Department of Epidemiology

Opportunities:

1)            certified medical/professional coder :  The Quality Measurement and Health Assessment Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking a full time employee who is a certified medical/professional coder.  This full time employee will provide expertise on ICD-9, ICD-10, and HCPCS (CP-4) coding systems in the development of clinical quality measures. Experience in billing for a physician office and/or experience/knowledge of the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) is desirable. The employee will work at CMS Headquarters in Baltimore, MD. The salary range for this position is $74,872 – $97,333.

To apply online please go to http://usajobs.gov.  In the “What: (keywords)” search field enter the following job announcement number: HHS-CM-CSQ-2010-0036. This will bring you to the job announcement and application for this position. The direct link to the announcement is: http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=87381799&JobTitle=Health+Insurance+Specialist&q=hhs-cm-csq-2010-0036&where=&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&x=0&y=0&AVSDM=2010-04-09+09%3a57%3a00 .

2)            Postdoc opportunity National Cancer Institute -  conducting research and evaluation studies in the area of the Science of Team Science.  This field encompasses both conceptual and methodological strategies aimed at understanding and enhancing the processes and outcomes of large-scale collaborative research programs.  Candidates will have a doctoral degree in any field/discipline, and with varying areas of expertise (e.g. qualitative and/or qualitative research)  Candidates will be interviewed on a rolling basis, until the position is filled.

Potential candidates should feel free to contact the team leader with any questions: Dr. Kara Hall, hallka@mail.nih.gov

3)            Project Coordinator, HIV Incidence Surveillance (Research Scientist III), California State Office of AIDS, Sacramento

HIV incidence surveillance is designed to estimate rates of new HIV infections in specific California demographic groups and geographic regions.  Incidence information is an integrated part of HIV/AIDS case surveillance providing critical information to guide prevention planning.  This position coordinates the incidence project for all California jurisdictions outside of LA and SF which receive independent funding for incidence surveillance.  The California incidence project is federally funded and is one of 25 sites across the nation applying the CDC incidence surveillance protocol.  For more information on this position, please see http://jobs.spb.ca.gov/wvpos/more_info.cfm?recno=423258.

4)            Coordinator and Lead Writer for California’s integrated HIV/AIDS Epidemiologic Profile (Research Scientist II), California State Office of AIDS, Sacramento

This position will lead a team of analysts and writers to produce regular updates of California’s integrated HIV/AIDS epidemiologic profile.  This report provides a detailed description of the current HIV/AIDS epidemic within various populations in the state.  The profile is prepared using guidelines from the CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and draws from a wide variety of California data sources.  California’s latest profile was published in February, 2010 (report found at http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/aids/Documents/EPIProfile.pdf), and covers the period 2001-2005 with a 2007 update.   For more information on this position, please see http://jobs.spb.ca.gov/wvpos/more_info.cfm?recno=425389.

5)         URC is applying for the next round of Data Quality Audits (DQA) for the Global Fund. In earlier rounds, URC has completed DQAs in China, Indonesia, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. We are looking for consultants who can undertake the assignments (about 2 weeks in the country and another 1-2 weeks for data analysis / report writing back home, total 3-4 weeks) during May through July 2010. In some cases the country visit could be pushed to the next couple of months, depending on when the initial data for site sampling is received. The countries are:

 Country and Disease Component:

Ethiopia (HIV)

Uganda (Malaria)

Central African Republic (HIV)

We are still looking for potential consultants (for the above listed countries). Recent doctoral / master’s graduates, junior faculty, or anyone with significant experience in data analysis / monitoring and evaluation and the relevant disease / international experience could qualify. Since this is an independent (external) audit, candidates currently working with the country government or its collaborative institutions could have a potential conflict of interest, but I would be glad to evaluate this with the interested individual. If URC is selected for the DQA in a particular country, the consultant receives a daily rate in line with his/her current rate. All travel costs and per diem are provided for the field visit.

We would need the following documents from interested individuals:

 1. CV.  Please highlight your experience in monitoring & evaluation, data analysis, infectious diseases, countries and language skills.

 2. Signed letter of commitment, to be sent by return email as pdf / scan. Please leave country / disease component field blank unless you wish to be considered only for a specific country / disease.

 3. Biodata sheet – please contact below for materials.

We hope to finalize the applications by the end of this week. I would be happy to answer any questions.

