Doctoral Researcher in Disease Ecology / Spatial Ecology / Eco‑Epidemiology

Job description

The University of Helsinki invites applications for the position of: Doctoral Researcher in disease ecology / spatial ecology / eco‑epidemiology, starting in September 2026 or by agreement. The Project: The PhD project is part of CLIMFOCI, a multidisciplinary research project investigating why tick‑borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) occurs only in highly localized foci in boreal environments. The core idea is that TBEV persistence requires a rare “perfect storm” of climatic, ecological, and host–vector conditions, operating across spatial scales. The PhD will focus on: The work combines rich empirical datasets (ticks, rodents, hosts, vegetation, microclimate) with advanced statistical and spatial modelling (GLMMs, GAMMs, hierarchical/multilevel models), primarily in R. - Identifying macroscale drivers of TBEV foci across Finland (climate, vegetation, hosts, ticks, migratory birds) - Quantifying microscale drivers of TBEV hotspots within known foci using intensive field and microclimate data - Developing hierarchical, spatially explicit predictive models to identify current and future TBEV risk areas under climate change We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with: The appoint...