ScienceCareers.eu - Job Vacancies in the Basque Country

Postdoctoral research position: Coastal Pathogens and Climate Change – An Extended One Health Approach

Job Summary

The Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) offers a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher Position within the Horizon Europe project BlueAdapt (GA 101057764 funded by HORIZON-HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-02-03 call), a 4 year research project coordinated by BC3. The position will be located at the BC3 research group Health and Climate, within the Adaptation Lab research line.

Bacterial and viral pathogens in coastal waters pose threats to health for a number of different agents – including occupational and recreational risks for activities in and around coasts. Under conditions of climate change, these risks are likely to increase for a number of reasons. For example, warming of the ocean is likely to influence the survival of bacteria and viruses. Exposure of humans to coastal waters may also change – as changing climates impact on human behaviour. Upstream, changes in pressures from wastewater, industry and agricultural processes may also influence the abundance of viruses and bacteria in our coasts.

Job Description

In this context, BlueAdapt attempts to provide an evidence base for innovation and action around coastal pathogens, by bringing together an interdisciplinary team of biologists, climate scientists, economists, epidemiologists and public health experts to investigate and quantify the future health risks associated with selected coastal pathogens, and identify adaptation measures through concrete case studies. BlueAdapt will also provide tools to assess the impacts of policy responses and communicate the results to a wide audience, including both policymakers and the public.

The importance of keeping in mind the human–animal–ecosystem interface when assessing the evolution and emergence of public health threats is paramount. BC3 will therefore work towards the development of an “extended One Health” approach, to gain a wider perspective on the complex nature of the issue, and illustrating in a local case study (in the Bay of Biscay) how this approach can be used to co-produce knowledge and generate action.

For these activities, BC3 is looking for a postdoctoral researcher who can support the Principal Investigator in the scientific and communication tasks along its 4 years of project life.

Job description:

The postdoctoral researcher will participate in various activities in the project.

In the first phase of the project, the researcher will manage the development of the “extended One Health” conceptual framework, aimed at providing an understanding of the complex interlinkages between coastal pathogens, environmental pollution, climate change, human exposure and One Health, including demographic and socio-economic factors.

In a second step, the researcher will test the theoretical framework at a pilot location by analysing context-specific One Health cause-effect relations and will develop cognitive maps through knowledge co-production in interviews and workshops with local experts. This will involve collaboration with academia, public administrations, decision-makers, the private sector, and other key stakeholders, to support the understanding of the underlying complexities, key sources of risk, driving factors, population vulnerabilities, behavioral aspects, equity, institutional barriers etc., as well as the identification of One Health adaptation measures and One Health indicators.

The researcher will contribute to the production of dissemination material related to key concepts of the extended One Health.

The researcher will also co-supervise a PhD student working on aspects related to the “extended One Health” and coastal pathogens, construction of the framework, concepts and applications.

The researcher will support the PI and the rest of the team to achieve the scientific objectives of the project, to develop effective and efficient task management and to collaboratively work, publish and disseminate project findings.

Key responsibilities:

Manage and develop the “extended One Health” conceptual framework.
Manage and work on a scoping literature review, as a background for the framework, embracing different disciplines and team work with different experts, including of other BlueAdapt partners.
Develop cognitive maps of key One Health relationships in the case study location (e.g. fuzzy cognitive mapping), and interact with stakeholders and local experts for co-production of knowledge.
Identify opportunities and barriers for adaptation measures, and policy implications.
Support in the mentoring of a PhD student.
Contribute to other tasks related to the project, support management tasks in the projects and communication with partners (including project meetings, conferences, deliverables).
Publish high-impact, peer-reviewed research in international scientific journals.

Main requirements/skills:

PhD in environmental or health sciences and demonstration of a track record of peer-reviewed publications as well as the ability to initiate and complete original research. As the field of application (One Heath and coastal pathogens) is interdisciplinary, other degrees might also be evaluated.
Knowledge of the literature on environment, health and climate change, and methodologies related to knowledge integration such as mental/cognitive mapping.
Ability to coordinate teamwork and interact with a broad range of scientific and policy stakeholders, and conduct transdisciplinary work.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Excellent written and oral command of English. A good knowledge of Spanish is desirable for the case study analysis.

Desirable requirements/skills:

Experience in developing conceptual frameworks in public ecological health, One Health, EcoHealth, etc.

Benefits

Comment/web site for additional job details

Benefits and work environment

Interdisciplinary and inspiring work environment.
35-hour week work calendar.
30 days of vacation per year.