Pankaj Sadaphal MD DrPH
Sr. Technical Advisor, Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases
University Research Co., LLC
7200 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 600
Bethesda, MD 20814-4811
Tel No. 301-941-8537
Fax No. 301-941-8427
Email: psadaphal@urc-chs.com
URC-CHS Website: http://urc-chs.com

6)         Post-doctoral fellowship at Yale:

Position:  A postdoctoral fellowship is available in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine. This position is supported by a training program funded by the National Institute on Mental Health.

The scope of this position includes statistical and epidemiological research to understand mental health disorders as well as other diseases. Relevant areas of interest of the candidates include statistics, genetic epidemiology, genomics and bioinformatics, and psychiatric epidemiology. The successful candidate will join one of the longest active training programs in the methodology training for mental health research. This program involves a large group of multidisciplinary, senior faculty in biostatistics, epidemiology, genetics, psychiatry, and psychology. The candidate will have great flexibility to choose his or her own research projects in the stated areas matched with appropriate and close mentorship.

Qualifications:  Applicants should have a doctoral degree in biostatistics, epidemiology, or a related field, such as psychology, sociology, and psychiatry. The candidate must be a US citizen or permanent resident. Strong computational and communication skills are essential.

Interested applicants should: send their curriculum vitae and at least two reference letters to: Dr. Heping Zhang, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8034. Email: Heping.Zhang@yale.edu.
http://publichealth.yale.edu/positions/postdoc_406.html

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and affirmatively seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons of diverse backgrounds. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

7)         Data Analyst – bioinformatician / statistician / mathematician

The Division for Internal Medicine IV at the University Hospital of Freiburg, Germany, is looking to hire a DATA ANALYST (bioinformatician / statistician / mathematician / computer scientist) as soon as possible. The position is currently limited to a duration of three years, but will likely be extended. Payment follows the German state tarif and is commensurate with experience, benefits are included.

The University of Freiburg, founded in 1457, is selected by the German government as one of nine German “Excellence Universities“. The Division of Internal Medicine IV is a research-oriented division with a focus on research related to kidney disease. Collaborations with many national and international partners exist.

Freiburg is one of Germany’s most beautiful cities with a large international student body. The historic city is located on the brink of the Black Forest, and 30 minutes by car to both Switzerland and France.

Primary duties:

•           Project work related to the identification of genetic and non-genetic risk factors for kidney diseases as part of a government-funded research grant (running through 2015)

o          Application of methods to analyze very large datasets, for example from genome-wide association studies

o          Acquistion of methods for the statistical analysis of data from high-throughput genome sequencing

•           Participation in the planning of epidemiological studies and the development of study protocols

•           Participation in the preparation of research grants and publications

Qualifications:

         Masters or PhD in statistics, bioinformatics, mathematics, or computer sciences

         Good knowledge in applied statistics, data analysis, programming and data management

         Must be proficient in R or Perl, have advanced knowledge in working in Linux environment

         Knowledge of a conventional statistical package such as SAS or Stata

         Good knowledge of English (spoken and written), German helpful but not necessary

         Must like interdisciplinary work in a research team (locally and internationally)

We can offer you a job in an interdisciplinary work environment, working with medical doctors, basic scientists, epidemiologists, and statisticians. There are multiple opportunities for continuing education. Ideally, candidates should already be authorized to work in Germany. Travel to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, is possible and desired, in order to collaborate with US colleagues.

Please send your application, including a CV detailing your experience in applied statistics and programming, by May 05, 2010, to the address below: 

Anna Kottgen, MD MPH

Klinik für Innere Medizin IV

Universitaetsklinikum Freiburg

Hugstetter Str. 55

79106 Freiburg

E-mail: anna.koettgen@uniklinik-freiburg.de

(Tel.: +49 761 270-7805)

8)         Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) Post-Doctoral Fellowship with an

Emphasis on the Science of Team Science: Evaluating and Supporting Transdisciplinary Research and Collaboration

National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the largest Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is pleased to invite applications from qualified candidates for a one to five year post-doctoral position in the science of team science, including projects to evaluate and support transdisciplinary research and collaboration. This is a full-time position within the Behavioral Research Program (BRP) of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) of NCI and will be based in the Rockville, Maryland office. The position will allow the applicant to interact with a large number of leading scientists from a broad array of fields such as, medicine, basic sciences, psychology, epidemiology, public health, nursing, social work, sociology, and information sciences at the NCI, the NIH and at institutions around the country.

