Postdoc in pathogen genomic applications for public health

Updated August 1, 2023: This position has been filled, but we are always looking for outstanding postdocs. Please email us at [email protected] if you are interested.

The Grubaugh Lab at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate with a background in pathogen genomics (primarily wet-lab) to develop and implement sequencing strategies for surveillance and outbreak response, as a part of the Pathogen Genomic Center of Excellence (PGCOE). 

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) selected the group at YSPH and five other partners to make up its new PGCOE, one of five such centers recently launched by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With $25 million in funding over five years, the center’s goal will be to improve technologies and coordinated processes for systematically monitoring infectious diseases and emerging variants, enabling the U.S. to better prevent and respond to outbreaks. The CDC grant, subcontracted from the MDPH, is for five years. The Grubaugh Lab will collaborate with the Yale New Haven Hospital diagnostic labs for clinical validation and with the other academic partners (The Broad Institute, Boston University, Fathom Information Design, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Theiagen Genomics) to implement the approaches and discuss future directions. 

The position would entail:

• Developing and validating new sequencing assays and analysis pipelines for a range of pathogens (initial focus on respiratory viruses and bacteria)
• Working with public health and clinical laboratories to translate the technology.
• Developing methods for better utilizing pathogen genomic data to understand pathogen epidemiology, evaluate interventions, and forecast transmission patterns.
• Responding to outbreaks in coordination with the PGCOE and other regional/national public health labs. 

Future avenues of this grant may include: (1) wastewater sequencing, (2) broad-spectrum sequencing approaches, (3) genomic epidemiology of regional pathogens of interest (e.g. arboviruses), and (4) implementing routine genomic surveillance. The applicant would directly interact with state public health labs, academic partners, and the CDC.

Job requirements

The ideal candidate will have:

• PhD in microbiology, genetics, or a related field
• Significant experience with clinical/infectious sample handling and sequencing library preparation for Illumina and/or ONT sequencing platforms 
• Bioinformatics experience: at a minimum, able to install and use bioinformatic programs
• Good oral and written communication skills

Start date, duration and salary

Ideally, the candidate would be able to start between August 1 and October 1, 2023, though earlier or later start dates may be considered. The duration for this position is from 2-5 years, and includes the possibility for promotion. Starting salary for a Postdoctoral Associate is $65,000. Salary will also include competitive benefits, and support for travel to conferences will be provided. Hybrid work is available, but most of the work will need to take place in person.

Working with us

Good science isn’t done in a vacuum. Our projects are primarily team-based, both within our Yale group and with our many external collaborators. We strive to create a diverse and inclusive atmosphere and bring members into our team with unique and complementary skill sets. We are flexible to the challenges in our lives (e.g. time off, remote work), try to have fun, and celebrate successes. Read more about our team here.

Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Yale values diversity among its students, staff, and faculty and strongly welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities.

Want to join our team?!

Interested applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a 1-2 page statement of research interests describing your qualifications, and contact information for three references to Nathan Grubaugh ([email protected]). Want to learn more first, just send us an email! 

~Cheers,

Nate