UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, in association with UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics, is advertising an exciting research position as part of a cross-border project using epidemiological modelling to inform sustainable control of bovine tuberculosis on the Island of Ireland. The Post-doctoral Research Fellow will develop and implement mechanistic and statistical modelling tools, tapping the experience of a strongly interdisciplinary research team, to better target interventions to control tuberculosis in Irish cattle.

Bovine tuberculosis has impacts on farming, rural communities and wildlife conservation across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Despite long-standing and resource-intensive control programmes, recent years have seen a rise in bovine tuberculosis cases in cattle, prompting renewed focus on understanding transmission and control effectiveness. By comparing systems that are similar in structure but differ in cattle management and wildlife interventions, the project aims to generate new insights into disease dynamics and control strategies. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will lead the adaption of a within-herd transmission of infection model for both countries and the development of an open-source modelling toolkit to generate new epidemiological insights on the epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis transmission on the Island of Ireland. They will interact with a diverse team from multiple institutions in Ireland and the United Kingdom, support PhD student supervision, and liaise with scientific, policy and farming community stakeholders. They will produce peer reviewed outputs relating to bovine tuberculosis epidemiology and control. The goal of the project is to provide recommendations for more sustainable control of bovine tuberculosis on the Island of Ireland.

The project will be conducted with close linkages between UCD School of Veterinary Medicine and UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics as well as partner institutions including Queens University Belfast, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) in the Republic of Ireland, the University of Limerick and the University of Cambridge UK.

This is an advanced research focused role, building on your prior experience as a post-doctoral fellow, where you will
conduct a specified programme of research supported by research training under the supervision and direction of a
Principal Investigator.

The primary purpose of the role is to develop new or advanced research skills and competences, on the processes of
publication in peer-reviewed academic publications and scholarly dissemination, the development of funding
proposals, and the supervision and mentorship of graduate students along with the opportunity to develop your skills
in research led teaching.

In addition to the Principal Duties and Responsibilities listed below, the successful candidate will also carry out the
following duties specific to this project:

• Adapt and develop models of Mycobacterium bovis transmission, diagnosis and control in Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland.
• Simulate and communicate effectiveness of interventions to reduce Mycobacterium bovis transmission in
cattle.
• Create an R package to share models with other researchers.
• Participate in a multidisciplinary comparative study of Mycobacterium bovis epidemiology in both countries.
• Liaise with a wide range of stakeholders to optimise understanding the study system and communication of
outputs.
• Generate papers and reports for peer review and policy.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct a specified programme of research and scholarship under the supervision and direction of your
Principal Investigator.
• Engage in appropriate training and professional development opportunities as required by your Principal
Investigator, your School or Institute, or the University.
• Support your Principal Investigator and research group in the design and development of the research
programme.
• Support if required, the development of proposals for research funding.
• Engage in the dissemination of the results of the research in which you are engaged as directed by and
with the support of and under the supervision of your Principal Investigator.
• Engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of your research group, School and Institute.
• Take responsibility as requested for day-to-day advice and support of graduate research students
associated with your research group.
• Mentor and assist, as appropriate and as directed, the research graduate students in your group, School
and Institute.
• Carry out administrative and management work associated with your programme of research.

Key Skills
• Infectious disease epidemiology
• Statistical modelling
• Transmission of infection modelling
• Computer programming in R, C++ or equivalent
• Familiarity with veterinary medicine, farming and ecology
• Experience working within a team to deliver research outputs

Overview of the School/Unit:

The UCD School of Veterinary Medicine is a recognised global centre of expertise for Mycobacterium bovis with
research strengths in bovine tuberculosis epidemiology, diagnostics, pathology, vaccine development and genomics.
School research and teaching activities, spanning a diverse spectrum of disciplines, also contribute to the UCD World
Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for One Health.

The UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics is the largest school of its kind in Ireland and is consistently ranked first
in the country in its subject area. Its research spans pure, applied and computational mathematics, statistics, data
science and actuarial science, with active groups in Bayesian statistics, statistical modelling, network science,
probability, fluid dynamics, relativity and quantum information. Staff publish in leading international venues, attract
national, international and industry funding, and play central roles in major research centres that offer many routes
into interdisciplinary collaboration. With a diverse community of academics, PhD students and postdoctoral
researchers, the School offers a vibrant and supportive research environment.