the 
 
Environment, pathogen and host – disease triangle in pre-health care Finland
 
We seek motivated post-doc capable of interdisciplinary work, with good track record on ecology, epidemiology or statistical modeling and dire interest on working with very large historical datasets. We also expect fluency in R and appreciate GIS-skills. 
 
This project explores the relative roles of host, pathogen, and environment in dictating mortality in 19thcentury Finnish society. This is a joint project of a biologist, Tarmo Ketola and a historian Miikka Voutilainen, in the interface between economic history and biological epidemiology. Project utilizes large longitudinal dataset containing individual information of causes of death for several million Finns, economic information for more than 400 Finnish parishes, and state-of-the-art spatio-temporal statistical methods. In this collaborative project we seek improved understanding of early 19th century mortality by addressing key biological and economical hypotheses on determinants of mortality and disease. Database includes dozens of estimated causes of death; varying from symptomatic diagnoses to characteristic and easily distinguishable diseases such as smallpox, pertussis and measles.
 
Post-doctoral grant is funded by Finnish Cultural Foundation. Research is conducted at Biology department at University of Jyväskylä’s Ylistö campus area, with weekly meetings at history and ethnology department located at beautiful main campus area. Starting date is negotiable.
 
We offer stimulating working environment with historians, biologists and statisticians, in a small but vibrant city in the middle of the Finland. 
 
Position is for one year with possibility for 1yr. extension. 
 
To apply: Send one pdf-file containing 1) application / motivation letter 2) CV and 3) publication list to: tketola@jyu.fi
Enquiries: tketola@jyu.fi

Find our latest publication from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.3823/abstract published on line early today in Ecology and Evolution. In short; adapting to fast fluctuations was seen via changes in tolerance curves. This is important to understand if tolerance curves, or reaction norms, are used to predict suitability of climate to species, or in selection of genotypes for animal and plant breeding.

Find Ilkka Kronholm's latest Effects of acclimation time and epigenetic mechanisms on growth of Neurospora in fluctuating environments, Biorxiv: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/12/15/234971​

Tuesday: Poster by Matthieu Bruneaux on Phage-driven Thermal Adaptation. S15, p. 6
Wednesday: Talk by Ilkka Kronholm on Epigenetic Background of Phenotypic Plasticity. Room K 12:50
Friday: Talk by Tarmo Ketola on Eco-Evo Blueprints of Invasions. Room M 12:50

After thesis defence, Rogi, opponent Anna-Liisa Laine, and supervisors (Lotta-Riina Sundberg, Katja Pulkkinen and Tarmo Ketola) all feeling super. (photo: Anssi Karvonen)

See  BMC blog post on our recent paper in BMC Ecology 

Proud to co-host Punidan D. Jeyasingh's stay at Finland for this autumn #fullbright

Check out our latest results from Biology Letters and learn that bacterial virulence is changed according to what they eat. Ketola T., Mikonranta L., Laakso J. & Mappes J.: Different food sources elicit fast changes to bacterial virulence. Biology Letters, 2016. 12: 20150660. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0660 (link)

After 2 hours of roasting Kati (right) with questions opponent Prof. Jacintha Ellers (middle) and Custos/supervisor (Tarmo, left) enjoying well deserved sparkling.