Postdoc - Examining the Spatio-Temporal Variability in Nutrient Contributions of Aquatic Foods

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology: Postdoc Positions: Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (postdoc)

Aquatic foods are essential for human nutrition worldwide, yet we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how their nutrient composition, availability, and consumption vary across space and time. Quantifying the spatio-temporal variability in their nutritional contributions-and integrating this knowledge into dietary assessments and future food security scenarios-is crucial for developing resilient, nutrition-sensitive food systems that can support global health in a rapidly changing world.

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher experienced in Marine Biogeochemistry, Data Science and/or Nutritional epidemiology to join an interdisciplinary project aiming to understand how the nutrient contributions of aquatic foods vary across space and time-globally and with a special focus on the Red Sea.

The successful candidate will be based within the Integrated Reef Fisheries Lab at KAUST, led by Professor Jessica Zamborain-Mason, and will have the opportunity to collaborate with a dynamic national and international network of leading scientists and practitioners, including Professors Christopher Golden (Harvard University), James Robinson (Lancaster University), and Christina Hicks (Lancaster University).

Responsibilities

• Examine the variability in nutrient content of aquatic foods across time and space (using global and regional datasets).
• Contribute to the design and implementation of a long-term monitoring program, including sampling aquatic foods for nutrient content.
• Conduct and analyze food intake surveys to assess the nutritional contribution of aquatic foods to local diets.
• Integrate results into forward-looking analyses of potential futures for food security and nutrition.

Qualifications

• PhD (completed or near completion) in a relevant discipline, such as marine biogeochemistry, data science, nutrition epidemiology, environmental science, or related fields.
• Strong quantitative and programming skills (e.g., R and other statistical and data science tools).
• Demonstrated ability to manage and analyze large, complex datasets.
• Interest in open interdisciplinary research at the intersection of marine science, nutrition, and sustainability.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset, with openness to working across disciplines and with diverse partners.
• Experience with fieldwork involving aquatic food sampling for nutrient analyses.
• Experience conducting dietary intake surveys.
• Familiarity with spatial and temporal modeling approaches.
• Strong publication record for career stage.
• Fluency in both Arabic and English is preferred.
• Willingness to travel across Saudi Arabia and engage with diverse stakeholders, including government, non government, industry partners, local communities, and academic collaborators.

Application Instructions

• CV
• Cover letter outlining research experience and motivation for this position (maximum of 2 pages)
• Contact details for at least two references
• Sample peer review publication relevant to this work