Post-doctoral Fellow Position, Fall 2023
The Computational Epidemiology (CompEpi) group at the University of Iowa is seeking applicants for a post-doctoral fellowship, ideally starting in Fall of 2023.
This is currently a one-year position, but based on availability of funding and other factors, the fellowship may be extended to a second year. The primary source of funding is the CDC MInD Healthcare network, but CompEpi researchers are also supported by funding from the NIH and NSF.
The CompEpi group's primary focus is on the use of computational techniques to understand, model, and mitigate healthcare associated infections (HAIs) such as C. diff and MRSA infections. These infections are typically amplified in hospitals, nursing homes, out-patient clinics, etc. and can often be resistant to a wide spectrum of antibiotics. We expect that the post-doctoral fellow will complement and enhance our research, by using techniques from AI, algorithms, discrete optimization, data mining, large-scale discrete-event simulations, machine learning, mathematical modeling, and network science to solve problems in computational epidemiology as they relate to HAIs. The post-doctoral fellow is expected to have expertise in one or more of these areas. A background in epidemiology or healthcare research is not required but will be considered a plus. A PhD or equivalent in Computer Science (CS) or related fields such as applied mathematics, statistics, or operations research is required.
The CS faculty in the CompEpi group include Bijaya Adhikari, Sriram V Pemmaraju, and Alberto M Segre. Depending on the interests of the post-doctoral fellow, one or more of these faculty members will serve as their faculty mentor. The CompEpi group has strong inter-disciplinary ties, and most ongoing projects involve not just CS faculty, but also faculty from internal medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, and health economics. The post-doctoral fellow will be expected to collaborate with these faculty and learn the language and research practices of these allied disciplines.
The CompEpi group currently supports several CS PhD, Masters and undergraduate students. The post-doctoral fellow will have regular opportunities to mentor these students. Our research is published in CS conferences (e.g., AAAI, ICDM, SDM, KDD), journals such as PNAS, PLOS Comp Bio that cater to a broad science audience, and infection control and hospital epidemiology journals. The post-doctoral fellow will be expected to contribute to ongoing papers and present our work at scientific conferences and CDC meetings.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should contact Sriram Pemmaraju.
Computer Science at the University of Iowa
One of the oldest in the nation, the Computer Science Department is home to approximately 1000 undergraduate majors in four distinct degree programs (Computer Science, Informatics, Data Science, and Computer Science and Engineering), and just over 100 graduate students in our Computer Science and interdisciplinary Informatics programs. There are many ongoing research collaborations with the Carver College of Medicine, the College of Public Health, the College of Law, and the College of Education. The Department’s annual research expenditures are approximately $3.5M.
About Iowa
With just over 30,000 students, the University of Iowa is one of the nation's top public research universities, a member of the Big Ten conference since 1899, and an Association of American Universities member since 1909. The University is known for its balanced commitment to the arts, sciences, and humanities.
Located in Iowa City, an urbanized area of 170,000 people that is widely recognized as one of the country's most livable communities, the University offers over 200 majors and has an annual externally funded research budget of over $500M.
The Department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are strongly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion; the strategic plans of the University and College reflect this commitment. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, associational preference, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.