We are searching for a post-doctoral researcher to join the MD Anderson Center for Integrated Systems for Patient-Reported Data (INSPiRED) Cancer Care. The Center is located within the Section of Patient-Centered Analytics. The mission of the Center is to enhance cancer care and research by engineering, implementing, and evaluating new strategies to collect, analyze, and report patient data. The Center aims to solve two related problems. Firstly, that patient reported-outcomes are useful but are not routinely used in cancer care; and secondly, that the quality of insights available from patient-reported data could be dramatically improved by leveraging modern technologies, including psychometrics and machine learning.

The successful applicant will focus on research to enhance the assessment of patient symptoms. Our research has shown that assessing patient symptoms during routine care can improve patient quality of life, reduce the negative effects of cancer therapy, and extend survival. However, methods for assessing and reporting this data are outdated.

We are searching for applicants who have a Doctoral degree in which they have gained demonstrable experience in psychometrics, machine learning, biostatistics or epidemiology. Applicants will be comfortable working with code-based statistical tools (e.g., R, MPlus, SAS, STATA). Successful applicants will be given training on data science and statistics using R and have access to one-to-one supervision will be available for technical aspects of work as support for early-career planning and strategy building.

The successful applicant will have the opportunities to apply both technical and problem-solving skills to create new data-driven discoveries and to see their work benefitting patients at the United States of America’s leading cancer center. Strong priority will be given to applicants who have a clear passion for creating solutions to improve the lives of cancer patients using data science and other computational technologies.


ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Research Activity
• Data analysis (preferably with R, Python; training provided).
• Data preparation, cleaning, and manipulation.
• Self-directed learning.
• Expert knowledge and nascent evidence of publication in either biostatistics, psychometrics, computational social science, or machine learning.
• Developing proposals for grant-funded research.
• Developing research protocols and IRB submissions.
• Present results in departmental meetings.
• Engage with collaborators at MD Anderson and around the world.
• Present work at international and national meetings.
• Lead the preparation, submission, and revision of manuscripts for publication.

2. Interpersonal Skills, Communication, Learning Skills
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Experience of working collaboratively on data science projects.
• Good problem-solving abilities.

3. Other
• Maintaining databases derived from electronic health records.




Stipend support will follow the NIH NRSA level for the appropriate PGY.



For further information, you should contact Birute Ziemiene ([email protected]).