​Post-doctoral position: Historical disease epidemics at University of Jyväskylä

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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