Infectious Disease Dynamics

Projects

Impetus The Impetus study aims to develop and extend statistical and modeling methodologies for spatial data.
Emerging Diseases Dynamic modeling and real time analyses to respond to emerging disease threats.
COVID-19 Our multi-faceted project focuses on response to the current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The areas of interest range from health intervention tracking to contact tracing app development.
Cholera Dynamics The Cholera Dynamics Project aims to study cholera transmission dynamics through mechanistic and statistical models using global incidence data.
Measles & Rubella Dynamics Working towards control, elimination, and eradication of two of the world's most infectious diseases.
Cross-Sectional Incidence Testing Developing and validating testing algorithms to generate point estimates of HIV and HCV incidence.
Fluscape Characterizing the immune landscapes of human influenza in southern China.
HIV Dynamics We conduct highly interdisciplinary HIV research focused on the application of mechanistic models and molecular epidemiology to population-based cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data. Our efforts are largely concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Healthcare Epidemiology We work closely with the Johns Hopkins Hospital and other organizations to understand and combat healthcare acquired infections.
Phylogenetic Study Design Developing methods to estimate informative sample sizes for phylogenetic studies.

Postdoc positions studying the dynamics of infectious disease transmission and control

Multiple postdoctoral positions are available in infectious disease dynamics and implications for control within the Infectious Disease Dynamics Group at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH).

Job description

We are seeking postdocs to work on multiple projects within our Infectious Disease Dynamics Group at JHBSPH. Projects will vary depending on the interest of the applicant with opportunities to collaborate and work across topics: These projects include:

a) Modeling human mobility patterns and implications for disease transmission: This NIH-funded project will assess the role of human travel on infectious disease dynamics for a range of pathogens including malaria, dengue, influenza, measles, and SARS-CoV-2. This project will leverage existing data sets on human travel (mobile phone data, travel surveys, GPS loggers, and app data) as well as information on disease dynamics (serology, genomics, and incidence data).

b) Modeling of global cholera burden and risk: This project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation aims to leverage a massive cholera incidence database, managed by our group on behalf of the Global Taskforce for Cholera Control, to use novel geostatistical models to estimate the global burden of cholera and explore the relationships between cholera risk and key extrinsic factors, including weather and climate. This also includes the possibility to support countries in developing short-term cholera outbreak forecasts.

c) Seroepidemiologic methods: This work is aimed at developing new approaches to estimate incidence of cholera, SARS-CoV-2 and other diseases from cross-sectional serologic data. This project involves close collaborations with assay developers and immunologists and will utilize data collected through several different on-going field studies in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

If interested, these positions can include the opportunity to work closely with public health decision makers (e.g., WHO, Ministries of Health) to help translate models into policy. In addition, interested candidates can be more directly involved in primary data collection through our groups on-going field studies.

Applicants will initially be given a one-year contract with possibility to extend to two or more years should both parties agree.

Salary: Depending on education and experience.

Location: Given current travel restrictions, there is flexibility in physical location in the near term.

Mentorship: Depending on interests, candidates will be mentored by one or more core faculty in the infectious disease dynamics group, including Amy Wesolowski, Andrew Azman and Emily Gurley.

Person specification:

• Research experience of working with mathematical and/or statistical models.

• A strong interest in infectious disease epidemiology.

• Ability to collate and analyze data, interpret and present results to a high standard using a range of specialized research techniques.

• Good knowledge of R

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Experience in communicating research findings to a non-specialist audience.

• Ability to work independently but also as part of a larger interdisciplinary research team.

• PhD in one of the following areas: epidemiology, statistics, immunology, physics, computer science, population biology or a similarly quantitative discipline.

Application process: Interested candidates should email Maya Demby (mdemby1 [at] jhu.edu) with a CV and statement of interest. The deadline for applications is 24 September 2021.

We study transmission dynamics using a combination of theoretical and empirical approaches to improve global health.

Projects

Latest @JHIDDynamics

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We study transmission dynamics using a combination of theoretical and empirical approaches to improve global health.

Projects

Latest @JHIDDynamics

Postdoc positions studying the dynamics of infectious disease transmission and control