Research Associate

at  Western University

ABOUT WESTERN

With an international reputation for success, Western ranks as one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western also provides an exceptional employment experience, offering competitive salaries, a wide range of employment opportunities and one of Canada’s most beautiful campuses.

ABOUT US

The Robarts Research Institute within the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University has made its mission to accelerate medical discovery. Through a powerful integration of basic and clinical research, we are driving major advances that impact on many of today’s most devastating diseases.
To be leaders in the advancement of biomedical knowledge and its clinical application for the betterment of human health.

Education:

• Post-graduate degree in epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, or equivalent, PhD preferred

Experience:

• Minimum of two years of experiences in research analysis or a combination of education and experienc

Skills, Abilities & Expertise:

• Experience with statistical programming and packaging, including big data and statistical analysis using SAS, STATA, GIS and/or R.
• Experience with big data and linked databases on national and administrative platforms.
• Strong understanding of quantitative research methods, including advanced regression models, longitudinal data analysis and causal inference.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team setting.
• Ability to multi-task and work accurately in a fast-paced environment with strict deadlines.
• Strong interest in chronic disease research and population health epidemiology.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of relevant scientific/research principles
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one’s own unit
• Communication skills to describe technical concepts effectively to both novice and sophisticated users, and to complete detailed analytics and reports
• Advanced skills in software and applications used to produce and analyze research outcomes
• Ability to provide solutions and ideas for improvement by using imaginative approaches where constructive thinking and innovation are required
• Detail-oriented with an ability to function and process information with high levels of accuracy- Familiarity with University research policies and practices
• Ability to adhere to legislated safety requirements and Western safety policies
• Commitment to ongoing professional development with a desire to take on new challenges
• Ability to multi-task and maintain an organized and effective personal work environment
• Ability to work in a fluid and evolving work environment with changing deadlines and priorities
• Ability to work independently and maintain direction and focus through proactive planning and organized approaches to work
• Proven ability and natural inclination to develop relationships by interacting with people in a professional, respectful and diplomatic manner
• Ability to work independently and effectively as a member of the team to achieve department goals
• Demonstrated ability to research/investigate issues and resolve problem

The Research Associate will contribute to the research and educational activities of the Dementia Prevention Initiative (DPI) by providing high-level methodological support and statistical consulting to the team. The DPI is a collaboration between interdisciplinary researchers from five faculties at Western, five provinces and four countries will set out to investigate factors associated with dementia prevention.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the PIs, designs research objectives, plans research activities and creates data analysis plan for the entire DPI portfolio nationwide.
• Conduct structured systematic reviews, including article screening and data abstraction, in the epidemiology and burden of illness of dementia and stroke-related conditions both nationally and globally.
• Develop novel statistical approaches and machine-learning techniques to address multifaceted research questions that can be applied across various study populations.
• Communicate technical challenges of data planning and analysis to the research team to facilitate problem-solving on a daily basis.
• Conduct all aspects of data analysis required for the study including data management, dataset preparation and statistical analysis across multiple datasets simultaneously.
• Design and perform complex statistical models that can be applied to large population and administrative linked datasets.
• Process chronic disease index coding in administrative datasets to facilitate data linkage and data analysis with other large databases.
• Create and update syntax files, including data dictionaries and archive protocols, for analysis and recommend appropriate statistical software for task completion.
• Communicate effectively with study investigators to discuss research progress and present statistical findings of analyses.
• Prepare technical reports and manuscripts that consolidate complex information into concise written and visual reports.

Qualifications

Education:

• Post-graduate degree in epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, or equivalent, PhD preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum of two years of experiences in research analysis or a combination of education and experience

Skills, Abilities & Expertise:

• Experience with statistical programming and packaging, including big data and statistical analysis using SAS, STATA, GIS and/or R.
• Experience with big data and linked databases on national and administrative platforms.
• Strong understanding of quantitative research methods, including advanced regression models, longitudinal data analysis and causal inference.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team setting.
• Ability to multi-task and work accurately in a fast-paced environment with strict deadlines.
• Strong interest in chronic disease research and population health epidemiology.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of relevant scientific/research principles
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one’s own unit
• Communication skills to describe technical concepts effectively to both novice and sophisticated users, and to complete detailed analytics and reports
• Advanced skills in software and applications used to produce and analyze research outcomes
• Ability to provide solutions and ideas for improvement by using imaginative approaches where constructive thinking and innovation are required
• Detail-oriented with an ability to function and process information with high levels of accuracy- Familiarity with University research policies and practices
• Ability to adhere to legislated safety requirements and Western safety policies
• Commitment to ongoing professional development with a desire to take on new challenges
• Ability to multi-task and maintain an organized and effective personal work environment
• Ability to work in a fluid and evolving work environment with changing deadlines and priorities
• Ability to work independently and maintain direction and focus through proactive planning and organized approaches to work
• Proven ability and natural inclination to develop relationships by interacting with people in a professional, respectful and diplomatic manner
• Ability to work independently and effectively as a member of the team to achieve department goals
• Demonstrated ability to research/investigate issues and resolve problems