Assistant Professor in epidemic intelligence methodologies

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We are looking for a motivated candidate for a 2-year research position as Assistant Professor with responsibility for the development of stochastic and spatiotemporal animal disease spread models with integration of indicator-based and event-based monitoring and surveillance components with complementary environmental data to assess the risk of pathogen introduction and transmission across European countries. The position is to be filled by 1 February 2025, or after agreement.

Background

In a rapidly evolving environment, national institutions responsible for animal and public health security can no longer rely solely on traditional disease reporting mechanisms and risk assessment methods, which are not designed to detect the emergence of new threats. Epidemic Intelligence (EI) includes all activities related to rapid risk assessments of unexpected health events, including the risk of disease introduction, using qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative approaches. EI focuses on the early identification and verification of potential health hazards, the assessment of acute, serious, or endemic diseases, and the development of computational models to support national risk assessors and managers in conducting quantitative risk assessments and investigations. These efforts aim to recommend (veterinary) public health mitigation strategies.

EI complements traditional surveillance systems by integrating indicator-based and event-based monitoring with additional existing datasets. This initiative involves collaboration with an interdisciplinary and international consortium of 18 partners across 13 countries, focused on testing and developing evidence-based, cost-effective quantitative risk assessment tools for current and future terrestrial livestock production chains in Denmark and the EU.

The position is announced as an Assistant Professorship in the Section for Animal Welfare and Disease Control (AWD) . Employees in this section are involved in veterinary contingency tasks or research and capacity-building projects and work in collaboration projects with the primary livestock sector. These tasks and projects typically involve analysis of big and complex data, data management, risk assessment, statistical and/or simulation modeling of disease spread, impacts of mitigation measures, and associated economic evaluations. Furthermore, the employees in the epidemiology group in this section support projects in other sections of the Department. The new colleague will be assigned to the Research Group: Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Animal Health Economics (TIPTON Research Group) . More information about the section and the Research Group can be found here: TIPTON Group .

The successful candidate will develop quantitative risk assessment and mathematical models as tools to quantify the risk of disease introduction and spread, along with data visualization tools and running of simulation training workshops in collaboration with the newly established EuFMDiS/FAO Modeling Centre.

The Assistant Professor will be primarily responsible for programming the stochastic and spatiotemporal simulation spread models, considering the assessment of pathogen introductions and transmission, and developing new risk assessment tools based on indicator-based and event-based monitoring and surveillance components with complementary existing datasets (e.g., Copernicus, FAO GeoNetwork), although assistance and guidance will be available from supervisors.

Responsibilities

More specifically the Assistant Professor’s tasks will consist of:

• Development of mechanistic models that consider transmission dynamics of selected pathogens in space and time including environmental divers
• Working with partners within the EuFMDiS/FAO Modeling Centre
• Development of semi-quantitative and quantitative risk assessment tools for disease introduction and disease spread
• Development of visualization apps
• Data cleaning, statistical analysis, and creation of risk maps
• Performing simulation exercises for EU Member states
• Data management such as setting up data-linked model with automated methods of making data that exists in different data formats (e.g., rss, text, PDFs) accessible
• Development of software codes on GitHub to create data-linked models for risk mapping including causal drivers for disease spread along with documentation, allowing re-use in other settings
• Project management, e.g. coordination of research activities in consultation with the other EU project partners
• Research, including publication/academic dissemination
• Share knowledge with the rest of society

Other tasks may arise during the appointment.

As Assistant Professor you must participate in formal pedagogical training at the University of Copenhagen (only mandatory for Assistant Professors, not for Postdocs) and participate in teaching activities at the Department.

Required qualifications and selection criteria

• A completed PhD degree in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Science, Computer science, Applied Statistics, or a similar area
• Strong programming skills in R (or other languages)
• Experience with risk assessment
• Previous experience using revision control systems (e.g. GitHub or GitLab repositories)
• Good communication skills in English (both oral and written)
• Good collaboration skills and team player abilities

Place of employment

The AWD Section is located on the Frederiksberg Campus. Our research environment is highly international and stimulating. We frequently organize seminars, workshops, and summer schools with international speakers and have retreats with our international collaborators.

Terms of employment

The weekly working hours are on average 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of two years. The starting date is 1 February 2025, or after the agreement.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Currently, the monthly salary starts at 40,615 DKK/approx. 5,415 EUR (April 2024 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure

Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
• CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
• A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.
• List of publications, clearly divided into peer-reviewed journal papers and other papers
• Relevant scientific works which the applicant wishes to be included in the assessment (up to 3 relevant publications)

Deadline for applications: 12 November 2024, 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider materials received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.

Department/Location: Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Contact: University of Copenhagen