Post-doctoral Fellow- Pathologist at CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International)

THE ROLE:

The Post-doctoral fellow will work closely with a research group (team) as well as relevant stakeholders in planning and conducting basic and applied research targeted at developing an integrated pest management approach (IPM) for crop pathogens and pests of interest to CABI and its regional stakeholders with the general aim of improving plant health.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Take a lead in managing project activities related to the management of plant health problems in Plantwise plus focal countries;
• Perform diagnosis of plant diseases and develop/implement a plant pathology program for their management;
• Conduct surveys to identify pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses of emerging pests and vectors of plant disease, and laboratory and field trials to establish their potential role in control strategies as a component of an IPM approach;
• Test novel commercial and locally available low-risk plant protection products for their effectiveness and explore options for their wider use by small-holder farmers to manage plant health problems;
• Contribute to documenting an evidence base on the impacts of priority pests and diseases on crop productivity, food security and livelihoods in the region;
• Contribute to building capacity of partners through the identification and co-supervision or mentoring of graduate students on specific research topics in the field of pathology;
• Publish research outcomes in peer-reviewed journals, as well as contribute to the dissemination of research findings to stakeholders through presentations, media and other outreach materials;
• Contribute to proposal development to secure funding in the field of crop and insect pathology;
• Collaborate with other scientists, contributing broad-based skills in entomology, crop and insect pathology, experimental design, and statistical analysis;
• Any other duties as may be required from time to time in support of the Plantwise programme.

ABOUT YOU:

• PhD in crop protection (pathology/entomology) from a recognised university, with a good understanding of plant–pest–natural enemy interactions and plant/arthropod pathology at both basic and applied levels;
• Applicants will be expected to have been awarded or defended their PhD theses not more than 5 years;
• Good track record of research demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications in renowned journals;
• Demonstrated oral and written English communication skills.
• Experience in coordinating research projects and farmer field outreach activities on novel IPM technologies
• Ability to design and run scientific experiments in the laboratory and screen house settings, and conduct field experiments involving crop pests and diseases and their naturally occurring biological agents;
• Good knowledge of a wide range of emerging crop pests and diseases and their impacts to crops, humans and the environment;
• Experience of biological control with natural enemies of pests including parasitoids, predators and pathogens and IPM in general;
• Proficiency in use of statistical tools and other related statistical software.
• Ability to diagnose plant disease problems and determine appropriate course of action for their management
• Ability to supervise and mentor technical staff and students and demonstrate leadership skills;
• An effective, innovative, and energetic team player;
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary, multi-institutional and multicultural environment;
• Eager to learn new techniques and work with minimal supervision;
• Commitment to pursuing a research career in Africa, and engaging policy makers and the public in their research work.