CV
William Ryan Easterday
EDUCATION
Nov. 2011 Doctor Philos, Biology
Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway
May 2003 Bachelor of Science, Zoology, pre-health professional
Dept. of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
CURRENT AND PREVIOUS POSITIONS
2024- 2026 Senior Advisor in Research and Internationalization
Norwegian Veterinary Institute
Advising in research from proposal development to project management for Norwegian aquaculture and livestock development, health and welfare (NRC, FFL/JA, FHF, etc.). This includes collaboration agreements and contracts, material transfer, data management and publishing. Involved in developing institutional strategy for research and innovation for NVI.
2020-2022 Researcher: Primary Investigator
Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo
Led in grant writing, project design, recruiting collaborators, negotiating budget for SARS CoV-2 research. Hiring, and managing staff, writing REC applications, SOPs for work with SARS CoV-2. Coordinating sample collection and processing. Developing new methods for single virus sequencing on PacBio. Arranging and coordinating meetings, writing and managing budgets. Project advisement for colleagues and students.
2019-2020 Advisor in Research, Innovation and Funding (pre-award)
Section for Research and Innovation, University of South-Eastern Norway
Led in developing processes for large, complex project applications. Advising on strategy, identifying and recruiting key partners and organizations. Critical review, technical and persuasive writing, layout and graphic design for grant applications. Planning and leading internal competence building workshops. Awards management for USN’s stipend mobility grants: creating calls, coordinating with legal and accounting sections. Assessing and analyzing PhD programs at the University.
2009-2020 Assistant Researcher (2009-2012), Post-Doc Researcher (2012-2018), guest researcher (2018-2020, 2022-current)
Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Norway
Conducting and managing research on tick-borne disease, anthrax and plague including pathogen detection, typing and pathogenesis, host immunology and genomics. Grant writing, national policy advising on gene drives (CRISPR), supervising, recruiting and placing students. Developed research tools for genomics/metadata. Developed risk mitigation strategies while working with pathogens. Extensive fieldwork in remote, challenging locations in Africa and Asia.
2008 - 2009 Brucellosis Research Technician
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Bozeman, MT, USA
Planned and conducted brucellosis surveillance in elk in the Greater Yellowstone Area, performed necropsies, collected blood and other biological specimens from wildlife (deer, elk, grizzly bear, etc.). Liaison to ranchers, hunters and other stakeholders concerning wildlife/livestock disease management. Extensive fieldwork in extreme conditions.
2007 - 2008 Senior Researcher
Bridger Technologies Inc., Bozeman, MT, USA
Collaborated in developing a novel pathogen-detection instrument, managing molecular biology lab, purchasing equipment, basic molecular biology including cloning, DNA extraction, designing DNA capture/detection assays. Networking, planning research projects for new applications.
2002 -2006 Research Specialist
Keim Genetics Lab, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
Plague (Yersinia pestis) surveillance fieldwork, capturing fleas, GIS mapping. Small animal necropsies, high-throughput screening of fleas, pathogen genetics, leading forensic work and developing molecular tools for the FBI and CIA on the Amerithrax case (2001 anthrax letters), supervising and teaching students/technicians. Visiting scientist to Kazakhstan through Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
2001 Fisheries Research Summer Intern
Arizona Game and Fish Dept., Tucson, AZ, USA
Stream ecology fieldwork, electro-shocking fish, conducting fish surveys (including surveys for endangered species) communicating with public, kayaking in remote areas.
FUNDED GRANTS
2020 COVID-19 Emergency Call for Proposals: Collaborative and Knowledge-building Projects for the Fight Against Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). “COVIDOSE: Determining infectious dose for SARS-CoV-2 and assessing contact/proximity risk” (awarded) Primary Investigator
2018 U.S. National Science Foundation (call: Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases) “Transmission and evolution of a persistent pathogen: linking within-host and environment dynamics comparing two natural systems” (awarded) work-package leader
2015 Norwegian Research Council (Miljøforsk): EcoTick (A. Mysterud) Land use, climate and tick-borne diseases in dynamic multi-host ecosystems: estimated risk and experienced fear (awarded) work package leader
2013 Molecular Life Sciences (MLS) PhD student. Evolution of the host immunity and immune responses to plague (Yersinia pestis) – a case study of the great gerbils (awarded) supervisor
2012 European Science Foundation LESC Exploratory Workshop: “Plague and natural hosts- Evolutionary Interactions” (awarded) organizer
2012 European Research Council (call: SH6 Advanced Grant). “MedPlag - The medieval plagues: ecology, transmission modalities and routes of the infections” (awarded) participant
POPULAR SCIENCE
Present: Writing a book on evolution of group selection
2020 Various advising and commenting for news pieces concerning covid-19.
2017 “Nobody Dies in Longyearbyen” interview for short film; approx. 1 million views.
See:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyrjDpkX6nA
2017 Advisor to Norwegian Biotechnology Council on use of gene drives; see: www.bioteknologiradet.no/filarkiv/2017/02/Gen-drivere.pdf
2015 Interview for National FFA, USA; listen: https://www.podbean.com/media/player/xumyv-56c8b0