Community-engaged research in Flood Hazards
Washington University in St. Louis – Geomorphology Group
Review of applications will begin October 31, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.
The WUSTL Geomorphology Lab is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to join an interdisciplinary team investigating links between flooding, environmental pathogen levels, and related intestinal infection risk in low-resource regions of the United States. starting January 2026 as part of a newly funded, multi-disciplinary project: “Predicting Flood-Related Health Threats in At-Risk U.S. Communities.”
This position will focus on integrating high-resolution field monitoring, remote sensing, and statistical and numerical modeling approaches to improve predictive flood hazard mapping. The postdoc will work as part of a larger, interdisciplinary research team to explore the connections between flood exposure, environmental pathogen prevalence, and human health.
- The successful candidate will lead efforts to:
- Design, deploy, and maintain environmental sensor stations, including quarterly travel for installation and servicing to flood prone regions in Illinois and Mississippi.
- Apply computer vision and machine learning approaches to integrate ground-based imagery, remote sensing data, and lidar data for high-resolution flood detection and mapping.
- Develop and calibrate hydraulic flood models for each study site, informed by sensor networks and image-based observations.
- Conduct cross-disciplinary geospatial analyses linking modeled flooding patterns with soil pathogen and participant data to investigate flood-related health risks.
The postdoc will join a cohort of graduate students and postdocs across Earth Science, Environmental Engineering, Data Science and Statistics, Microbiology, and Anthropology. Together, this team will conduct community-engaged research, integrating field measurements, remote sensing data, and modeling to address urgent challenges at the intersection of natural hazards, human health, and social equity.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Earth or Environmental Science, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Geography, Computer Science, or a related field at time of appointment.
- Demonstrated experience in computer vision/machine learning, remote sensing, development of environmental sensor networks, or flood model development.
- Strong quantitative and data analysis skills.
- Strong scientific writing and presentation skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team.
- Skills Development Opportunities
This position offers extensive training in:
- Interdisciplinary research collaboration, including mentoring from faculty members with expertise in anthropology, hydrology, microbiology, environmental engineering, and data science.
Advanced applications of computer vision techniques for high-resolution flood monitoring and modeling. - Community-engaged research methodologies.
- Grant writing and research development.
- Mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
- Access to professional development opportunities through WashU’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. More information on being a postdoc at WashU can be found at: https://postdoc.wustl.edu/prospective-postdocs/.
Application Materials
Please submit the following materials through the WashU application portal
- Cover letter detailing research interests, relevant experience, and description of how this position fits your career goals (maximum 2 pages)
- Current CV
- Contact information for three professional references