🏛️ Postdoc Researcher Position: Ecological Niche Modeling of Host-Parasite Interactions, France
📚 About the Position
Applications are open for an Ecological Niche Modeling Postdoc position at Université de Montpellier. The successful candidate will join a dynamic interdisciplinary research group working at the interface of ecology and evolution, epidemiology, and global change biology of vector-borne diseases. The position is based in Montpellier, a vibrant scientific hub in Southern France internationally recognized for excellence in ecology and evolutionary biology.
This Postdoctoral Researcher Ecological Niche Modeling position is embedded within the regional scientific interdisciplinary project InvaSnail, financed by the ExposUM initiative from Montpellier University.
🎯 Position Overview
🎯 Research Focus
The postdoctoral researcher will lead the modeling of ecological niches and range shifts of host snails (both local and invasive) and the parasite, simulating their response to environmental changes and assessing the effectiveness of management interventions.
Collaboration with Dr. Romain Bertrand and visits to the University of Toulouse are expected for ecological niche modelling and the development of the simRShift model for host-parasite interactions.
📋 Key Responsibilities
Modeling & Analysis
- Model the ecological niches of local and invasive snail hosts and the parasite using climatic (temperature, rainfall), environmental (hydrography, land use), and management/social factors (livestock movement, pastoralism)
- Develop the simRShift model accounting for host-parasite interactions
- Calibrate and validate the model against current fasciolosis distribution and laboratory experiments
- Conduct simulation-based experiments to forecast host-parasite distribution under different environmental change scenarios (climate and land use changes)
- Test the efficiency of management actions to control disease expansion
Academic Contributions
- Publish results in peer-reviewed journals
- Present findings at international conferences and stakeholder meetings
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (ecologists, epidemiologists, parasitologists)
- Contribute to project development including new research proposals and grant writing
- Mentor graduate and undergraduate students when appropriate
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Education
- PhD in Ecological Modeling, Ecology, Biogeography, Epidemiology, Environmental Sciences, Geography, or a related quantitative discipline
Technical Skills
- Demonstrated experience in ecological niche modelling and/or species distribution modelling
- Strong programming skills in R and/or Python
- Experience with geospatial tools (e.g., GIS platforms)
- Experience working with environmental and climate datasets
- Experience with modelling techniques such as:
- MaxEnt
- Boosted Regression Trees
- Random Forest
- Neural Networks
- Experience handling and processing large ecological datasets
Academic & Personal Qualities
- Strong publication record appropriate to career stage
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Autonomy, strong work ethic, and team-playing ability
🌟 Why This Role?
This Postdoctoral Researcher Ecological Niche Modeling position offers:
– Work in a world-class scientific hub (Montpellier, France)
– Interdisciplinary collaboration across ecology, epidemiology, and global change biology
– Development of cutting-edge models for host-parasite interactions
– Opportunities for international collaboration (University of Toulouse)
– Contribution to the Horizon Europe-funded InvaSnail project
– Competitive salary and 24-month contract
📝 Application procedure
Required Documents
- curriculum vitae (CV)
- cover letter
- publication list
- contact information for references
📧 annia.alba-menendez@umontpellier.fr
📅 Deadline: April 20, 2026 – 23:59 (Europe/Paris)
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