Research Associate- Plowright Laboratory

Zymtronix Catalytic Systems Inc; Town of Ithaca (NY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Endowed benefits

Job summary

Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, invites applications for a Research Associate in the Plowright Laboratory to lead bat experiments and co-manage ecological fieldwork related to pathogen spillover. The role collaborates with a multidisciplinary team across institutions and will involve international field sites in Indonesia and Bangladesh.

A PhD in disease ecology or related field is required, with a strong record of independent research and experience handling wildlife data.

Qualifications

• PhD in disease ecology, ecological immunology, epidemiology, veterinary medicine, ecology, or related fields.
• Experience conducting animal or wildlife research and handling infectious-disease data.
• Ability to develop and apply quantitative ecological methods.

Responsibilities

• Co-design, plan, and execute bat experiments at Cornell University.
• Co-lead ecological components of field research in Indonesia and Bangladesh.
• Design sampling strategies with geospatial scientists and epidemiologists.
• Lead analyses, interpretation, and manuscript preparation with the Center’s team.
• Coordinate biomarker development, validation, and field deployment.
• Mentor trainees and contribute to donor reports and project deliverables.

Skills

Quantitative methods

Independent research

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Field research coordination

Education

PhD in disease ecology/related field

Job description

Research Associate- Plowright Laboratory

Research Associate- Plowright Laboratory

The Plowright Lab in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell University seeks applications for a Research Associate. This position is supported through the NIH-funded Center for Spillover Prevention, One Health Research, and Outbreak Readiness in Asia, part of the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) Network. We study how animals respond to global change and how these responses change the risk of pathogen spillover.

The Research Associate will lead, organize, and conduct bat experiments at Cornell University to understand bat immune responses to stress. The Associate will also co-lead field research examining how bats respond to global change and how these responses influence pathogen spillover. This role will include coordinating the ecological components of the fieldwork conducted by local research teams in Indonesia and Bangladesh.

The Center’s multidisciplinary team will include colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University College of Human Ecology, and Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Responsibilities include:

• Co-design, plan, and execute bat experiments at Cornell University.
• Co-lead the ecological components of the field research focused on understanding how bats respond to global change and how these responses influence pathogen spillover.
• Co-design spatial and temporal sampling strategies in collaboration with geospatial scientists, ecologists, and epidemiologists.
• Lead analyses and interpretation and the preparation of manuscripts and presentations arising from the experimental and ecological field components, in collaboration with the Center’s team.
• Help coordinate biomarker development, validation, and field deployment.
• Represent the research area in cross-team coordination and contribute to the broader research program's scientific direction.
• Help mentor and support trainees on the team.
• Contribute to the preparation of donor reports and other project deliverables.

Requirements:

• This position requires a PhD in disease ecology, ecological immunology, epidemiology, veterinary medicine, ecology, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience conducting animal or wildlife research; designing experiments; handling and sampling wildlife; and working with infectious-disease or physiological/ecological data.
• Ability to develop, adapt, and apply quantitative methods to answer ecological questions.
• A strong record of conducting independent research and scholarly activities, including publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary research team.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a collaborative, fast-paced research environment.
• Experience in the management of research, scientific, or academic projects.
• Creative and critical-thinking skills with a demonstrated ability to develop innovative research approaches.
• Willingness to be based in Ithaca, NY.
• Ability to travel internationally for fieldwork in Indonesia and Bangladesh (up to one month per year in the field).

Preferred:

• Experience working with bats

Salary and Benefits: Salary Range: $65,000 - $90,000. This position is eligible for endowed benefits.

Trainees from the Plowright lab have gone on to positions in academia, government, and non-profit organizations. If you are interested, please email Emma Spence ([e-mail]) for more details.

Offers higher than the published salary range might be considered to meet unique circumstances, qualifications, academic discipline, and experience.

Pay Range:

Refer to Posting Language

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.
• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
• Academic Discipline
• Unique applicable skills.

About Us

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.