Postdoctoral Scholar in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention

at  The University of Calgary

Description
Area: Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention
Duration: 2 years with the possibility of extension
Start Date: August 2024 (timeline negotiable)
Salary: Minimum of $70,000 CAD per annum plus Plan C Health Benefits
The Department of Community Health Sciences and Oncology in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention within Cancer Care Alberta is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Postdoctoral Scholar will be supervised by Dr. Miranda Fidler-Benaoudia and take direction from the team of an awarded grant from Alberta Health’s Cancer Research for Screening and Prevention (CRSP) funding program. The successful candidate will bring to fruition a project seeking to understand how cancer prevention can be harnessed for cancer control among adolescents and young adults. To do this, the Postdoctoral Scholar will (1) co-design and conduct a comprehensive lifetime assessment of potential risk factors, and (2) survey Albertan youths about their knowledge and beliefs of established cancer risk factors, as well as signs and symptoms of cancer and existing primary and secondary cancer prevention strategies. Additional projects using the Alberta AYA Cancer Survivor Study (ayacancerAB.com) will be developed based upon the successful candidate’s interests, where primarily administrative health databases and registry data will be utilized.

Independent judgment, attention to detail, timeliness, ability to learn new methods and strong problem-solving skills will be essential in performing the job duties. Specific required skills include:

• Executing and managing all assigned phases of the CRSP-funded project
• Detailed study management and documentation
• Manipulating large and complex datasets, an asset
• Conducting data quality checks and logging corrections
• Conducting basic and advanced statistical analyses in Stata, SAS and/or R, and documenting data analysis steps
• Preparing written summaries of data analyses including figures and tables, as needed for scientific papers
• Leading the writing and preparation of manuscripts for publication
• Assisting in the development of grant applications
• Assisting in the preparation of recruitment and data collection materials for research projects
• Working in a diverse team
• In-scope supervision of other staff members and/or trainees

As part of ongoing development, the Postdoctoral Scholar will also have access to seminars, research forums, journal clubs, invited speakers and visiting scholars, and will have the opportunity for further education and training in epidemiology and data science as needed. Application to postdoctoral scholarships will be expected. National and international conference attendance will be supported.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• PhD degree, completed within the last 3 years, in Epidemiology, Public Health or Biostatistics;
• Established peer-reviewed publication record
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
  Preference will be given to candidates with two or more years’ experience in a research setting, knowledge of oncology, and/or experience using administrative health databases or REDCap.

• Executing and managing all assigned phases of the CRSP-funded project
• Detailed study management and documentation
• Manipulating large and complex datasets, an asset
• Conducting data quality checks and logging corrections
• Conducting basic and advanced statistical analyses in Stata, SAS and/or R, and documenting data analysis steps
• Preparing written summaries of data analyses including figures and tables, as needed for scientific papers
• Leading the writing and preparation of manuscripts for publication
• Assisting in the development of grant applications
• Assisting in the preparation of recruitment and data collection materials for research projects
• Working in a diverse team
• In-scope supervision of other staff members and/or trainee