Postdoctoral and Doctoral researcher in the fields of disease ecology…

The University of Helsinki, founded in 1640, is one of the world’s leading universities for multidisciplinary research. The university has an international academic community of 40,000 students and staff members. The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The International Staff Services office assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland.

The Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme (OEB) of the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences comprises roughly 40 research groups which employ 40 principal investigators and 120 researchers. The research programme is situated in the Viikki science park.

The Organismal and Evolutionary Research Programme invites applications for

Postdoctoral and Doctoral researcher

in disease ecology and ecosystem health. The positions are part of the Horizon Europe project BEPREP (Identification of best practices for biodiversity recovery and public health interventions to prevent future epidemics and pandemics) funded by the European Union (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060568 ).

The aim of BEPREP is to elucidate the role of undisturbed and restored biodiversity in mitigating threats to health security from zoonotic and vector-borne diseases along the infect-shed-spill-spread cascade, to identify best practices of nature restoration, including rewilding, and public health interventions. BEPREP will provide new impetus for strengthened disease surveillance, preparedness and response at the European and global scales.

The research is integrated into a broad international scientific network with study sites in Sweden, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Madagascar and Malaysia.

Doctoral Researcher

We are seeking a Doctoral Researcher for a 4-yrs PhD project to study pathogen prevalence and disease risk as a function of nature restoration and biodiversity recovery in European and tropical case studies. Of special interest are the underlying drivers of restoration-induced changes in transmission and disease risk.

You have a Master’s degree in ecology, virology, veterinary science or equivalent. You have good knowledge of and have practical experience in study design and field sampling of pathogens, their vectors and/or hosts. You are familiar with vector-, rodent- and/or bat-borne diseases and experienced in serology and genetic methods for detection of pathogens. You have good knowledge of statistical methods and are experienced in using R. We look for a candidate with good writing and communication skills in English. The PhD education requires that you can work independently and in a team and that you have a driver’s license.

Postdoctoral Researcher

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher for a fixed term of 2 years with a possibility of continuation. The researcher will study and model pathogen transmission and disease risk across land use and habitat systems as a function of environmental biodiversity by combining local and global datasets. You will contribute to collect data in the case study areas of BEPREP. You will analyse the data along with global datasets to infer on the role of biodiversity, biodiversity recovery, and biodiversity processes for diluting disease risk.

The successful applicant should have completed a PhD in ecology or a related field, and have strong analytical and statistical skills. Alternatively, the successful candidate should have a PhD in statistical ecology or statistics and a strong and proven experience in ecology. We seek candidates with excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to conceive, execute and complete research projects, and to think independently and creatively. Overall, excellent social skills are required for extensive collaborations.

SALARYANDHOW TO APPLYFORTHEPOSITIONS

The salary of the successful candidate for the postdoctoral researcher will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The starting salary will be ca. 3500–3800 euros/month, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience.

The salary of the successful candidate for the doctoral researcher will be based on level 2-4 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The salary is guaranteed for the first at least 3 ½ years. The starting salary will be ca. 2300–2500 euros/month, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience.

The tentative starting date for both positions is the 1st of April 2023 or as agreed. There will be a trial period of six months in the beginning.

The application should include the following documents as a single pdf file:

- motivational letter telling which of the positions you are interested in and outlining why you are the right person for this task (max 1 page)

- CV (max 2 pages)

- list of publications

Include also contact information of two persons who are willing to provide a reference letter by separate request. Please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the link Apply for the position. Applicants who are employees of the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the employee login.

The deadline for submitting the application is 15 January 2023.

For more information, contact by email:

Frauke.Ecke(at)helsinki.fi.

If you need support with the recruitment system, please contact HR Specialist Harri Hamara (harri.hamara(at)helsinki.fi).