Postdoctoral Fellow - Capone Lab - ENVR

Indiana University; Bloomington (IN); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Indiana University Bloomington invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Capone Lab within the Environmental and Occupational Health Department. The role supports a five-year CDC-funded study on soil-transmitted helminth surveillance, with fieldwork in Indiana and cross-disciplinary collaboration across engineering, epidemiology, and microbiology.

The fellow will lead scientific activities, coordinate lab operations, mentor students, contribute to grant writing and publications, and

Qualifications

• PhD in environmental health, environmental engineering, environmental science, microbiology, or related field by appointment
• Experience with project management and interdisciplinary collaboration preferred
• Experience with molecular microbiology methods and quantitative data analysis is desired
• Field sampling experience and strong written and oral communication skills are essential
• Interest in mentoring undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students is desirable

Responsibilities

• Lead scientific activities in a multi-disciplinary study
• Coordinate laboratory activities and manage a large collaborative project
• Contribute to grant writing and peer-reviewed publications
• Mentor students and support career development of junior researchers

Skills

Project management

Molecular microbiology methods

Fieldwork experience

Communication skills

Mentoring students

Education

PhD in environmental health or related field

Tools

qPCR

dPCR

Nucleic acid extraction

Job description

Title Postdoctoral Fellow - Capone Lab - ENVR Appointment Status Non-Tenure Track Department IU Bloomington Environmental and Occupational Health Location Bloomington Position Summary

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 CDC-funded study focused on developing and applying integrated surveillance approaches for soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection in the southeastern United States. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, but applications received by October 5, 2026 will be given full consideration, and the search will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. The earliest anticipated start date is October 19, 2026.

Dr. Drew Capone’s research group (https://caponelab.publichealth.indiana.edu) has broad interests in environmental health microbiology. Current projects include public health surveillance using fecal waste streams, microbial fate and transport, the role of infrastructure in interrupting enteric pathogen transmission, and predicting public health outcomes using quantitative microbial risk assessment. Lab members conduct field research in Mozambique and Indiana, as well as wet lab work in Bloomington, Indiana. We use tools from engineering, epidemiology, and environmental health microbiology to investigate the problems affecting low-income individuals and aim to improve public health in the communities where these people live.

Basic 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

Department Contact for Questions

Questions pertaining to the PeopleAdmin application procedure may be directed to [e-mail]. Questions regarding the position may be directed to Dr. Capone at [e-mail].

Additional Qualifications

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.

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, virologists, 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.