New technologies are much needed in the fight against malaria, and one of the most promising avenues is the development of gene-drive technologies to modify populations of malaria spreading mosquitoes.
The post holder will work within a large research consortium, ‘Target Malaria’, which aims to develop gene drives that will reduce the number of malaria mosquitoes, thereby reducing transmission of malaria (https://targetmalaria.org/). The scale of this ambition means that Target malaria brings together an unusually broad range of disciplines, from molecular biologists to field entomologists, regulatory affairs experts, social scientists, and modellers. This makes for an exciting project to work in.
The post holder will help to create cutting-edge computer modelling tools that will facilitate further investigation of the genetic technologies being developed. Some of this work will build on currently existing models, which simulate mosquito populations across large areas of West Africa (e.g. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-019-0645-5). The post holder will help to enhance these models to develop “universal mosquito models”, that users can apply to any region of sub-Saharan Africa. The models will be used to address new research questions, leading to publications in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, the post holder will help to develop user interfaces and documentation so that the models are accessible to new users. The post holder will maintain the simulation codes in an open-source repository. The post holder will hold a degree in Computer Science or other STEM subject, and a passion for programming. The role will require experience in C/C++, as well as good skills in at least one computer language for user interface development. The post holder will keep abreast of developments in computer languages that may be useful to us, and must be enthusiastic to learn new languages that are well suited to our needs.
The University of Oxford is committed to equality and valuing diversity. All applicants will be judged on merit, according to the selection criteria.
This post is full time (although applications to work part time are welcome) and available immediately.
The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 6th April 2023 , interviews are likely to be scheduled for early April.