USDA-ARS SCINet/AI-COE Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computational Analysis of Viral Disease Progression and Outcomes in Swine

About the role

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Virus and Prion Research Unit at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa offers a postdoctoral research opportunity through the ARS SCINet/Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence Research Participation Program. The program aims to develop and apply new technologies, including AI and machine learning (ML), to solve complex agricultural problems that require high‑performance computing (HPC) and interdisciplinary collaboration. Fellows will work on identifying predictors and facilitators of immune protection against highly virulent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses (PRRSVs) that have caused high morbidity and mortality in U.S. swine herds. Research involves analyzing bulk and single‑cell transcriptomics datasets from blood and disease‑affected tissues, developing predictive models of disease outcomes, and generating biomarkers, cell populations, or immune processes for revised immunomodulatory strategies. Training will be provided in data science, scientific computing, AI/ML, and related topics as needed. Additional funds are available for supplies and travel essential to the fellow’s research. The appointment is full‑time, with a targeted start date between December 2026 and May 2027, an initial length of one year (renewable for a second year upon mentor and ARS recommendation), and participants will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation; health insurance can be obtained through ORISE. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE, or the program administrator and receive no employment‑related benefits. The mentor for this opportunity is Jayne Wiarda (jayne.wiarda@usda.gov), Research Microbiologist at the National Animal Disease Center.

Responsibilities

• Apply computational methods to identify predictors and facilitators of immune protection against highly virulent PRRSV strains.
• Analyze bulk and single‑cell RNA sequencing transcriptomics datasets from blood and disease‑affected tissues alongside clinical readouts and laboratory assay measures.
• Develop a training model to predict PRRSV disease outcomes in field‑collected samples from pigs infected with unknown PRRSV strains.
• Present a portfolio of biomarkers, cell populations, and/or immune processes to target for revised immunomodulatory design strategies.
• Collaborate with a scientific team advancing virology, immunology, and computational biology research to protect U.S. swine herds from viral disease threats.
• Engage with swine industry stakeholders, including practicing swine veterinarians, pork producers, and veterinary biologics industry members.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in a relevant field.
• U.S. citizenship only.

Preferred Skills

• Awareness of the biological relevancy of and applications for developed computational models and workflows.
• Experience analyzing host/eukaryote RNA sequencing data.
• Experience with predictive modeling of long‑term outcomes from early disease biomarker data.
• Ability to write and execute scripts in shell environments and with R and/or Python.
• Experience developing, testing, and refining machine learning models.
• Experience developing HPC workflows.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to function as a teammate in a collaborative research environment.
• Willingness to learn skills and obtain new knowledge.

Benefits

• Monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
• Supplement to offset health and dental insurance costs.
• Funds available to help offset relocation costs, if applicable.
• Funds available for travel to present research.
• Additional funds for supplies essential to the fellow’s research.
• Training in data science, scientific computing, AI/ML, and related topics.
• Opportunities for additional training, communication of findings, and professional networking.
• Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE (proof required).

Pay

The participant stipend ranges from $100,000 to $110,000 per year, plus a supplement to offset health and dental insurance costs.

Schedule

Full‑time appointment.