Postgraduate associate in genomic epidemiology

Update: this position has been closed. More postgrad associate positions will be posted in the future, likely for 2024. Please reach out if you are interested in a future position.

The Grubaugh Lab at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) is seeking a MPH or MS student who will graduate in 2023 to join the team as a Postgraduate Associate. These are 1-2 year positions meant to help students gain additional research experience before applying to a PhD or MD program. The specific research projects are flexible and will be determined based on best fit with the student. The possible projects include:

• Developing methods to improve routine analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants (dry lab)
• Developing and validating multiplexed sequencing methods and/or bioinformatic pipelines for respiratory pathogens or mosquito-borne viruses (wet and/or dry lab)
• Comparing wastewater surveillance to clinical testing, including genomic data (wet and/or dry lab)
• Investigating the dynamics of dengue virus lineages during outbreaks and inter-outbreak periods (dry lab)
• Investigating the emergence and spread of mosquito- and tick-borne viruses in the Northeast (wet and/or dry lab)
• Other projects that may arise

The trainee will work with Grubaugh Lab’s experienced genomic epidemiology team, and will be directly supervised by a senior postdoc or research scientist. They will also have the opportunity to lead or contribute to published research, and all previous trainees earned at least one co-authored publication (most with several). The trainee will also receive direct mentorship from Dr. Grubaugh on applying to graduate schools and career development. Past trainees are currently enrolled in PhD or MD programs at Yale, Emory, Northwestern, or Penn State, or are working directly in public health positions (Washington, Massachusetts, and New Haven health departments).  

Job requirements

The ideal candidate will have:

• MPH or MS in epidemiology, microbiology, biostatistics, or related fields (received in 2023)
• (dry lab positions) strong computer programming skills, experience with genomic data, experience with mathematical or statistical modeling, and/or phylogenetics
• (wet lab positions) strong molecular biology skills and experience with PCR, library prep, and sequencing
• good oral and written communication skills

Start date, duration and salary

Ideally, the candidate would be able to start in May or June of 2023, though later start dates may be considered. Postgraduate associate positions are for 1 year with the possibility of a 1 year extension if applying to graduate school. 

Starting salary for a postgraduate associate is $50,000 (i.e. directly upon completing a masters degree), with increases based on relevant experience. Salary will also include competitive benefits, and support for travel to conferences will be provided. In person and hybrid work is available.

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, just send us an email!