Position Description:

The fellow will be an integral member of the Science of Team Science team in BRP. The overall goal of the team is to carry out research, evaluation, dissemination and other activities that will enhance the understanding and management of team science initiatives. Team science initiatives supported by the BRP include grant programs in areas such as tobacco use, energetics, health communication, and health disparities. The recipient of this award will lead and assist in various ongoing and future team science related projects. Projects may include:

• Conduct of innovative research studies designed to advance the field of the science of team science, such as: o Longitudinal studies of the impacts of various grant mechanisms (e.g., P50 centers, R01 projects) on the research productivity, levels of transdisciplinary integration, collaboration and impact. Comparisons will be made between matched groups at the individual, project, and/or initiative levels

o Innovative research studies examining research impacts by integrating quantitative methods (e.g., bibliometric analyses), qualitative approaches (e.g., Delphi survey) and visualization techniques (e.g., science mapping, network analyses)

o Studies linking comprehensive bibliometric and other outcomes to longitudinal survey data to explore relationships between collaborative antecedent and process factors and research productivity of the centers

• Development of tools and strategies for facilitating and supporting the evaluation and conduct of team science, such as: o The expansion of a website and related dynamic databases designed to facilitate the implementation and evaluation of team science endeavors to enhance the capacity for collaborative partners to work together effectively toward resolving our most pressing environmental, social and public health problems

o Development of new tools, metrics and research designs for studying team science

• Development and dissemination of products that showcase the research findings, lessons learned and other team work, such as: o Manuscripts reporting results from ongoing research projects

o Scientific presentations at professional meetings, NIH-wide conferences, and NCI Research Centers retreats

Qualifications:

Ph.D. or equivalent degree in relevant areas such as, network/system science, scientometrics, bioinformatics, program evaluation social epidemiology, health communications, health policy, behavioral and preventive medicine and psychology is desired. The candidate should have a strong interest in applying multiple research methods within the context of investigating/evaluating team science initiatives.

Candidates must have familiarity with a broad array of social science research methods and demonstrate understanding of qualitative methods as well as quantitative methodology. Knowledge and expertise in one or more of the following techniques is preferred, but not required: network analysis, bibliometric analysis, science mapping, and longitudinal data analysis. Knowledge and experience in evaluation is desirable, though training in this area will be supported. Strong interpersonal skills are required as this team works in a highly collaborative manner. The candidate must be a self-starter who is comfortable taking initiative and who can play a major role in helping to develop new projects and bring multiple ongoing projects to completion.

In order to qualify for the position, the candidate must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien. A candidate with an I-551 stamp in their passport can also qualify since this is temporary verification of permanent residency status pending issuance of the green card. Individuals with “Employment Authorization” documents (EADs) do not meet eligibility criteria.

Stipend/Benefits:

This position is a one-year full-time Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) position is anticipated to start Summer/Fall 2010. There is a possibility for yearly renewals. Stipend is commensurate with relevant work experience and education. The stipend range is $44,600 to $69,200, depending on education and experience. Health benefits are available. Some flexibility in work hours will be allowed. Participation in conferences and continued training in relevant areas is encouraged and supported.

Application Information:

Please send inquiries or application materials by hallka@mail.nih.gov. For applications, include the following: electronic mail only directly to Kara L. Hall, Ph.D. at

 Cover e-mail message/letter and contact information with an explanation of your interest and experience in conducting related research and how the CRTA fellowship will further your career goals. Please indicate your earliest possible start date.

 Curriculum Vitae or Résumé

 Writing Sample

 Two letters of reference from supervisors or professors signed and on letterhead with email addresses and phone numbers included. If signed letters are unavailable electronically, an initial unsigned version is acceptable with the remainder of the application packet; however, a signed copy must follow by mail to the address below.

 Graduate transcripts. If an official transcript is unavailable electronically, an unofficial transcript is acceptable with the remainder of the application packet; however, an official transcript must follow by mail to the address below.

 Mailing address: NCI, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Behavioral Research Program, Office of the Associate Director, ATTN: Kara L. Hall, 6130 Executive Blvd, Room 4078, MSC 7326, Bethesda, MD 20892-7326.

See the following web sites for presentations given at the Science of Team Science conference sponsored by NCI in October, 2006 (http://dccps.nci.nih.gov/BRP/presentations_day1.html) and for additional information about the NCI Science of Team Science team (http://dccps.nci.nih.gov/BRP/scienceteam/index.html).

Selection for this position will be based solely on merit, with no discrimination for non-merit reasons such as race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability. NIH is an equal opportunity employer.