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Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Postdoctoral in Gene Drive Modeling

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Veterinary Integrative Biosciences

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all pers p ectives, talents & lived experience s . Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our corevalues which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service .

Who we are

The Texas A&M School of Ve ter in ary Medic in e & Bio medical Sciences (VMBS) is an in stitution that represents 100 years of growth from a small school of ve ter in ary medic in e in 1916 to its present role as a major ve ter in ary educational, medical, and research center. Today, we are one of the largest schools of ve ter in ary medic in e in the United States, tra in in g nearly 600 Doctor of Ve ter in ary Medic in e students each year. We support collaboration and teamwork that turns today's disco ve ries in to proacti ve solutions for animals, humans, and the environment. Together, we stri ve to support the goals of the faculty, staff and students in teach in g, research and outreach programs . To learn more, please visit our website https://vetmed.tamu.edu/

What we want

This position focuses on modeling innovative strategies to improve gene drive efficiency in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes through novel target site selection, an approach not previously studied in this species. The project is part of funded collaborative research between the Myles Lab https://tamu.edu/myles-lab/ (https://entomology.tamu.edu/people/myles-kevin/) and the Ndeffo Lab https://vibs.tamu.edu/MartialNdeffo (https://vibs.tamu.edu/profile/9727/MartialNdeffo) . Specifically, the project will investigate the potential of targeting a haplolethal gene for effective genetic control of Ae. aegypti populations. The modeling aspect of the project will focus on developing computational models to analyze the intricate dynamics of a homing rescue drive targeting haplolethal gene in Aedes aegypti mosquito populations. Additionally, it will evaluate the efficacy (ecological and epidemiological) of various drive mechanisms based on this platform, including population replacement strategies, population suppression approaches, and toxin-antidote systems.

What you need to know

Salary: will be commensurate based on the selected hire’s education and experience.

Special Instructions: A cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references (to include at least one previous supervisor) are strongly recommended. You may upload all three on the application under CV/Resume or upon answering the questionnaire you may attach the documents.

Please note: This position is grant funded; future employment may be contingent upon future funding.

Schedule: This position may require work beyond normal office hours and/or work on weekends

Qualifications

Required Education

+ Appropriate PhD in a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

+ Prior experience in computational modeling of mosquito-borne diseases as proven by peer reviewed publications.

+ Demonstrably strong programming skills in R or Python.

+ Experience with population biology, population genetics, or ecological and epidemiological modeling.

+ Prior experience with mathematical modeling of vector-borne disease and gene drive control systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

+ Programming skills in R or Python.

+ Ability to work independently and execute research projects with minimal supervision.

+ Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

+ Good communication skills demonstrated by past productivity including peer- reviewed publications and/or other scientific and technical output is required for the position.

Responsibilities

Computational model development and data analysis

+ Performing literature review of relevant literatures.

+ Working with molecular biologists to develop and parameterize models of genetic control systems

+ Developing and calibrating epidemiological models to available mosquito-borne disease data

+ Contributing to related research on vector-borne diseases modeling.

Manuscript/Proposal preparation and presentation

+ Prepare proposals/manuscripts with colleagues (as lead author and coauthor).

+ Presenting results to collaborators and conferences.

Mentoring

+ May assist, mentor, and/or supervise student researchers and/or graduate students who are working on research related to the project.

Why Texas A&M University?

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.  Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.  Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.

+ Medical, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/medical/) prescription drug, dental, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/dental/) vision, life and AD&D, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/life-add/) flexible spending accounts , and long-term disability insurance (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/long-term-disability/) with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums

+ 12-15 days (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/index.html) of annual paid holidays

+ Up to eight hours of paid sick leave (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/sick.html)  and at least  eight hours of paid vacation (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/vacation.html)  each month

+ Automatic enrollment in the  Teacher Retirement System of Texas (https://www.trs.texas.gov/Pages/Homepage.aspx)

+ Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time (https://flourish.tamu.edu/wellness-release-time/)

+ Professional Development: All employees have access to free  LinkedIn Learning (https://linkedinlearning.tamu.edu/)  training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more

+ Educational release time and tuition assistance (https://livingwell.tamu.edu/employee-tuition-assistance)  for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee

+ Living Well, (https://livingwell.tamu.edu/) a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume’ or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.