Marie Curie European Training Network PhD Position: modelling waning immunity

[Gergely Rost]

PhD scholarship – Modelling waning of immunity due to pathogen evolution

Applications are invited for a 36-month Early Stage Researcher position (ESR) within the framework of EvoGamesPlus (Evolutionary Game Theory and Population Dynamics: From Theory to Applications) Innovative Training Network funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/evogamesplus

Project description:

The researcher will develop mathematical models to understand the interplay of population level epidemiological dynamics, within-host immune dynamics, and evolutionary dynamics of the pathogen, starting from an SIRS (susceptible – infected – recovered and immune – susceptible) framework and expanding it to more sophisticated mathematical tools (e.g. nonlinear differential equations with state-dependent delays and structured population models expressed by hyperbolic partial differential equations). These models will be accompanied with agent-based model counterparts, and will be investigated by analytical and numerical methods and explicit stochastic simulations. The researcher will apply these results to gain insight into the long term dynamics of influenza and COVID-19 around the globe.

Host Institution:

The position will be  hosted by the University of Szeged, Hungary (www.u-szeged.hu). We offer full-time employment with a competitive salary for three years, mobility and family allowances, and possibility to apply for a PhD programme at the University of Szeged. The University is among the most prominent higher education institutions in Central Europe, located in the downtown area of Szeged (often considered as one of the best university towns in Europe).

Supervisor:

Gergely Röst, http://www.math.u-szeged.hu/~rost/

The researcher will be based in Szeged, and will additionally carry out three 3-month secondments: University of Liverpool, Delft University of Technology, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.

Eligibility

To be eligible, at the start of that project you should be within 4 years of acquiring the degree which allows you to undertake a doctoral study. Moreover, you cannot possess a doctorate yet at the start of the project and you should not have lived in Hungary for more than one year during the past 3 years.

Requirements and formal application

A degree (MSc) (preferentially in applied mathematics or other quantitative fields) obtained before signing the contract. Strong interest in mathematical modelling applied to biological systems. English proficiency.

To apply, please send a CV and transcripts, short motivation letter, and contact details of two reference persons as a single PDF or zip file  to csillak@math.u-szeged.hu

Deadline of application is May 3, 2021.  Interviews for selected applicants are expected within a week after the deadline. Position begins on September 1, 2021 (with some flexibility).

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