Project: Social networks as a trade-off between optimal
decision-making, information transmission and reduced disease transmission
Hiring Organization: USIAS - University of Strasbourg
Institute for Advanced Study
Supervisors: Cédric Sueur and Andrew MacIntosh
Date Posted:
2013-01-02
Position
Description: full-time Post-doctoral researcher position (24 months) to investigate
the mechanisms underlying information and disease transmission in nonhuman
primates. The successful candidate is expected to spend a considerable amount
of time observing and conducting behavioural experiments on groups of Japanese
macaques in Japan and modelling artificial social networks in order to elucidate
how the structure of the social network can influence the speed of information and
disease transmission.
Qualifications/Experience:
Required: we invite
applications from researchers holding (or expecting to obtain prior to August
2013) a PhD in Biology/Anthropology with a strong expertise in SNA, primate
behaviour and/or disease transmission. Previous experience analyzing
behavioural and diffusion/social data will be highly advantageous. Applicants
should be proficient in written and spoken English, have excellent social
skills, and be able to work both independently and in a large,
interdisciplinary team.
Beneficial: Modelling, field work experience, basic
knowledge of French and Japanese
Salary/funding:
The salary will be
in accordance with French national regulations for post-doctoral researchers
and amounts to ca. 3996euros per month (gross, i.e. ca. 2200euros net basic
salary).
Support provided
for positions:
One national and
one international Congress per year, 1 return Airfare France-Japan
Term of Appointment:
The initial
appointment will be for 2 years and will begin on 1 August/September 2013.
Application
Deadline:
1 April 2013
Comments:
Applications
consisting of a cover letter stating research experience and interests, a
detailed curriculum vitae, and the names and e-mail addresses of two referees
can be sent electronically to Dr. Cédric Sueur, cedric.sueur@iphc.cnrs.fr.
Contact Information:
Cédric Sueur
Website:
Cédric Sueur
(leader of social network analysis and modelling): http://www.iphc.cnrs.fr/-Cedric-Sueur-.html
Andrew MacIntosh: http://www.cicasp.pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/people/andrew-macintosh
E-mail Address:
Ethologie Evolutive; Département d'Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie; Institut
Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien; 23, rue Becquerel f-67087
Strasbourg Cedex France
Summary of the
Project
Although living in
groups has many advantages, it also involves certain disadvantages such as
increased disease transmission and the need to make collective decisions. In
theory, the social network properties optimizing decision accuracy and the
spreading of information should also increase the disease transmission rate,
creating a trade-off between decision-making efficiency and infection risk. We
aim to explore this trade-off by examining social network properties and
investigating how they might interact to maximize decision accuracy and
minimize infection risk. We propose an evaluation of this trade-off in
non-human primates using both experimental and theoretical approaches.
The project is
innovative and multidisciplinary because it compares information versus disease
transmission and combines observation and experimentation with modelling. Our
approach is designed to highlight mechanisms underlying decision accuracy and
disease transmission, with social networks reflecting a trade-off between these
variables. In particular, although information and disease flow networks have
been independently studied before, this study aims to directly investigate the
costs and benefits of social networks for a specific optimization of this
trade-off in diverse species groups. This work thus extends previous pioneer
projects into revolutionary new areas.