164750 Professor in Ecological Disease Modelling

Professor in Ecological Disease Modelling
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

The University seeks to appoint a professor to the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences to commence as soon as possible.

Information on the department can be found at: https://www.sund.ku.dk/.

Job description
This professorship aims to reinforce the University’s preparedness for national, regional and global infectious disease challenges, with a particular focus on decision support for prevention and control strategies for infectious diseases. The aim of the professorship is to enhance research, contingency planning capabilities, support public-sector consultancy, and drive innovation in ecological disease modelling, applied veterinary epidemiology and disease control, where ecology is understood as “the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.”

The successful candidate will lead research activities contributing directly to the veterinary contingency planning in the DK-VET consortium. Key focus areas include epidemiological modelling of disease transmission dynamics, particularly avian influenza, with special emphasis on wildlife-livestock spillover dynamics.

The work is highly interdisciplinary, facilitating collaboration with a broad range of other research areas such as virology and vectorborne disease modelling. It should be carried out in close collaboration with the Danish veterinary authorities, and relevant national and international institutions.

The candidate is expected to lead a research group conducting epidemiological modelling of avian influenza transmission, including spillover from wildlife to livestock. Other infectious diseases relevant for the position include bluetongue virus and mastitis in dairy cattle.

There should be a strong focus on integrating available data sources, including real-time surveillance data, with a range of epidemiological methods for timely analyses to support decision making. The work will include utilisation of real-time surveillance data and register data from a wide range of sources to strengthen disease vigilance for the epidemic preparedness.

The professor’s responsibilities will primarily consist of:

• Research, including publication/academic dissemination
• Research-based teaching, including associated examination
• Research leadership, including guidance and supervision of researchers
• Obligation to share knowledge with the rest of society, including participation in public debate
• Academic assessments
• Research-based public-sector consultancy
• Leading and carrying out innovative research within the field of applied veterinary epidemiology, with focus on avian influenza, utilizing available data and known and novel methods for supporting decision makers.
• Securing funding for establishing research programs on the above-listed research topics, and leading multidisciplinary research.

The position is based in Frederiksberg, Denmark, where the successful applicant will be working in the Section for Animal Health and Welfare, at the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. The position is nested in the research group Epidemiology and Disease Control, where 12 persons with different research backgrounds work. The working environment is informal, inclusive and collaborative.

Required qualifications
To be qualified for a professor position, you will be assessed according to these six overall criteria for recognising merit at the University of Copenhagen: Research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding, and leadership. Find information about each criterion.

Furthermore, each applicant must be able to document:

• A high degree of original academic production at an international level, including considerable contributions to the development of the academic discipline.
• Experience with management of research and other management functions, e.g. engaging in the university’s external academic activities, as well as knowledge and technology transfer
• Experience with Research-based teaching
• Extensive experience with obtaining and managing external funding for research
• Extensive experience with development of epidemiological models to analyse disease dynamics and control.
• Collaboration with authorities relevant for public-sector consultancy, with integration of research output.
• A broad familiarity with general statistical principles and particular experience with simulation modelling.
• A high level of experience in epidemiological analyses.

The professor is also required to possess good interpersonal and communication skills and skills to work across disciplines. Due to the necessity of collaboration with the national veterinary authorities and the industry, the candidate is expected to speak Danish within 1-2 years.

Desired qualifications
Additionally, the qualifications listed below will be an advantage for the applicant:

• Experience in modelling of veterinary infectious diseases, such as bluetongue virus in cattle.
• A proven track record of teaching disease simulation and development of relevant teaching material.
• Capability to build collaboration with the veterinary authorities, industry, and relevant stakeholders, both nationally and internationally.
• Teaching and supervision experience in modelling on PhD level.

Terms of employment
The position is a permanent position.

The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

Salary and other terms and conditions of appointment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant professional organisations.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information, please contact Professor Søren Saxmose Nielsen [e-mail saxmose@sund.ku.dk].

Foreign applicants may find the university’s International Staff Mobility useful.

Application
The application must be submitted in English and must include the following documents:

• Application (Including motivation for applying for this position (Maximum 2 pages))
• Curriculum vitae (Including information about external funding)
• Diplomas (Master’s, PhD and other relevant certificates)
• A complete list of publications
• Research plan (3‐5 pages)
• Uploads of maximum 10 publications to be considered in the assessment
• Teaching plan
• Teaching portfolio (Guidelines)

Application procedure
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointments Committee.  All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The Dean then appoints an expert assessment committee in order to make an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee and each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself. You can read about the recruitment process at the university's Job Portal.

Please note that the applicant will be contacted if the assessment committee requires further documentation.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position.

Please submit the application with the required attachments. Only online applications will be accepted. The closing date for applications is 23.59 p.m. CET, 19 October 2025.

Interviews for this position are likely to be held on 9 March 2026.