The Surasinghe Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Bridgewater State University, Massachusetts, is recruiting for two funded opportunities in quantitative urban wildlife ecology: a Postdoctoral Research Associate and an M.S. Graduate Assistantship.
Both positions will contribute to the NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases project “Eco-social dynamics of tick-borne pathogens along urbanization gradients: establishment, spillover, and management.”
The broader project, led by Dr. Maria Diuk-Wasser at Columbia University, investigates how urbanization, wildlife communities, tick populations, and human activities interact to shape tick-borne disease risk. The Bridgewater State University component focuses on mammal and bird communities across the Greater Boston urbanization gradient. Research will integrate trail cameras, passive acoustic recorders, bird point counts, small-mammal surveys, tick sampling, environmental covariates, GIS, and quantitative ecological models. Project collaborators include researchers at Columbia University, Boston University, Tufts University, and the Universities of Sussex and Bath.
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Quantitative Wildlife Ecology
The postdoctoral researcher will lead the project’s quantitative wildlife ecology component and examine how urbanization influences mammal and bird occurrence, abundance, density, habitat use, community structure, and species interactions.
The position will involve coordinating seasonal wildlife fieldwork across multiple Greater Boston sites; managing data from trail cameras, passive acoustic recorders, bird surveys, and environmental datasets; coordinating small-mammal surveys and tick collections; developing single- and multi-species occupancy models, multi-season and multi-scale models, distance-based density models, and time-to-event and space-to-event models as appropriate; and applying frequentist and Bayesian approaches to evaluate wildlife responses and species interactions across urbanization gradients.
The postdoctoral researcher will also help develop and validate AI-assisted workflows for processing camera-trap images and bioacoustic recordings, mentor M.S. and undergraduate researchers, and lead or contribute to manuscripts, conference presentations, and collaborative grant proposals.
Required qualifications include a Ph.D. in wildlife biology, landscape ecology, quantitative ecology, or a closely related field; demonstrated experience modeling wildlife occurrence, abundance, density, species distributions, or community patterns; strong statistical programming skills in R; ecological field research experience; and evidence of research productivity through peer-reviewed publications.
Preferred qualifications include experience with camera-trap or passive acoustic study design and analysis, occupancy modeling, distance sampling, TTE/STE models, Bayesian and frequentist modeling frameworks, AI-assisted processing of camera or bioacoustic data, GIS, landscape ecology, geospatial analysis, small-mammal trapping, bird mist-netting, biosafety, tick ecology, or host–vector surveillance.
This is a full-time, grant-funded position. The initial appointment is for one year and may be renewed annually for up to five years, contingent on continued funding and satisfactory performance. The preferred start date is January 2027.
To apply, visit:
https://jobs.bridgew.edu/postings/33045
Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references. Review of applications will begin in mid-August 2026 and continue until the position is filled.
M.S. Graduate Assistantship in Urban Wildlife Ecology
The M.S. student will develop an independent thesis examining how mammals and birds respond to urbanization, with potential emphasis on wildlife occurrence, habitat use, community composition, seasonal dynamics, or landscape associations across urban green spaces.
The student will work closely with Dr. Surasinghe and the project postdoctoral researcher while developing skills in wildlife monitoring, GIS, R, ecological modeling, reproducible research, and scientific communication.
The assistantship is expected to begin in January 2027 and provides two years of support through December 2028, contingent on admission, satisfactory academic progress, and continued funding.
To apply, email a single PDF containing a statement of interest, CV, unofficial transcripts, and contact information for two or three references. Review of applications will begin in early October 2026 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.
Contact
Dr. Thilina D. Surasinghe
Professor of Wildlife Biology
Department of Biological Sciences
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA
tsurasinghe@bridgew.edu