Biological and Human Dimensions of Primate Retroviral Transmission.”

A PhD Studentship is offered at the University of Cambridge, as part of an ESRC/NIH funded UK/US/Ugandan collaborative research project and will focus on the dynamics of contact patterns between humans, as well as between humans and primates, as a model of emerging infectious disease. This studentship will address questions such as:

1. What factors determine levels of contact between human and primates?
2. Does human contact with primates differ between areas surrounding the National Park and areas next to unprotected forest fragments?
3. How might an emerging infection spread, assuming different routes of transmission?

Skills to be developed to address these questions include the implementation of Bayesian graphical models for statistical inference, allowing quantitative statistics to be combined with a conceptual model gleaned from qualitative data, and allowing multiple data sources (e.g. aggregate and individual level data) to be combined. The parent project will generate a rich collection of data, including demographics, geographic information, social networks, syndromic surveillance, and molecular epidemiological data. The student will also develop an agent-based model, allowing translation of these statistical/causal models into the population dynamics of humans and the transmission of a putative new zoonotic infection. This work is aligned with the ESRC Quantitative Methods Initiative, and resources are available for participating in training courses convened by the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods.

This studentship will be supervised by Dr Simon Frost in Veterinary Medicine and Professor Nigel Leader-Williams in Geography. The student will also collaborate with Dr Mhairi Gibson of the University of Bristol, and Prof Tony Goldberg, director of the The Kibale EcoHealth Project, and a strong team of international collaborators. The candidate will be primarily based in Veterinary Medicine, but will follow the Geography PhD training pathway, and will be expected to be an active member of both Dr Frost's and Prof Leader-Williams' groups. Funds to cover both university tuition fees and maintenance are available for 3 years. Additional funds are available to support fieldwork in Uganda and project meetings in the US.

Due to funding restrictions, only UK/EU applicants are eligible to apply. A background in population biology or epidemiology is preferred, but applicants from a variety of backgrounds will be considered. Candidates must hold a good 2.1 or equivalent undergraduate honours degree, and preferably have a Masters degree in an appropriate discipline. Applicants should have experience using quantitative methods and analyses.