Doctoral Researcher in Disease Ecology

The Department of Biological and Environmental Science at the University of Jyväskylä recruits a doctoral researcher in disease ecology for a fixed term of 42 months, starting on 4 January 2027 or as agreed but no later than 1 March 2027. The position is funded by the Research Council of Finland through Yingying Wang's Academy Research Fellowship project Zoonotic disease risk under anthropogenic pressure: linking landscape change with human–animal and vector interfaces, which takes a One Health approach to how urbanisation and forest management shape wildlife–pathogen–human interactions and zoonotic disease risk across Finland's urban, rural and forest environments.

The work focuses on quantitative analysis of large heterogeneous datasets — long-term wildlife monitoring and small-mammal trapping records, camera-trap observations, pathogen screening, land-use and climate information — using reproducible R workflows, spatial and spatiotemporal modelling and ecological community analysis, possibly with mathematical or mechanistic modelling of disease transmission and human exposure. The supervisors are Yingying Wang and Eva Kallio.

The starting salary is about €2,500 per month (gross), with a six-month trial period. Applications are due by 30 November 2026 at 23:59 (Helsinki time, UTC+2).

A master's degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, quantitative ecology or a related discipline, completed before employment, with demonstrated R experience for data processing, statistical analysis and visualisation; sound understanding of statistical modelling; strong interest in disease ecology, wildlife–pathogen interactions and One Health; good English. The candidate must hold, or apply for, doctoral study rights at the University of Jyväskylä through the Faculty of Mathematics and Science.