Postdoctoral Researcher In Malaria Modelling

The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) is a cutting-edge institute addressing global public health challenges through research, translation into policy and education. ISGlobal has a broad portfolio in communicable and non-communicable diseases including environmental and climate determinants, and applies a multidisciplinary scientific approach ranging from the molecular to the population level. Research is organized in five programs: Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health; Environment and Health over the Lifecourse; Global Viral and Bacterial Infections; Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases and Maternal Child and Reproductive Health. ISGlobal is accredited with the Severo Ochoa distinction, a seal of excellence of the Spanish Science Ministry.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FORISGlobal is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher with strong statistical modelling skills to develop and apply statistical methods for transmission network inference in malaria for the project: CONTRA-MAL: Connecting the dots in malaria transmission dynamics: inferring transmission networks by integrating genetics and epidemiology, funded by Fundación “la Caixa”. The project sits at the interface of pathogen genomic epidemiology, statistical inference, and open-source software development and would be an excellent fit for someone excited about developing new methods with real public health impact.
About the group:The postholder will work closely with Dr Shazia Ruybal-Pesántez, Junior Research Leader in Genomic and Computational Epidemiology and TAGUA Research Group Lead, based within the Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases Program. TAGUA is a recently established interdisciplinary research group working at the intersection of infectious disease surveillance, pathogen genomics, computational epidemiology and applied public health research, with a particular focus on malaria and other vector-borne pathogens. We actively support career development of team members through conference travel, consortia participation, training workshops, mentorship, engagement with senior researchers and international collaborators, and opportunities to develop independent research ideas within the scope of the research programme.
SPECIFIC DUTIESThe postdoctoral researcher will develop a network-based inferential framework for reconstructing malaria transmission networks from epidemiological and genetic data, including:model development and extension to accommodate the complexity of malaria genetic data; model testing through simulation and fitting to datasets from international partner studies; open-source R package development and reproducible workflows.
AUXILIAR TASKSThis

job description
reflects the present requirements of the post but may evolve at any time in the future as duties and responsibilities change and/or develop providing there is appropriate consultation with the post-holder.
This

job description
is not a definitive or exhaustive list of responsibilities but identifies the

key responsibilities
and tasks of the post holder. The specific objectives of the post holder will be subject to review as part of the individual professional assessment process.
SKILLSAbility to work independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team m.
Strong programming skills in R or Python, with reproducible coding practices.
Team-workProblem resolution.
Learning capacity.
Previous experience in project management.
The post holder will adhere to ISGlobal principles contained inPeople management policy, including Equity, diversity and health safety. The post holder will respect, and be accountable to ensure ISGlobal policies and procedures.
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONSA PhD (awarded or near completion) in statistics, epidemiology, mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
Demonstrable experience developing, fitting and validating likelihood-based or Bayesian models.
Depth in at least one of: Bayesian inference and computation (e.
G. MCMC), diffusion-based modelling, network science, or infectious disease outbreak analytics.
Peer-reviewed modelling papers as lead author or equivalent major research output (as appropriate for career stage)Experience in infectious diseases dynamic modelling, pathogen genomic epidemiology (e.
G., phylogenetics), simulation-based model validation, and/or track record of open science (e.
G. open-source code, R packages) will be highly valued.
Prior epidemiology or pathogen genetics experience is not required, but genuine interest in these areas is important.
LANGUAGE LEVELProficiency in English (C1).
CONDITIONSContract: 18 months full-time (with possibility to extend)

Salary:
30.656 € gross annual.
Work-Life Balance: 36 days off per year (23 vacation days + 13 personal days)Start date: January 2027 (negotiable)SELECTION PROCESSThe selection process is designed in two phases: 1
- Interview phase of a technical nature, with the team that requires the incorporation. To assess the person's skills and CV. 2
- Meet