Overview
A postdoctoral fellow position is available in the Capone Lab in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. The fellow will join a multidisciplinary team conducting a five-year study focused on developing and applying integrated surveillance approaches for soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection in the southeastern United States.
This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of environmental microbiology, parasitology, epidemiology, and public health surveillance. The project integrates human and environmental samples (i.e., wastewater, septage, soil, flies, and stool) and uses microscopy and molecular methods, including digital PCR, to investigate STH infection and transmission. The fellow will play a leading scientific role in the project while also coordinating laboratory activities and helping manage this large, collaborative study.
Responsibilities
The fellow will have opportunities to lead studies and peer-reviewed publications, develop and optimize laboratory methods, analyze complex environmental and epidemiologic data, mentor students, and develop independent research questions and proposals. The position includes collaboration with microbiologists, environmental engineers, entomologists, biologists, and epidemiologists, as well as travel to study sites in Virginia and Alabama. Opportunities may also be available to participate in other domestic and international projects in the Capone Lab.
We are particularly interested in candidates who want to develop an independent research profile in environmental health microbiology and who enjoy working across laboratory, field, and quantitative research. Resources are available for conference travel, and the fellow will have access to formal training in grant writing, research ethics, rigor and reproducibility, and research management.
Qualifications
The postdoctoral fellow position requires a PhD in environmental health, environmental engineering, environmental science, microbiology, or a related scientific field by the time of appointment. We are looking for candidates with experience in several of the following areas (prior experience with helminths is not required):
-Experience with project management
-Experience with molecular microbiology methods (e.g., nucleic acid extraction, qPCR, dPCR) and quantitative data analysis
-Fieldwork experience, including environmental sampling
-Strong written and oral communication skills
-An interest in mentoring undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students
Application Procedure
Provide CV, cover letter summarizing research interests and fit for position, writing sample, and a list of three references. Interested candidates should submit applications at: https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/34329. Questions pertaining to the PeopleAdmin application procedure may be directed to dwarcher@iu.edu. Questions regarding the position may be directed to Dr. Capone at dscapone@iu.edu.
