About:

Strategies are needed to identify and characterize viruses that pose the greatest risk of spillover to humans and their relative pandemic potential to inform vaccine targets. We identified risk factors contributing to virus spillover to humans, and then developed a risk ranking framework and interactive web tool, SpillOver, that estimated a risk score for wildlife-origin viruses. Awareness of the dearth of information available on emerging viruses has stimulated viral discovery work around the world. Those data are already becoming accessible, and huge volumes of new information will almost certainly be imminently available on newly-recognized viruses that can and should be incorporated into a risk-ranking framework. There is an ongoing need to constantly update data and risk rankings to incorporate new discoveries in real-time, and artificial intelligence could be incorporated into the SpillOver platform to make sure that new discoveries are ranked in near real-time.

Department Summary:

The Office of Grand Challenges provides dedicated leadership and facilitation for current and future research, education, and public service activities focused on UC Davis campus priorities for action to address the world’s wicked problems (herein “Grand Challenges”), including, but not limited to: emerging health threats, the climate crisis, reimagining the land grant university, and sustainable food systems. Grand Challenges is also planning a new built environment, conceived of as a special space that will be an ideal site for Grand Challenges programs and a focal point for transdisciplinary collaboration campus-wide.

Job Summary:

Under general direction of the Grand Challenges Vice Provost, the postdoctoral scholar will support strategically important projects, for e.g. SpillOver, within the UC Davis Institute for Pandemic Intelligence (IPI) involving computational methods by designing analytical models and implementing them in operational and research environments.

The core duties of the postdoctoral scholar will be to update the current SpillOver Program using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other methods to increase the breadth of data incorporated in virus risk rankings and constantly update and optimize the rankings with the large volumes of new data becoming available from viral discovery efforts to inform vaccine target selection. They will be responsible for literature and dataset review and development of innovative methods for data analytics and data visualization, ongoing assessment of data gaps, and making recommendations to improve data quality and analyses. Development of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations on updated risk rankings and high-risk viruses, based on the expanded information collected through artificial intelligence, and recommendations on updated international standards for viral risk rankings will be key.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute intellectually to the SpillOver team, including identification of subprojects and products of interest that contribute to the candidate’s career trajectory and the team’s goals and success.
• Provide data science innovation for the project, including data acquisition, cleaning, visualization and analyses.
• Develop, maintain, and document analytical models (including machine learning and other AI algorithms, spatially explicit modeling, mixed models, Bayesian methods, etc.) and software applications for synthesizing and updating SpillOver data.
• Identify high-quality sources of data relevant to zoonotic viruses and automate processes for their collection, cleaning, and analyses to maintain updated virus risk rankings.
• Provide analytical facilitation and project management support for matters relating to the day-to-day activities of the project, including potential stewardship of research personnel, educational teams, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Communicate and work with collaborators with different expertise and domain knowledge.
• Assist in preparing materials for high-level conversations and lead academic publications.

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals’ with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400: Policy on University of California Diversity Statement. UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.” There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.

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As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs - With Updated Interim Amendments. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2, Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment.(Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.