Post-Doctoral Researcher (Predator-Prey and Life Cycle Modelling)

Actox; Carbondale (IL); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health benefits

Tuition waiver

Job summary

Southern Illinois University Carbondale invites applications for a post-doctoral position in the Lydy lab to study pesticide impacts on predator–prey interactions in salmon and striped bass, with modeling of contaminants in salmon life cycles and identifying exposure pathways in aquatic systems.

The successful candidate will join an ecotoxicology team of toxicologists, chemists and wildlife biologists, conducting field and laboratory research in Carbondale, IL.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in toxicology, environmental chemistry, fish ecology or related field.
• Experience with predatory prey interactions and life cycle modeling.
• Proven record of data analysis, writing results, and manuscripts.
• Proficiency programming in R, Python, or other software packages.
• Experience with field sampling of fish, invertebrates and sediments.
• Strong organizational and data management skills.
• Ability to work independently and on a team; meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Carry out field and lab ecotoxicology research on pesticide exposure pathways.
• Develop and refine predator–prey interaction and life cycle models.
• Analyze data, write results, and publish scientific manuscripts.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary ecotoxicology team.
• Coordinate field sampling and related data collection.

Skills

Data analysis

Scientific writing

Team collaboration

Independent work

Time management

R

Python

GC-MS

Education

Ph.D. in toxicology, environmental chemistry, fish ecology or related field

Tools

R

Python

GC-MS

Job description

Job description:

A post-doctoral position is available immediately in the Lydy lab at Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL, USA). The successful candidate will work on several projects including determining the impacts of pesticide exposure on predator prey relationships for salmon and striped bass, incorporation of contaminants into salmon life cycle models, and conducting field-lab research identifying pesticide exposure pathways and hotspots in aquatic waterways. The postdoc will be an important member of our ecotoxicology team, which is made up of toxicologists, chemists and wildlife biologists. The successful candidates will ideally have a background in either environmental toxicology, ecology or analytical chemistry. The aquatic toxicology lab (www.aquatictox.siu.edu) at SIU houses a well-equipped analytical chemistry lab, as well as a large modern aquatics facility. Carbondale is in a scenic portion of the state, and is near several state parks and national refuges, including the Shawnee National Forest.

SIUC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer that strives to enhance its ability to develop a diverse faculty and staff and to increase its potential to serve a diverse student population. All applications are welcomed and encouraged and will receive consideration.

Required qualifications:

• Ph.D. in toxicology, environmental chemistry, fish ecology or related field
• Experience working with predatory prey interactions and life cycle models
• Demonstrated record analyzing data, writing results, and publishing scientific manuscripts
• Proficiency programming or coding in R, Python, or other software packages
• Experience working in the field including fish, invertebrate and sediment sampling
• Strong organizational and data management skills
• Ability to work independently and on a team
• Ability to stay on schedule and meet deadlines

Desired qualifications:

• Familiarity with the USGS Stream Salmonid Simulator (S3)
• Experience working with tracking fish data and use of tracking software
• Experience with pesticide analyses quantification using GC-MS.

This position (1 year and renewable for a second) will include a competitive salary, tuition waiver, health benefits and support for the proposed research.