Université
de Montréal
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Fellowship
(2014-2017)
Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Disease
Support for the Development of an HIV Vaccine
The development of a vaccine that prevents HIV infection is a crucial step to ending the HIV pandemic. The low-level efficacy of the HIV vaccine discovered in the RV144 trial suggests that a more efficacious preventive HIV vaccine is possible. Follow-up research has therefore sought to develop improved vaccines with greater magnitude and durability of vaccine efficacy. Building on the RV144 trial outcome, two preventive HIV vaccine efficacy trials (HVTN 701 and HVTN 702) of multiple HIV vaccine regimens are set to take place in the Republic of South Africa. An important objective of these trials is the assessment of immune correlates of risk and protection, including sieve analysis of HIV sequences.
We are searching for a candidate:
(1) To develop a stochastic individual-based model to simulate sexual behaviour and the risk of HIV acquisition for a cohort of sexually active HIV-uninfected men and women in the high HIV prevalence setting of South Africa;
(2) To investigate the potential impact of heterogeneity in risk and protection introduced by specific immune correlates on the observed efficacy of the trials and on the immune-correlates analysis and sieve analysis of HIV sequences obtained in the trials.
The research will be conducted with a multi-disciplinary team and a partnership of Canadian, South African, and U.S. bio-quantitative scientists experienced in mathematical modelling and methodologies for assessing immune correlates of risk and protection as well as sieve analysis.
Fellowship Terms
The fellowship is available starting September 2014 for candidates with a Master's or PhD degree. The chosen candidate will need to enrol in the PhD or postdoctoral program in Public Health, Epidemiology option, at the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal. The annual stipend is $20,000 Canadian per year (for 2 years) for the doctoral fellowship or $25,000 to $30,000 per year (for 2 years) for the postdoctoral fellowship. The doctoral fellowship includes tuition reimbursement costs of up to $7000 per year for 2 years. Either fellowship includes a travel award for two research trips to South Africa and the USA.
Candidate Profile
We are looking for a candidate with a Master's or PhD degree with a strong background in Applied Mathematics and excellent skills in the programming of dynamic systems. Candidates should have a strong interest in pursuing a career in mathematical epidemiology of infectious diseases. In the past decade, public health officials have increasingly relied on mathematical modelling to provide insight in the prevention of infectious disease and the control of epidemics. This is a rapidly emerging field of research in need of good candidates in quantitative methods.
Candidates should have completed a program in Health Sciences or Pure and Applied Sciences (i.e. Bioinformatics, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Computer Sciences, or Engineering).
Application Process
Send CV, a letter of presentation and motivation (maximum 2 pages), and recent transcripts, preferably by email, to Benoît Mâsse, PhD, at bmasse.urca@gmail.com.
Benoît Mâsse, PhD
Director, Applied Clinical Research Unit
CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre
3175 Côte Saint Catherine
Montreal, QC
H3T 1C5