Postdoctoral position in computational eco-epidemiology
Umeå University, Faculty Office of Medicine
Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.
The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.
Are you interested in learning more? Read about Umeå university as a workplace
The Faculty of Medicine, which consists of 12 departments, is responsible for biomedical research and courses in the field of nursing and health care and has an extensive research and graduate education in more than 80 subjects.
About the project
The position is advertised within the framework of a Swedish Research Council project, which seeks to understand the impact of major volcanic eruptions and atmospheric disturbances on historic epidemics. The larger interdisiplinary project brings in expertise from a range of fields including mathematics, ecology, history, climatic and medical sciences in collaboration across multiple institutes. An integral part of the project is to develop process-based eco-epidemiological models considering climate conditions, ecology and human mobility. There is a collaborative link between Umeå University and Lund University.
Description of duties
The postdoctoral researcher is expected to engage in advanced mathematical modeling of infectious diseases applied to grided spatiotemporal data inputs. The project involves reviewing existing literature and especially synthesize model structures and parameters for the eco-epidemiology of rodent-borne diseases, further developing process-based models for historic outbreak situations in relation to volcanic eruptions, and validating models using diverse historic datasets, encompassing environmental, climatic, social, demographic, travel, and disease information. The ideal candidate is expected to work well independently and in interdisciplinary teams performing research aiming at meeting the projects objectives and to write publications for peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Qualifications
A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate in mathematical epidemiology, mathematics, or mathematical ecology, or related field, is eligible for appointment for this position. The eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time at which the appointment decision is made.
We are seeking a candidate with outstanding skills in applied mathematics. Proficient programming skills is essential, ideally in Matlab and Fortran, as well as excellent English skills.
Additional useful qualifications
Since appointment as a postdoctoral researcher is a career-development position for junior researchers, we are primarily interested in applicants who completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, an applicant who has completed their degree earlier than that may be considered. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, clinical practice, appointments of trust for a trade union organisation or other similar circumstances, and for relevant duties/assignments within the subject area.
Other merits
The scientific work is conducted within the research group as well as in association with a larger collaborative scientific network, and good communication and collaborative skills are important.
More about the position
The appointment is a full-time, fixed-term position for two years in accordance with the terms of
contract for fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral researcher.
| Type of employment | Temporary position |
|---|---|
| Contract type | Full time |
| Number of positions | 1 |
| Full-time equivalent | 100 |
| City | Umeå |
| County | Västerbottens län |
| Country | Sweden |
| Reference number | AN 2.2.1-506-25 |
| Contact |
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| Union representative |
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| Published | 13.Jun.2025 |
| Last application date | 17.Aug.2025 |