The newly established Center of Excellence for Multiscale Immune Systems Modeling (MISM) was founded to develop advanced computational frameworks for understanding infectious and immune-related diseases by integrating research across multiple biological scales. It serves as a national hub for collaborative modeling, training, and infrastructure development. The MISM currently has three postdoctoral associate positions available for individuals interested in developing computational models of the immune system. Applications will be reviewed in mid October on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. Please see the application links and additional details below: 

Postdoctoral Associate – Mathematical Modeling of Multiscale Viral Infection Dynamics 

• Posting: https://careers.duke.edu/job-invite/261183/ 

• Core Focus: Develop sophisticated computer models that simulate the spread of viruses (Epstein-Barr Virus and HIV-1) through human immune tissue, incorporating both individual cell behavior and population-level dynamics. 

• Key Responsibilities: Build agent-based models and mathematical equations to predict viral infection patterns using real experimental data from advanced lab-on-chip systems. 

• Technical Requirements: PhD in mathematics or computational biology, with strong programming skills and experience creating both microscopic cellular models and large-scale mathematical equations. 

• Collaborative Nature: Work directly with a team of 6+ researchers across multiple universities, including biologists who conduct experiments and mathematicians who develop theoretical frameworks. 

Postdoctoral Associate – Computational Modeling of Immune Response 

• Posting: https://careers.duke.edu/job-invite/261280/ 

• Core Focus: Develop mathematical models that describe how the immune system responds to viral infections, with a focus on using clinical assays to understand the timing and effectiveness of immune reactions. 

• Key Responsibilities: Develop differential equations, assimilate experimental data, and run computer simulations to investigate how various factors impact immune responses. 

• Technical Requirements: PhD in mathematics, physics, or engineering with strong skills in mathematical modeling, uncertainty quantification, and at least one programming language like Python or MATLAB. 

• Research Integration: Combine experimental data from laboratory studies with mathematical predictions to validate and improve model accuracy, preparing results for scientific publication. 

Postdoctoral Associate – Scientific Machine Learning for Multiscale Biological Systems 

• Posting: Duke University, Department of Mathematics  

• Core Focus: Use artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to automatically discover the mathematical rules governing viral infections by analyzing complex simulation data. 

• Key Responsibilities: Develop specialized neural networks (Physics-Informed and Biologically Informed) that can identify the most important biological mechanisms from massive datasets. 

• Technical Requirements: PhD in applied mathematics, statistics, or machine learning with expertise in deep learning frameworks and experience with differential equations. 

• Innovation Emphasis: Create new AI methods that can translate complex cellular simulations into simpler, interpretable mathematical models that biologists can easily understand and use for predictions.