“Epidemiology and Modeling for One Health” Research Chair

“Epidemiology and Modeling for One Health” Research Chair

The French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the only French public research organization entirely dedicated to human health, covers a wide range of health research fields, from basic research to clinical research, to public health research. INSERM has research laboratories throughout the French territory, grouped into 12 Regional Delegations. The institute brings together 15,000 researchers, engineers, technicians, and administrative staff, with a common objective: to improve the health of all through progress in knowledge of living organisms and diseases, innovation in treatments, and public health research.

Joining INSERM means joining an institute committed to professional parity and equality, diversity, and support for its agents with disabilities, from recruitment and throughout their career. In order to preserve well-being at work, INSERM pursues an active policy regarding working conditions, based in particular on a fair balance between personal and professional life.

INSERM received the “European HR Excellence in Research” label in 2016 and is committed to developing its researcher recruitment and evaluation practices.

HOST LABORATORY:

Based in Rennes, France, The Research Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET) is a large inter- and multidisciplinary research center on environmental and work-related risks in the field of public health. The main objective of this institute, with more than 350 people, is to study and understand the influence on human health of environmental factors, i.e. chemical agents such as environmental pollutants and drugs, biological agents such as viruses or parasites, physical agents such as electromagnetic waves, as well as occupational exposures and socio-economic factors.

CONTEXT/TASKS:

Through two distinct proposed chairs, IRSET and ANSES aim to strengthen their scientific collaboration strategies in the field of environmental health by promoting interdisciplinary research implemented within the framework of the "One Health" and/or "Planetary Health". These chairs will focus on better understanding the interdependence between animal health, human health, and the environment – including work - as well as addressing and analyzing the governance of health risks that threaten the sustainability of human civilization, the environment, and the planet.

Through this "Epidemiology and Modeling for One Health" chair, the successful candidate will develop a research program focusing on studying the links between environmental contamination and disruptions caused by human activity, work, and their consequences on health. The covered themes may be varied, such as chemicals (including endocrine disruptors, pesticides, air quality), and/or noise, microbiological contamination, biodiversity loss, ecosystem modifications, environmental changes, and integrating the perspective of climate change.

The research program may focus on different areas of health, including reproductive health, respiratory and infectious health, or the evolution of chronic diseases throughout life.

This program will particularly aim to develop innovative approaches based on environmental epidemiology methods, including machine learning approaches, spatial analyses, or time series analyses. The use of environmental data from remote sensing or climate modeling, and occupational data, will be particularly relevant. The successful candidate will be encouraged to develop and validate their own environmental exposure models when relevant. They may also integrate other spatialized animal health and ecosystem data. They will be able to rely on cohort studies and health surveys available and implemented at IRSET, large cohorts, or those of the National Health Data System (SNDS). Thus, targeting periods of particular interest such as pregnancy or the conception period, early childhood, or working life, and being familiar with handling massive health data will be a plus.

The successful candidate will interact with different teams at IRSET, particularly with teams that all have strong expertise in environmental and human health data analysis, as well as with ANSES teams for animal-origin exposures, work, and methodological aspects of mathematical and statistical modeling.

The contract, with a duration of 4 years, comes with funding and a 3-year doctoral allocation.

Researcher Profile

• Emerging Researcher (with less than 4 years research experience after PhD)

Research Fields

• Medical/Veterinary Sciences

Main Activities

Conducting research activities including:

• Writing scientific articles
• Presenting at national and international scientific conferences
• Developing new research projects to submit for funding
• Supervising early-career researchers

Associated Activities

• It is expected that strong mutual interactions with the holder of the twin chair at Anses in animal health, statistical research, and modeling of associated diseases, will be initiated to build a unique program for an educational module on the One Health framework to be included in various teaching curricula in the region. The recruited person will also be asked to participate in the scientific animation activities of Irset and the host team, as well as to engage in an open science approach.
• It will be possible to participate in various teaching activities including epidemiology or environmental health.

Specific Requirements or Constraints

• NA

Skills/Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of environmental and/or occupational epidemiology
• Advanced knowledge in environmental and/or occupational health, and/or climate, enabling the formulation of innovative research hypotheses
• Knowledge and scientific interest in animal health and ecosystem health
• Proficiency in one or more statistical data processing and analysis tools (preferably R)
• Proficiency in geomatics tools (for example, ArcGIS)
• Experience in scientific writing and communication
• Reproducible and open science research practices

Required Experience

• 2 to 4 years
  At least 2 years of postdoctoral experience. Significant international experience is imperative.

Fields: Advanced epidemiological modeling, spatial statistics, and applying One Health and/or Planetary Health frameworks.

Required Education Level or Diploma

• PhD in Epidemiology, biostatistics, or similar.

Envisaged Start Date April 1, 2025 (mandatory)

Application

Applicants must send a detailed CV, including a list of published papers, and a cover letter detailing interest for the position to: Dr. Michel SAMSON | michel.samson@inserm.fr