A fully-funded, four-year Lord Kelvin Adam Smith PhD Scholarship is available at the University of Glasgow.
Project Summary - Most new human diseases, including Ebola and Zika, are viruses that originate from other animal species, but our ability to understand which viruses pose the greatest health risks and which host species they are most likely to emerge from remains extremely limited. The increasing speed and affordability of viral genome sequencing has dramatically increased our knowledge of the diversity of viruses in nature, providing an unprecedented opportunity to incorporate genomic data into models of viral emergence. Yet, once new predictive models are developed, they risk being overlooked for real world application if they lack sufficient validation or if pathways to their dissemination to relevant stakeholders are not identified. This 4-year PhD project will enhance and validate machine learning models that infer key aspects of viral ecology from viral genome sequences and will conduct field research in Uganda to identify how digital tools should be applied in the context of health emergencies. The output of the PhD will be a set of genomic data driven models that provide insights into viral ecology and evolution and are tailored for field deployment as part of surveillance or outbreak response programmes. Methodology and training - The highly interdisciplinary and international nature of this project represents exceptional doctoral training for candidates seeking to bridge biological, computational and sociological boundaries in the emerging field of One Health. The candidate will have opportunities to learn cutting edge statistical methods including machine learning and bioinformatics, the newest genomic sequencing technologies (i.e., metagenomics) and how to design and implement questionnaires and interviews for application in a developing country. These technologies and skills have broad applicability, giving the scholar transferable skills for a variety of career choices. Project Team - The candidate will be supervised by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers (Daniel Streicker, Simon Babayan and Chris Bunn) from the College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences and the School of Social Sciences of the University of Glasgow. Additional collaborators will include Richard Orton (bioinformatician), Emma Thomson (clinical virologist), Roman Biek (molecular ecologist) and Ke Yuan (computer scientist). Eligibility - This studentship is open to candidates of any nationality; however, candidates must have earned a 2:1 undergraduate degree qualification or higher (for international equivalencies see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-degree-equivalency-table-and-methodology) and/or a Masters degree with distinction or merit. In the first instance, prospective applicants should send an expression of interest to Daniel Streicker ([email protected]). This should include a CV and a 1000 word statement describing your research interests and qualifications. Expressions of interest must be received no later than 29 December at 12pm (UK time).
