Careers

Description:

IHME has an excellent opportunity for a Researcher to join the Environmental Risk Factors team on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study. The GBD is a systematic, scientific effort to quantify the comparative magnitude of health loss due to diseases, injuries, and risk factors by age, sex, and geography over time, and is the largest and most comprehensive effort to date to measure epidemiological levels and trends worldwide. The Environmental Risk Factors team is responsible for estimating exposure and health loss due to air pollution, water and sanitation, temperature, lead, radon, and occupational risk factors.

IHME researchers analyze and produce key estimates for their assigned research team and will assess all available quantitative data – from surveys, vital registration, censuses, literature, registries, and administrative records. Using established modeling tools and through creation of novel code, researchers incorporate all relevant data to produce the most up-to-date and scientifically credible results. Researchers working on risk factors provide comprehensive assessments of the magnitude of exposure, relative risk, and attributable burden of disease. You will be integrally involved in producing, critiquing, improving, and disseminating results. You already have a command of epidemiology, statistics, disease modeling, or related interests, and we will help you develop an understanding of our core research and methodology. Our researchers work with senior research leads and external collaborators and take part in the intellectual exchange about how to improve upon and disseminate the results.

You are expected to interact successfully with a wide range of partners and to describe complex concepts and materials concisely. Overall, researchers are critical members of agile, dynamic research teams. This position is contingent on project funding availability.

Responsibilities:

• Develop a core understanding of environmental risk factor methodology and its components.
• Under the guidance of experienced scientist and/or faculty, carry out quantitative analyses and statistical modeling to produce results designated on a given timeline as part of collaborative research projects.
• Extract data from various sources and databases. Format, transform, review, and assess data sources to determine their relevance and utility for ongoing analysis. Understand key data sources and variations in these across and within countries.
• Review, assess, and improve results and methods.
• Apply computational and statistical tools and algorithms for the preprocessing, analysis, and visualization of source data.
• Document code and analytic approaches systematically so that analyses can be replicated by other team members.
• Lead discussion in research meetings about results and analyses to vet, improve, and finalize results.
• Contribute to creation of presentations, manuscripts, and funding proposals. Co-author paper(s).
• Maintain scientific awareness and intellectual agility with data, methods, and analytic techniques.
• Other duties as assigned that fall within reasonable scope of research team.

• REQUIREMENTS
  
  
• Master’s degree in environmental health, public health, epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, math, economics, quantitative social sciences, or related discipline plus 1 year related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  
  Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
  
  Additional Requirements:
• Proven interest in environmental risk factors and the related data sources and scientific underpinnings.
• Strong analytic, critical thinking, and quantitative skills.
• Working ability with R programming language.
• Ability to professionally and effectively communicate and work with other staff at all levels in order to achieve team goals for the analyses and related outputs.
• Results- and detail-oriented individual who can initiate and complete tasks under tight deadlines and changing priorities both independently and in a team environment. Flexibility with hours and workload is key.
  
  
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with a team.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Commitment to contributing to a positive team culture.
• A long-term interest in a research scientist position contributing to the overall mission of our research.

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.