Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota
Application
Details
Posted: 15-Nov-24
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Type: Full Time
Required Education:
Doctorate
Internal Number: 365526
The Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Public Health, at the University of Minnesota has an opening for a non-tenure track (contract) faculty position at the rank of assistant professor, who will be responsible for teaching graduate-level courses in our MS, PhD, and MPH programs, and collaborating with biomedical investigators in the health sciences as a member of the Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center (BDAC) of the University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Applicants must have a PhD in biostatistics, statistics, or a closely related field, by the start of appointment and a strong interest in collaborative research with biomedical investigators across the health sciences. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, a successful candidate will be expected to play a crucial role in translational team science, obtain external funding through collaborative grant applications, provide guidance to master-level statisticians in the BDAC, and provide service to the CTSI through protocol review and consulting. The candidate will also be expected to pursue data-driven statistical methods research (e.g. innovative design and analysis methods motivated by collaborative randomized clinical trials and observational studies), advise graduate students in the Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, and serve on division and school level committees. The relative balance between teaching and collaborative research will be negotiated based on the interest of the candidate and needs of the division and BDAC.
We are strongly committed to recruiting, mentoring, and retaining faculty with a diversity of experiences and support the advancement of the School of Public Health’s Strategic Plan for Antiracism (https://www.sph.umn.edu/about/diversity-inclusion/strategy-planning/). We recognize that scholars from historically disadvantaged groups may not have had the same access to opportunities and may have faced substantial barriers on their academic journey, and hence we are committed to carrying out a holistic evaluation of all applicants for the position. Individuals who have experienced such barriers are encouraged to discuss them in their application materials.
The Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science (https://www.sph.umn.edu/academics/divisions/biostatistics/) currently includes 36 faculty members and 61 staff. Faculty regularly publish in the top methodological journals across all major research areas, including causal inference, clinical trials, statistical genetics and bioinformatics including genomics and proteomics, analysis of spatial and longitudinal data, biomedical imaging, survival analysis, meta-analysis and data synthesis, and mobile health. Division faculty are active in a wide range of collaborative research projects including high-profile studies of cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, dentistry and periodontology, psychiatry/psychology, transplantation, chronic and neurodegenerative diseases, and tobacco control. The Division’s Coordinating Centers for Biometric Research (CCBR;https://ccbr.biostat.umn.edu/) is considered a field leader in infectious disease clinical trial coordination and has been instrumental in designing and executing seminal vaccine and treatment trials in HIV/AIDS, Ebola, influenza, and COVID-19. Division faculty also have leadership roles in major cross-disciplinary initiatives, including BDAC of the CTSI and the Biostatistics Core of the Masonic Cancer Center (https://ctsi.umn.edu/services/statistical-support/biostatistical-support), the Analytics Core of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (https://midb.umn.edu/research/analytics), the Innovative Methods in Data Science Program (https://med.umn.edu/clhss/activities/imds) and RapidEval Program (https://med.umn.edu/clhss/activities/rapideval) in the Center for Learning Health Systems Sciences, and the Genomics Data Commons (https://www.sph.umn.edu/research/centers/genomic-data-commons/).
The Division offers MS and PhD degrees in Biostatistics and a MPH in Public Health Data Science, with a current enrollment of 164 graduate students (70 Doctoral, 94 Masters). Students come to our programs from top undergraduate and graduate institutions across the U.S. and around the world, attracted by the quality of our faculty, a reasonable student-faculty ratio, our dedication to student success, and the modest cost of living in the Twin Cities. Division students regularly win prestigious student paper awards at top national and international conferences; approximately half pursue careers in academia, and half choose paths in private industry and government.
The Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is enhancing the way research is conducted to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. To do this, CTSI provides a comprehensive infrastructure of research services, training, grants, tools, and more. CTSI is part of the prestigious Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, which aims to get interventions to patients and populations more quickly and enable research teams to tackle system-wide problems in clinical and translational research.
The University of Minnesota is a top-ranked public research university, known for its vibrant academic community and strong support for interdisciplinary research. The Division is located on the Twin Cities campus, which straddles the Mississippi River and is centrally located in Minneapolis. Campus is served by plentiful public transportation, including a light rail line stop across the street from Division offices. On-campus parking is also readily available on a contract or daily fee basis. With a population of over 3 million, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul offer all the usual amenities of a major metropolitan area; one notable highlight is the urban parks system, which has frequently been ranked #1 in the nation. Livable neighborhoods are diverse, widespread, and many are within easy reach of campus. Housing prices remain moderate compared to other similarly sized metro areas. The salary range for these positions is very competitive, and fringe benefits are excellent. The University of Minnesota is committed to supporting a healthy work-life balance and offers a range of resources to help faculty succeed both professionally and personally.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, current curriculum vitae, and the names of at least three references online at https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/365526. In their cover letter (maximum of 3 single spaced pages), applicants should address their research and teaching interests and are also encouraged to comment on how they can contribute to a diverse and inclusive environment in the Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science. In addition, candidates should request that a letter of recommendation from each of the three references be sent to biostats@umn.edu. Please reference Job ID: 365526. Other questions regarding this position can be directed to this same address. Applications received on or before December 9, 2024 will be given first consideration for an interview; however, we will continue to accept applications until the position is filled.
