University of Colorado Boulder · Colorado · postdoctoral fellowship · posted today
Postdoctoral Scientist: Modeling disease effects on animal behavior and population dynamics - University of Colorado Boulder https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=75246 The Johnson and Gil Labs at the University of Colorado Boulder seek a quantitative ecologist for a two-year NSF-funded postdoctoral position investigating the emergence and ecological consequences of parasitic infection in coral reef fishes, with a particular focus on understanding how changes in infection and individual behavior scale up to affect populations and ecosystems. The postdoc will join a new NSF Biological Oceanography project led by PIs Pieter Johnson and Mike Gil examining Black Spot Syndrome (BSS) in roving herbivorous coral reef fishes. Our goal is to understand (1) where and why this parasitic infection is emerging, (2) how infection alters fish foraging and decision-making, and (3) how these individual-level effects propagate to influence fish populations, herbivory, and coral reef ecosystems. Apply Here A multiscale quantitative ecology opportunity A central goal of the position is to connect processes across biological scales: environment & transmission → infection → individual behavior → population dynamics → ecosystem consequences The project combines broad empirical datasets with behavioral experiments and ecological modeling. Historical museum collections, community-science observations, and standardized field surveys provide information on changes in infection across more than a century and throughout the Caribbean. These data create opportunities to quantify the spatial and temporal dynamics of disease emergence and identify ecological and environmental predictors of infection risk. The postdoc will play a central role in developing and implementing multiple components of the project, including analysis of the spatial and temporal emergence of BSS and its environmental and ecological drivers; development and application of population and simulation models; and integration of behavioral, disease, and demographic data to understand the broader ecological consequences of infection. At the individual-to-ecosystem scale, new empirical data on how infection affects fish movement, foraging, and decision-making will be incorporated into ecological models. The Gil Lab and collaborators have an existing large-scale, spatially explicit agent-based model of coral reef ecosystems, providing substantial modeling infrastructure on which to build. A particularly exciting challenge on which the postdoc will play a leading role will be to connect these individual-based dynamics to more general demographic models. When can individual behavior, infection, and spatial interactions be captured by simpler population-level relationships? Which behavioral and disease mechanisms actually matter for population trajectories? And when and how does simplifying individual-level complexity cause us to miss important ecological dynamics? Thus, we seek candidates with a strong background in dynamical population modeling who are interested in disease / behavioral ecology and linking individual-level mechanisms to population and ecosystem dynamics. Experience with agent-based/individual-based models is desirable but not required. Beyond the models This is a collaborative empirical and theoretical project. The selected scientist will be jointly mentored by the Johnson Lab (disease ecology, parasitology, host–parasite interactions, and large-scale disease patterns) and Gil Lab (behavioral ecology, animal decision-making, theoretical ecology, and coral reef ecology), with the position formally split approximately 50:50 between the two labs. The project also includes summer fieldwork in Curaçao, giving the postdoc opportunities to participate directly in collecting the empirical data that inform and test these analyses and models. The postdoc will contribute to data synthesis and analysis, manuscript development, mentoring of graduate and undergraduate researchers, and the broader intellectual development of the project. There will also be considerable scope for the successful candidate to develop complementary questions that build on their own expertise and interests. Who we’re looking for Applicants should have a PhD in ecology, evolutionary biology, applied mathematics, quantitative biology, fisheries science, or a related field, along with strong quantitative and computational skills. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in dynamical population models, structured population models, demographic modeling, or related theoretical approaches, who want to apply their expertise to new questions at the intersection of disease, behavior, population ecology, and coral reef ecology. Additional experience with disease ecology, agent-based modeling, behavioral ecology, movement ecology, marine ecology, or analysis of large ecological datasets would be valuable, but we do not expect candidates to bring expertise in all of these areas. This is a two-year position that will be based at the University of Colorado Boulder. The desired start date is January 2027, though later start dates will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Salary will be $60k/year plus a comprehensive benefits package (including medical, dental) and up to $2,000 for moving expenses.. To apply, please submit a cover letter describing your research interests and relevant modeling and quantitative experience, a CV, 1–3 representative publications, and contact information for three references. In the cover letter, we particularly encourage applicants to briefly describe a quantitative or modeling project they have led, their specific intellectual contribution to it, and how their expertise might contribute to one or more components of this project. Applications submitted on or before Nov. 1st will be given full consideration. For questions, contact Pieter Johnson (pieter.johnson@colorado.edu) and Mike Gil (michael.gil@colorado.edu) Apply Here
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