Job Description

This opportunity to join the Department of Pediatrics at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons within the Pediatric Heart Center at the rank of a Postdoctoral Research Scientist is an exciting one. Columbia University Irving Medical Center, one of the nation?s foremost academic health science centers. The Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is the top in comparison with other pediatrics department in the NY region in NIH research funding.

The labs in Biomedical Engineering and Pediatrics have an opening for a joint postdoctoral position studying the role of soft tissue mechanics in cardiovascular development using the developing zebrafish embryo. The broader goals of the project are to understand how molecular and genetic controls of cell behaviors and extracellular matrix deposition regulate proper morphogenesis and function of the cardiac outflow tract. An experimental background in soft tissue biomechanics is preferred but not required. The position will provide an excellent opportunity to gain expertise in developmental and molecular biology, including experience with zebrafish, a powerful model system for studying the mechanics of morphogenesis and the underlying basis of congenital birth defects.

For this full-time position, we seek a person with strong data analytic and communication skills to join our team in the assessment of national claims data, clinical registry data, and electronic health records (EHR), to evaluate drivers of outcomes, value, and health inequities for children with congenital heart disease.

The position will support activities on funded research grants aimed at assessing drivers of healthcare outcomes, value, and equity.  

The person would be responsible for collaborating with Principal Investigator (PI) and other team members to link and analyze large registry and claims data.  We are looking for a person with experience and graduate training related to health economics, biostatistics/epidemiology, data science, and/or the financing of the United States health system. The ideal candidate will have had some experience working with health administrative/insurance claims data and other large datasets. Prior experience with the Department of Health or other training with large data will be viewed favorably.  While the position requires technical skills, we are particularly looking for a person passionate about for making the health system work more efficiently and effectively for children and in growing as a member of our team.  The person hired would participate in designing applied research and conducting related analyses.  Recent projects include assessing the effects of socioeconomic disparities on outcomes and resource utilization for children undergoing congenital heart surgery and examining the effects of surgeon age/experience on patient outcomes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working directly with the PI and team to design and implement new projects and to make sure analyses are useful, accurate, and clearly communicated.
• Merging, cleaning, documenting, and managing administrative and clinical registry-based datasets; analyzing data quality and integrity; identifying and solving data quality problems; coding and creating new variables; preparing analysis files; producing statistical summaries, charts and tables; and communicating results.
• Designing applied research and conducting related analyses
• No prior knowledge of pediatric heart disease is required, but a desire learn and to join a team aimed at improving quality and value of care for children with complex chronic conditions is a must. 
• Participate in developing research designs, analytic plans, and communicating results
• Develop programs, methodologies, and files for analyzing and presenting data
• Import and clean raw datasets and evaluate data quality
• Perform statistical analyses according to the study design (e.g., hierarchical modeling, survival analyses, weighted analyses, difference-in-difference, simulation, etc.)
• Accurately and appropriately interpret and communicate results
• Detect and address issues in data and analytic results
• Clearly communicate processes used and results achieved, and suggest new and alternative approaches
• Assist in writing and editing manuscripts for publication
• Cultivate deep familiarity with methodological approaches and data.

COMMITMENT OF DIVERSITY

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and Educator.  The University is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a diverse environment, and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. 

Columbia University welcomes applications from individuals who may have had nontraditional career paths, or who may have taken time off for family reasons (e.g. children, caring for disabled or elderly family), or who have achieved excellence in careers outside of academia (e.g., in professional or industry service).  The University is responsive to the needs of dual career couples and is committed to supporting the work-life balance of its faculty.  We are interested in candidates who have a record of success advising and mentoring individuals from groups underrepresented in higher education and is particularly interested in candidates who have research interests in subjects that will contribute to the understanding of diversity and equal opportunity.

• Must have a doctorate degree (M.D. or Ph.D.) in relevant field (economics, health policy, epidemiology, statistics, public health, data science, or a related quantitative area)
• Analytic skills
• Statistical analysis
• Economic valuation
• Ability to manage multiple projects at one time
• Strong verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in STATA, SAS, R, or other statistical programs

Salary range from $60,000 - $62,000 Annually. 

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University?s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training.  The above hiring range represents the University?s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

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