the NSF-NIH-USDA-BBSRC Ecology and Evolution 
of Infectious Disease (EEID) Program is available with Dr. Matthew Ferrari 
(http://www.cidd.psu.edu/people/mjf283) and Dr. Katriona Shea 
(http://www.bio.psu.edu/People/Faculty/Shea/) in the Center for Infectious Disease 
Dynamics (www.cidd.psu.edu) and the Department of Biology at the Pennsylvania State 
University (www.bio.psu.edu).   
The position involves the development and application of Adaptive Management (AM) to 
the economically important livestock disease Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).  AM, 
“management with a plan for learning about the system”, combines real-time model 
fitting, based on dynamic surveillance data, with stochastic optimization to select the best 
management action to optimize management outcomes conditional on the current support 
for competing models.  This project will involve analysis of FMD incidence data, as well 
as the development and analysis of spatially explicit dynamic models of FMD spread in 
novel settings, in order to develop intervention strategies using structured decision 
theory.  
A Ph.D. in Quantitative Ecology, Population Biology, Applied Mathematics, Statistics or 
an equivalent area is required.  Expertise in stochastic optimization, optimal control 
theory, statistical computing or related topics is highly desirable.  Candidates should 
demonstrate a track record of publication; have strong organizational, written, and oral 
communication skills; and be able to work both independently and as part of a 
collaborative team.  This project will engage directly with agency stakeholders (e.g. 
USDA, DEFRA); thus, an ideal candidate will have a demonstrated ability to effectively 
communicate quantitative analysis to a non-technical audience.  For further information, 
please feel free to contact Dr Ferrari (mjf283@psu.edu +1 814- 865-6080) or Dr. Shea 
(k-shea@psu.edu +1 814-865-7910). 
To apply, please send a copy of your curriculum vitae, a 1-2 page statement of research 
interests that explicitly describes your professional qualifications for this position, and 
contact information for three referees by email to M. Ferrari.  Review of applications will 
begin 1 September 2012, and continue until the position is filled.   
Penn State requires successful completion of a background check consistent with the 
requirements of the job and applicable policies prior to employment.  Penn State is 
committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce

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