Applicants must have a PhD in biostatistics, statistics, or a closely related field, by the start of appointment and a strong interest in collaborative research with biomedical investigators across the health sciences. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, a successful candidate will be expected to play a crucial role in translational team science, obtain external funding through collaborative grant applications, provide guidance to master-level statisticians in the BDAC, and provide service to the CTSI through protocol review and consulting. The candidate will also be expected to pursue data-driven statistical methods research (e.g. innovative design and analysis methods motivated by collaborative randomized clinical trials and observational studies), advise graduate students in the Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, and serve on division and school level committees. The relative balance between teaching and collaborative research will be negotiated based on the interest of the candidate and needs of the division and BDAC.
About Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota
The Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science (www.sph.umn.edu/biostatistics) currently includes 36 faculty members and 60 staff. Faculty regularly publish in the top methodological journals across all major research areas, including causal inference, clinical trials, statistical genetics and bioinformatics including genomics and proteomics, analysis of spatial and longitudinal data, biomedical imaging, survival analysis, meta-analysis and data synthesis, and mobile health. Division faculty are active in a wide range of collaborative research projects including high-profile studies of cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, dentistry and periodontology, psychiatry/psychology, transplantation, chronic and neurodegenerative diseases, and tobacco control. The Division’s Coordinating Center for Biometric Research (CCBR; http://ccbr.biostat.umn.edu/) is considered a field leader in infectious disease clinical trial coordination and has been instrumental in designing and executing seminal vaccine and treatment trials in HIV/AIDS, Ebola, influenza, and COVID-19. Division faculty also have leadership roles in major collaborative initiatives, including the Biostatistica...l Design and Analysis Center (BDAC) of the Clinical & Translational Science Institute and the Biostatistics Core of the Masonic Cancer Center (https://ctsi.umn.edu/services/statistical-support/biostatistical-support), the Analytics Core of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (https://midb.umn.edu/research/analytics), the Innovative Methods in Data Science Program (https://med.umn.edu/clhss/activities/imds) and RapidEval Program (https://med.umn.edu/clhss/activities/rapideval) in the Center for Learning Health Systems Sciences, and the Genomics Data Commons (https://www.sph.umn.edu/research/centers/genomic-data-commons/).
The Division offers MS and PhD degrees in Biostatistics and a MPH in Public Health Data Science, with a current enrollment of 132 graduate students (60 Doctoral, 72 Masters). Students come to our programs from top undergraduate and graduate institutions across the U.S. and around the world, attracted by the quality of our faculty, a reasonable student-faculty ratio, our dedication to student success, and the modest cost of living in the Twin Cities. Division students regularly win prestigious student paper awards at top national and international conferences; approximately half pursue careers in academia, and half choose paths in private industry and government.
Founded in 1991, the Masonic Cancer Center (MCC) received National Cancer Institute designation in 1998, one of only 53 institutions in the United States and two in Minnesota to hold that designation. It is part of the health sciences at the University of Minnesota, which includes the U of M Medical School, the School of Dentistry, Nursing , and Public Health, and the Colleges of Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine. MCC's research partners include the University's Stem Cell Institute, Center for Immunology, Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Clinical and Translational Science Center, and Physical Sciences in Oncology Center. MCC's clinical research partners include the University of Minnesota Medical Center and the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.
The Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center (BDAC) provides statistical and data management support, from study design to final analysis and publication of results. The MCC Biostatistics Core is integrated into BDAC and the two domains work together as an integrated team. The MCC Biostatistics Core currently consists of 8 faculty from the Division of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health and 6 Research Staff biostatisticians at both the MS and Ph.D. level.
The Division is located on the main University of Minnesota campus, which straddles the Mississippi River and is centrally located in Minneapolis. Campus is served by plentiful public transportation, including a light rail line stop across the street from Division offices. On-campus parking is also readily available on a contract or daily fee basis. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul offer all the usual amenities of a major metropolitan area; one notable highlight is the urban parks system, which has frequently been ranked #1 in the nation. Livable neighborhoods are diverse and widespread, and housing prices remain moderate compared to other similarly sized metro areas.