Post-Doctoral Reseacher on Ecosystems and Human Health, Gund Institute, University of Vermont
POSITION: The Gund Institute for Ecological Economics seeks a postdoctoral researcher to develop rigorous and practical models linking ecosystem changes with changes in human health. The position is part of a new international consortium, comprising more than 25 universities and NGOs, to analyze and quantify relationships between the state of ecosystems and public health. This “Health & Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages” (HEAL) project aims both to understand these relationships better and to inform conservation and public health decisions with our findings. The 3-year position will be directed by Taylor Ricketts at The University of Vermont and co-advised by Sam Myers, Research Scientist at Harvard’s School of Public Health.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The postdoctoral researcher will: assess existing empirical and modeling efforts at the interface of ecosystem services and human health; identify promising ecosystems and health outcomes to focus on; and develop and test models linking ecosystem change with changes in human health. The post-doctoral researcher will interact closely with Dr. Myers and other HEAL members, as well as with the Natural Capital Project, another university-NGO partnership focused on mapping and modeling ecosystem services (www.naturalcapitalproject.org).
QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must have a doctoral degree in ecology, economics, public health, epidemiology, or related fields by June 2012. Successful candidates will have strong quantitative skills, broad expertise in analyzing social-ecological systems, specific experience in ecological and/or public health modeling, and a commitment to connecting research to real-world issues.
APPLICATION: Applicants should send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to Taylor Ricketts, Director, Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, at taylor.ricketts@uvm.edu. Review of applications will begin on April 2, 2012 and we anticipate a start date of summer 2012.
SETTING: The University of Vermont is located in Burlington, between the Green and Adirondack Mountains and on the shores of Lake Champlain. The Gund Institute is a transdisciplinary environmental research center involving 20 Faculty Fellows, visiting scholars, and graduate students (www.uvm.edu/giee/). Related efforts at UVM include a university-wide research initiative in Complex Systems and a growing campus-wide collaboration on ecosystem-health interactions.