Postdoctoral Fellow in Spatial Epidemiology

Opportunities:

• The Socio-Spatial Determinants of Health (SSDH) Lab seeks 1-2 full-time postdoctoral fellows starting in the summer of 2025 (negotiable). The lab, under the direction of Dr. Kosuke Tamura, is housed in the Division of Intramural Research at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH.
• We invite candidates broadly interested in the social and environmental epidemiology of cardiovascular health risks such as physical activity, sedentary behaviors, diet, mental health, and health outcomes such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
• Dr. Tamura has an extensive work history applying geospatial methods (geographic information systems and global positioning systems) to investigate exposures related to neighborhood contexts and health behaviors, focusing on neighborhood social and built (physical) environments.

Benefits:

• A postdoctoral fellow will assist with study design and implementation, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.
• The fellow will work on secondary data analysis projects.
• The fellow will be expected to initiate their research questions related to neighborhood health and health disparities.
• The fellow will receive multidisciplinary training and mentorship at NIH and will be expected to develop and submit a K-series or similar grant proposal during the fellowship.
• The fellow is highly encouraged to apply for internal funding mechanisms and will be encouraged to participate in grant-writing courses and training.
• There will be the opportunity to participate in journal clubs, in-person speaker series, and webinar series.
• The fellow's primary responsibility will be to conduct research that aligns with the interests of the Lab.

Duration:

• This is a full-time, 2-3 year appointment with year-to-year renewal based on satisfactory performance and availability of funds.

• Ph.D. in epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral science, and population science from an accredited college or university, with no more than five years of relevant research experience since receipt of most recent doctoral degree.
• Pre-docs who have completed all coursework and are in the final year of their Ph.D. program will also be considered.
• Candidates must have earned a Ph.D. within the previous five years in epidemiology, biostatistics, psychology, social or behavioral science, geography, kinesiology, or related fields.
• Candidates should have a strong interest in health disparities and neighborhood health research in minority groups, excellent oral and written communication skills, a strong ability to work independently and collaboratively, a strong publication record, strong statistical analytic skills (including but not limited to multi-level modeling, longitudinal analysis, mediation analysis), and experience with geographic information systems and ecological momentary assessments via a smartphone app.
• Experience with human research subjects would be a plus.
• Experience with statistical analysis software (e.g., R, SAS, Stata, or Mplus) is required, as well as experience analyzing nationally representative studies.

Selection for this position will be based solely on merit, with no discrimination for non-merit reasons such as race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, age, or membership or non-membership in an employee organization. The NIH encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.