Postdoctoral Research Associate in Wildlife Disease Ecology and Spatial Modeling – Bridgewater State University

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join an NSF-funded project in wildlife disease ecology based in the Department of Biological Sciences at Bridgewater State University. The position focuses on host–vector surveillance, wildlife monitoring, and spatial and hierarchical modeling in southeastern Massachusetts (Greater Boston region). The postdoc will join the Surasinghe lab (Co-PI) at Bridgewater State University and contribute to the NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) project, “Eco-social dynamics of tick-borne pathogens along urbanization gradients: establishment, spillover, and management”, for which I serve as Co-Principal Investigator. The broader project is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Maria Diuk-Wasser (Columbia University), with collaborative project leadership across partner institutions.

The postdoctoral fellow will work under the supervision of the Dr. Thilina Surasinghe and collaborate with project personnel and student trainees on a multi-year study integrating field surveys, laboratory data, open biodiversity data, and quantitative modeling to examine distributions and drivers of white-tailed deer and other wildlife hosts relevant to tick-borne disease ecology.

Primary responsibilities will include:

• coordinating and participating in repeated fieldwork across multiple sites in southeastern Massachusetts;
• deploying and maintaining automated trail cameras and audiomoth;
• conducting small-mammal surveys and tick collections;
• collecting small-mammal tissue samples under approved protocols;
• training and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in field methods, biosafety, and data collection;
• managing and integrating multiple data streams from field, laboratory, and open biodiversity sources;
• developing multi-species, dynamic occupancy models and related spatial models of host distributions and environmental drivers;
• building reproducible workflows for data processing, modeling, and integration of biodiversity data with attention to attribution and terms-of-use requirements;
• contributing to peer-reviewed manuscripts and presenting results at regional and national scientific meetings.

Required qualifications:

• Ph.D. in ecology, wildlife biology, epidemiology, quantitative biology, biostatistics, or a closely related field;
• strong quantitative background, including experience with hierarchical or occupancy-type models;
• strong programming skills in R; additional experience in Python and Julia is useful;
• demonstrated experience with reproducible research workflows, including version control, documented code, and organized data management;
• demonstrated ability to conduct fieldwork in variable conditions and coordinate multi-site ecological sampling;
• evidence of independent research productivity, including peer-reviewed publications;
• strong scientific writing, communication, and organizational skills;
• prior experience in wildlife field research, including study design, data collection, and adherence to biosafety and animal-handling protocols.

Preferred qualifications:

• experience with camera-trap and passive acoustic study design and analysis;
• experience with small-mammal or bird mist-netting, handling, and biosafety;
• experience with tick collection, tick identification, and host-associated sampling workflows;
• experience with GIS and spatial analysis, including raster and vector processing, habitat covariates, and spatial prediction;
• experience with Bayesian hierarchical modeling, multi-species models, and/or dynamic occupancy models;
• experience accessing biodiversity data through APIs and integrating heterogeneous open datasets.

The appointment is full-time. The position will be field-intensive from May through July, with greater flexibility during the remainder of the year for data processing, modeling, writing, and mentoring. The fellow will be based on site and in the field as project needs dictate. The initial appointment is for one year and may be renewed annually for up to five years total, contingent on continued funding and satisfactory performance.

The position is based at Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, with fieldwork in the Greater Boston region.

To apply, visit https://jobs.bridgew.edu/postings/33045 and submit (1) a cover letter describing relevant experience and research interests, (2) a CV, and (3) contact information for three references. Review of applications will begin mid-August and continue until the position is filled. Preferred start date: Jan 2027.

Questions may be directed to tsurasinghe@bridgew.edu