Postdoctoral Research Associate in Quantitative Wildlife Ecology – Bridgewater State University
We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join an NSF-funded project in wildlife disease ecology in the Surasinghe Lab (Dr. Thilina Surasinghe) Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, MA. The postdoc will join the Surasinghe Lab and contribute to the NSF-EEID project, Eco-social dynamics of tick-borne pathogens along urbanization gradients: establishment, spillover, and management. The overall project is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Maria Diuk-Wasser (Columbia University) in collaboration with investigators across multiple institutions.
The successful candidate will lead the quantitative wildlife ecology component of the project, investigating how urbanization influences mammal and bird host communities and the ecological processes underlying tick-borne disease risk across the Greater Boston region. The project integrates camera traps, passive acoustic monitoring (AudioMoths), point counts for birds, small-mammal surveys, and tick sampling to quantify wildlife occurrence, abundance, density, habitat use, and species interactions across urban landscapes.
Primary responsibilities include:
coordinating seasonal fieldwork across multiple sites in the Greater Boston region, including managing data collected from trail cameras and passive acoustic recorders;
Coordinating small-mammal surveys and tick collections while training masters and undergraduate researchers in field methods;
developing statistical models to estimate mammal and bird occurrence, abundance, density, and species interactions across urbanization gradients with the focus on occupancy-based analyses (e.g., multi-species and multi-scale models), distance-based density models, time-to-event (TTE) and space-to-event (STE) models;
developing AI-assisted workflows for processing camera-trap imagery and bioacoustic recordings;
contributing to peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference presentations, and collaborative grant development.
Required qualifications:
Ph.D. in Landscape Ecology, Wildlife Biology, Quantitative Ecology, or a closely related discipline;
demonstrated expertise developing statistical models for wildlife populations, including occupancy, abundance, density, species distribution, or related ecological models;
strong programming skills in R; experience with Python and Julia is desirable;
demonstrated experience conducting field research, coordinating multiple sites;
evidence of research productivity through peer-reviewed publications;
excellent quantitative, analytical, organizational, and scientific writing skills.
Preferred qualifications:
experience with camera-trap and passive acoustic based study design and analysis;
experience with small-mammal trapping, bird mist-netting, and biosafety procedures;
experience with tick ecology, host–vector surveillance, or wildlife disease ecology;
experience implementing Bayesian and/or frequentist approaches for occupancy modeling, distance sampling, TTE/STE models;
experience with AI-assisted processing of camera-trap or bioacoustic datasets;
experience with GIS, landscape ecology, and geospatial analysis.
This is a full-time, grant-funded position. The appointment is initially for one year and may be renewed for up to five years, contingent upon continued funding and performance.
To apply, visit https://jobs.bridgew.edu/postings/33045 and submit: (1) a cover letter describing research interests and relevant experience, (2) a curriculum vitae, and (3) contact information for three references. Review of applications will begin in mid-August and continue until the position is filled. Preferred start date: January 2027.
Questions may be directed to tsurasinghe@bridgew.edu.
M.S. Graduate Assistantship in Urban Wildlife Ecology
M.S. Graduate Assistantship in Urban Wildlife Ecology – Bridgewater State University
A funded M.S. Graduate Assistantship is available in the Surasinghe Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University. The student will join an NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) project investigating how urbanization influences wildlife communities and their role in shaping tick-borne disease risk across the Greater Boston region.. The student will also collaborate with undergraduate and other graduate students in the lab, the postdoctoral researcher, and project collaborators (Columbia Uni, Boston Uni, Tuft Uni, Uni of Sussex/Bath).
The successful applicant will develop an M.S. thesis focused on urban wildlife ecology, using mammals and birds as focal taxa to investigate patterns of wildlife occurrence, habitat use, community composition, and responses to urbanization. The research will integrate camera-trap surveys, passive acoustic monitoring (AudioMoths), environmental and landscape covariates, and GIS to evaluate wildlife communities across urban green spaces. Working closely with the project postdoctoral researcher, the student will gain training in hierarchical ecological modeling, camera-trap and acoustic data analysis, AI-assisted species identification, and reproducible research workflows while contributing to broader project objectives.
Responsibilities include:
developing an independent M.S. thesis in urban wildlife ecology;
participating in fieldwork, including deployment and maintenance of trail cameras and passive acoustic recorders;
assisting with standardized wildlife and tick field sampling;
organizing, quality-checking, and managing ecological datasets;
processing camera-trap and bioacoustic data using AI-assisted workflows and validating species identifications;
conducting GIS analyses and quantitative analyses in R under faculty mentorship;
contributing to manuscripts, conference presentations, and collaborative research activities;
collaborating with undergraduate researchers, the project postdoctoral researcher, and collaborating investigators.
Requirements:
Applicants must hold (or complete before enrollment) a B.S. in Biology, Ecology, Wildlife Biology, Environmental Science, Geography, or a closely related discipline and be eligible for admission to the M.S. in Biology program at Bridgewater State University. We seek highly motivated students with strong interests in wildlife ecology, urban ecology, landscape ecology, or quantitative ecology. Experience with ecological fieldwork, wildlife monitoring, camera traps, passive acoustic monitoring, GIS, R, or ecological statistics is highly desirable. Applicants should be enthusiastic about developing quantitative skills, conducting fieldwork, and working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.
The assistantship is expected to begin January 2027 and provides two years of support (through December 2028), contingent upon admission to the Biology M.S. program, satisfactory academic progress, and continued funding.
To apply, please email a single PDF containing (1) a statement of interest, (2) a CV, (3) unofficial transcripts, and (4) contact information for two or three references to:
Dr. Thilina Surasinghe
Department of Biological Sciences
Bridgewater State University
tsurasinghe@bridgew.edu
Review of applications will begin in early October and continue until the position is filled. Prospective students are encouraged to contact Dr. Surasinghe before submitting a formal application to the Biology M.S. program.