Stay up to date with the most recent news from the math.epi.lab.
Posted in: research
Gabrielle and Cyndi (both former math.epi.lab members) have just had a new paper published in PLOS ONE. If you are interested in the relationship between environment, livestock, and human incidence of cryptosporidiosis look no further!
The successful applicant will be involved in a research program that will apply both qualitative and quantitative methods to the area of veterinary antimicrobial stewardship. The successful applicant will work with a large, international team to develop and assess an open, web-based system that allows for advanced stewardship interventions in the form of feedback and benchmarking as well as sharing of best practice guidelines and patterns of antibiotic resistance (https://www.jpiamr.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2017-066-Abstract.pdf). The postdoctoral fellow will be specifically focused on research to support veterinary professionals.
Applicants should have significant experience in veterinary medicine, epidemiology, and/or population health. The successful candidate will have excellent English language communication skills (both verbal and written), experience conducting research in a highly interdisciplinary environment, and prior experience writing scientific articles. Strong analytical skills are an asset. Applicants must be within 3 years of having completed their PhD or DVSc in a field that is relevant to the research project (e.g. epidemiology, biology, population medicine). Preference will be given to applicants who also hold a DVM degree and who have experience working with veterinary professionals in a research environment. The initial appointment will be for one year. Extension of the appointment for the second year is possible, but subject to funding availability and satisfactory performance during the first year. The salary will be commensurate with the experience of the candidate in the range of $45,000 to $50,000 CDN (including benefits).
The starting date is August 2018, or as soon as possible thereafter.Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered and only selected applicants will be contacted for an interview.
Application Deadline: June 18, 2018
How to apply:
Applicants must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and a one-page summary of research experience that specifically addresses the applicants interest in veterinary antimicrobial stewardship. Applicants should also submit contact information for at least two individuals who can provide letters of recommendation to:
Dr. Amy Greer
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Population Disease Modeling, and Assistant Professor
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College
University of Guelph
agreer@uoguelph.ca
www.mathepilab.org
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.
Congratulations to Salah on his recent publication that describes a method for generating synthetic swine populations. Farm populations generated using this methodology can be used as inputs for computer simulations that examine different disease introduction and spread scenarios. .
Every year in early December the Veterinary Epidemiology community comes together in Chicago for the Conference for Research Workers in Animal Disease (CRWAD). This year our group contributed three oral presentations (Rachael Milwid, Melanie Cousins, and Kelsey Spence) and one poster presentation (Rachael Milwid) at the conference. I also served as the session moderator for the Modeling and Network Analysis session along with Kristen Davenport from Colorado State. Rachael presented two different projects related to her work on equine contact networks and Melanie presented her work on the development of a mathematical model for Campylobacter in Ontario. Since Kelsey is in the UK, I presented her longitudinal study of equine movement patterns. All of our projects were very well received by the audience and the Department of Population Medicine was well represented with a very large group of attending graduate students.
Melanie giving her oral presentation in the ecology of food-borne pathogens session.
The Magnificent Mile is quite magnificent in December!
This week Dr. Salah Uddin Khan, Dr. Victoria Ng (Public Health Agency of Canada), and I had the great pleasure of attending the first CIHR Health Systems Impact Fellows Cohort Retreat in Toronto. Salah was awarded this prestigious postdoctoral award in the summer and began his fellowship in collaboration with the National Microbiology Laboratory this fall. The goal of these fellowships is to train PhD graduates in a way that focuses on both research and core competencies (such as project management, leadership, and change management) so that they can progress in their careers as leaders within the Canadian Health System. This was the first cohort retreat and it was a really excellent experience for both the fellows and their academic and organizational sponsors. I met many really interesting fellows who I expect will go on to do great things for the Canadian Healthcare system. One of the really amazing things about the inaugural HSI cohort? 80% of the fellows are women! I am looking forward to the next retreat in spring 2018.
We are currently recruiting undergraduate students interested in helping out with a large equine research project that will be running from November until the Christmas break 2017. No horse experience is necessary. This is a great opportunity for students interested in a career in veterinary medicine to learn more about veterinary research and get some experience working in a large animal (equine) environment. You will be providing technical and logistical support to the study coordinator, Dr. Tanya Rossi. Please contact Dr. Amy Greer in the Department of Population Medicine to learn more about this opportunity.
Iqaluit, Nunavut (photo credit: A. Greer, 2014)
Fall is always a busy time of year and many of the important infectious disease related meetings are held during the autumn months. Over the last several weeks I have attended a number of meetings that I felt were important to highlight on our team blog because they were so incredibly exciting to be a part of. On October 4th and 5th, I travelled to Ottawa to participate in a meeting co-hosted by the Nunavut Government and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK). The purpose of the meeting was to develop a comprehensive action plan for the elimination of Tuberculosis across Inuit Nunangat with specific goals and priority areas for action. It was an honour to be asked to participate and I am optimistic that with improved infrastructure and support to Northern health systems, TB elimination is a real possibility.
The meeting was held at the Uppsala castle in Uppsala, Sweden. (photo credit: A. Greer, 2017).
October also marked the 3rd annual Uppsala Health Summit. The Uppsala Health Summit is a recurring international policy arena for dialogue on challenges for health and healthcare, and how we can overcome them. The theme changes each year which makes it a dynamic and exciting event to participate in. Personally invited decision makers, opinion formers and experts participate in active dialogue in thoroughly prepared workshops and plenum sessions. The theme of the summit this year was Tackling Infectious Disease Threats: Prevent, Detect, Respond using a One Health Approach. It was a great opportunity to catch up with some colleagues that I had not seen in many years and also to meet some new researchers working in this area.
Final dinner in Uppsala with great company and discussion. From left to right: Fernanda Dorea (National Veterinary Institute, Sweden), Florence Haseltine (Society for Women's Health Research, USA), Crawford Revie (Atlantic Veterinary College, Canada), Stefan Widgren (National Veterinary Institute, Sweden), Kun Hu (IBM Research, USA), Amy Greer (Ontario Veterinary College, Canada) and Stefan Engblom (Uppsala University, Sweden).
Yesterday Rachael, Beatrice, and Enise were out conducting a farm visit! They are collecting all of the preliminary information we need from the farms that are participating in our new equine contact network study. If you are a horse or farm owner who is interested in participating in our new study please contact us. We would love to speak with you about the project.
