An opportunity has arisen for a post-doctoral research fellow to join the Agriculture, Health and Environment Department to support a new research project “One Health approach to tick-borne disease control through manipulation of reservoir host communities at landscape scale: RodTickPathMan”, which has received funding from a joint UKRI-DEFRA One Health vector-borne disease programme (UKRI and Defra invest £7 million to fight vector-borne disease – UKRI). RodTickPathMan aims to investigate the importance of invasive grey squirrels and the ticks they carry on Lyme disease transmission to humans in the United Kingdom.  The team will work with community groups aiming to control grey squirrels as part of actions to save the native red squirrel. Research to understand how different squirrel management practices may impact on tick abundance and prevalence of the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi is a major work component for the post-doctoral position.

NRI is recruiting a researcher in ecology to manage several field sites based in Cumbria.  The field work will require working within teams during key expeditions as well as independent working with considerable transect walking alone in Cumbrian woodlands on a weekly basis. The postdoc will be responsible for managing camera traps placed throughout woodland field sites and collecting and analysing camera trap data.   Other activities will involve collecting ticks and trapping squirrels and taking samples for laboratory analysis. .

Specifically, the candidate will be involved in:

1. Camera trap placement and maintenance for surveys to assess abundance of squirrels, deer, and other animals.
2. Collecting biological samples (ticks, squirrels, blood from squirrels) using traps and standard protocols
3. Assisting in collecting social science data
4. Analysing data and present the findings to rest of the project partners.
5. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team of molecular biologists, behavioural and chemical ecologists, modellers, social scientists as well as community groups, landowners and interacting with the general public.

The candidate will be employed through the Natural Resources Institute. However, the candidate may choose to live closer to other collaborative partners based at the University of York or near field work sites in Cumbria.

For more information about the post,  please contact Prof. Steven Belmain: s.r.belmain@gre.ac.uk

Should you have any recruitment related queries please contact the HR Recruitment Team on hrsr-fes@gre.ac.uk

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