Job Description

We are seeking multiple (3~4) highly motivated and collaborative Postdoctoral Research Associates with demonstrated skills in one or multiple areas of the following: Ecosystem Modeling, Machine Learning, Microbiome, Microbial Ecology, Soil Science, or Computational Biology. The positions are for several different projects, including the following: (P1) experimental-data-informed, machine-learning-enabled benchmarking and development of land carbon cycle in earth system models; (P2) grassland microbiome responses to climate change, nutrient addition or disturbance at the global scale; (P3) predictive understanding of microbiome dynamics and functioning in nature and engineering systems (e.g., grassland, bioreactors, wastewater treatment systems, etc.). P1 is a 3-year DOE-sponsored project that started in September 2024. The Postdoctoral Research Associate working on P1 will develop and test deep learning algorithms for model emulation and model parameter learning in the land carbon cycle; and work with collaborators from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to implement these algorithms into the DOE Earth system model (E3SM). The Postdoctoral Research Associates on P2 and P3 will be responsible for the following: sample collection or management, microbiome analysis, data processing, integration, synthesis, and modeling. Besides, the postdocs could participate in studying microbial feedback to climate change in our long-term climate change facility if they are interested. The postdocs will also be encouraged to collaborate with other laboratory members on diverse research projects at the Institute for Environmental Genomics (http://ieg.ou.edu/).

The Postdoctoral Research Associates will be employed in the Institute for Environmental Genomics (IEG) and the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma and supervised by Jizhong Zhou, Zheng Shi, or Daliang Ning. The positions will be renewed annually, for up to 3~5 years. The successful candidates will receive cross-training in professional and personal development, research collaboration, presentation and publication of results, proposal development, outreach, and mentoring. The positions include a competitive salary and health insurance. Review of applications will begin Oct 31, 2024, and will continue until the positions are filled. A near-term start date is desired.

About the Institute

The Institute for Environmental Genomics (http://ieg.ou.edu/), led by Dr. Jizhong Zhou, has state-of-the-art facilities for the study of microbial functional genomics, microbial ecology, metagenomics, mathematical modeling, and biotechnology development to address fundamental scientific questions. Our current projects include examining the impact of climate change on microbial communities and the global carbon cycle, understanding the global water microbiome, examining the response of microbial communities to contaminants (U, nitrate, pH, Cr) important to the U.S. DOE, designing bioinformatics tools for ‘big data’ analysis, developing and expanding high-throughput metagenomic tools and techniques such as microarrays, sequencing, and single-cell genomics to examine microbial communities, and developing gene manipulation tools using the CRISPR-Cas9 system,  etc.  

Required Qualifications:

1) Ph.D. in Ecosystem Ecology, Earth System Science, or Computer Science is required for P1; Ph.D. in Biology, Microbiology, Soil Science, Environmental Science, or other relevant disciplines is required for P2 and P3.

2) Strong background in ecosystem modeling, global land carbon modeling, machine learning, and/or statistics is required for P1. Strong background in Microbial Ecology, Metagenomics, Soil Science, Theoretical Ecology, Bioinformatics, and/or Ecosystem Modeling is required for P2 and P3.

3) Demonstrated ability to code in Python and Fortran is required for P1; general programming or molecular experiment skills are required for P2 and P3.

4) Excellent quantitative, writing, and presentation skills.

5) Experience publishing peer-reviewed publications.

Preferred Qualifications:

1) Demonstrated ability to direct and run independent research project(s).

2) Multidisciplinary knowledge and research experience in Ecology, Microbiology, Engineering, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Mining, Parallel Programming, Supercomputing, or Cloud Computing.

3) Experience collaborating with diverse and geographically distant teams.

How To Apply

Interested individuals should send their curriculum vita, a description of research interests and accomplishments (e.g., publications), and the names and telephone numbers of at least three references to Dr. Jizhong Zhou (jzhou@ou.edu), Zheng Shi (zheng.shi@ou.edu), and Daliang Ning (ningdaliang@ou.edu). Salary will be commensurate with experience, expertise and skills. Further information can be found on the IEG web site: http://ieg.ou.edu/. You will submit your application via Interfolio on the link here: http://apply.interfolio.com/157796