Careers

Description:

Position Title: Research Assistant (RA) 
Quarter(s): Summer or Fall Quarter 2026  
Supervising Faculty: Magali Blanco; https://www.deohs.washington.edu/faculty/magali-blanco 
Start Date:  June 21, 2026   
End Date: The position is expected to continue through Summer or Fall Quarter, with possibility of extension based on funding availability and performance. Summer appointment may be hourly or salaried based on student registration. 

Application Deadline: June 21, 2026 

Estimated Weekly Hours: 20hrs (50% FTE) 

About the Lab  
The Blanco lab (www.deohs.washington.edu/faculty/magali-blanco) in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington has an outstanding opportunity for a Research Assistant to join their team. Dr. Blanco’s lab applies quantitative, data-driven methods in environmental epidemiology to investigate the health effects of environmental exposures. Current research focuses on air pollution, heat, and pesticides, examining community exposures and health outcomes. 

Position Description   
The graduate research assistant will support environmental health research focused on evaluating air quality and associated health risks in communities near the Seattle–Tacoma (Sea-Tac) Airport. Prior work has included a risk assessments of aviation-related air pollution and its effects on nearby populations. Responsibilities include refining and documenting existing analytical workflows in R, managing and integrating multiple environmental and population health datasets, and supporting the development of a methods-focused manuscript describing the project’s analytical approach.    

Position duties 

• Clean, update, and document existing R code for data processing, integration, and analysis (candidate must be highly proficient and comfortable working with existing code) 
• Work with diverse datasets, including: air pollution field measurements, AERMOD air dispersion model outputs, U.S. Census and demographic data, Spatial/GIS datasets, CDC WONDER mortality data 
• Assist with quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) of environmental exposure and health data 
• Perform statistical and spatial analyses, including data visualization and exploratory modeling 
• Prepare a methods manuscript detailing the study design, exposure assessment, and analytical approach, including development of tables and figures 
• Participate in regular lab meetings and provide updates on research progress 

Skills/Eligibility:

Required Qualifications 

• Currently enrolled graduate student (MS or PhD) with training in public health, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, biostatistics, or related field 
• Strong proficiency in R programming, including experience working with and modifying complex code 
• Experience with spatial analysis and GIS tools in R (e.g., sf, tidycensus) 
• Experience working with multiple data types and large datasets 
• Strong written communication skills 
• Experience with version control (e.g., Git/GitHub) 
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills 
• Coursework in epidemiology and/or biostatistics 
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail 
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively 

Preferred Qualifications 

Experience managing and analyzing environmental exposure or health datasets, including air pollution data, dispersion modeling (e.g., AERMOD), environmental monitoring data, Census data, CDC WONDER, etc. 
Knowledge of environmental epidemiology and health risk/impact assessment methods 
Experience contributing to scientific manuscripts, particularly methods-focused papers 
 

Eligibility 

Must be a current graduate student and registered for at least 10 credits during the quarter of employment. 

Salary and Terms of Employment (Summer Quarter): 

Summer portion of the position with be either an hourly Graduate Research Student Assistant (GRSA) or a salaried Research Assistant (RA) based on student registration. 
Students taking less than 2 credits over the summer will be paid hourly based on the UW GRSA Salary Chart. This position type may be eligible for benefits depending on hours worked.  
Students taking 2 credits over the summer will be hired as a salaried Research Assistants (RA) and paid a stipend that varies depending on graduate level as indicated on the UW RA Salary Chart. This 50% FTE Research Assistantship will pay a stipend at Schedule 1 salary rate, and include tuition and health benefits. 
This job classification is governed by a negotiated labor contract and is subject to union shop provisions. 
Salary and Terms of Employment (Autumn Quarter): 

Research Assistants are required to register for a minimum of 10 credits in autumn quarter. 
Starting autumn quarter, this 50% FTE Research Assistantship will pay a stipend at Schedule 1 salary rate, and include tuition and health benefits. 
Starting autumn quarter 2026, the operating fee (including tuition) will be paid by the department. However, the successful applicant will be responsible for paying any additional student fees. 
Graduate Appointee accident/sickness insurance will be provided. 
This job classification is governed by a negotiated labor contract and is subject to union shop provisions. 

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit: a brief statement of interest (1 page) describing research experience and fit with this project; CV or resume; unofficial transcript; 1-2 writing and/or coding samples (e.g., course paper, report, manuscript, R code demonstrating data anlaysis workflow); and the names and contact of two professional references. Please send materials and inquiries to Dr. Magali Blanco at magali@uw.edu with subject line "RA Application - [Your Name]". 

More Information about This Position: This job classification is governed by a negotiated labor contract and is subject to union shop provisions. For more information about union shop provisions, visit:

http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/jobs/apl/union-info.html

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Access Statement: The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at least ten days in advance at: 206.543.6450/V, 206.685.7264 (FAX), or dso@uw.edu.