The Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB, http://dceg.cancer.gov/reb, Chief, Dr. Martha Linet), a component of NCI’s intramural Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), is recruiting a statistician to develop an independent research program focusing on development of statistical models that incorporate dose uncertainties, that provide cancer risk projections for low-dose exposures, that can be used to estimate radiation-induced lifetime risks, that quantify the effect of key modifiers on radiation-related cancer risks, or that provide mathematical formulations of biological models for radiation carcinogenesis.
Current REB research includes studies of late effects of radiological diagnostic examinations, radiotherapy, occupational exposures, or nuclear fallout from above-ground tests, military sources (Japanese atomic bomb survivors) or radiation accidents (Chernobyl). REB is also evaluating late health effects of new radiation technologies in medicine including the estimation of doses, extremely low-frequency and radio-frequency electromagnetic field exposures, and ultraviolet radiation. In addition, REB studies are examining gene-radiation interaction in studies of breast and thyroid cancer, etiologic and genetic studies (including genome-wide association studies) of brain tumors and thyroid cancer, and the development of various strategies for reconstructing historical radiation doses of medical radiation workers and populations exposed to environmental, military, and accidental sources of radiation exposure. Challenges for the statistician include modeling the excess relative and absolute risk as a function of dose, evaluating the modifying effects of dose-rate and type of radiation, addressing effects on risk estimates of uncertainties from complex dosimetry systems, developing appropriate analytic approaches for special study designs, identifying and describing gene-environment interaction, and developing strategies to identify true associations in genome-wide scans for disease-producing genetic variants.
REB investigators are encouraged to collaborate with scientists in other parts of the DCEG, including members of the Biostatistics Branch and the Human Genetics Program. Candidates must have a doctorate in biostatistics, statistics, mathematics or a related discipline (with additional post-doctoral experience in statistics). They must have at least two years of post-doctoral research experience and an established record of publications that demonstrates their ability to apply cutting edge, appropriate statistical models and analyze and interpret data from radiation epidemiology studies. They should also have knowledge of and demonstrated capacity to apply state-of-the-art statistical and epidemiologic methods in at least one of the following areas of research: risk assessment, measurement (dosimetry) errors, genetic susceptibility in relation to radiation carcinogenesis, or mechanisms of radiation carcinogenesis. Collaboration with epidemiologists, dosimetrists, health or medical physicists, radiologists, and laboratory investigators is central to the success of our research.
Candidates must document the strong verbal and written communication skills that will be required to write effective research papers, present work at scientific meetings, and convey information clearly to staff, collaborators, consultants and contractors. Candidates must also be sufficiently experienced to function independently, both in the development of their own research efforts and in the mentoring and supervision of less experienced investigators. Appropriate office space and resources will be provided.
Salary is competitive and commensurate with research experience and accomplishments, and a full Civil Service package of benefits (including retirement, health insurance, life insurance, and a thrift savings plan) is available. Candidates may be eligible for the NIH Loan Repayment Program (http://www.LRP.NIH.gov). This position is not restricted to U.S. citizens. Interested individuals should send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, brief summary of research interests, experience and future plans, copies of no more than 5 selected publications and three letters of reference to:
Ms. Judy Schwadron
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Cancer Institute
6120 Executive Blvd., Room EPS 8073
Rockville, MD 20852-7242
Email: schwadrj@mail.nih.gov
The closing date of the advertisement is April 15, 2011. A completed package of your application is required in order to be considered for this position.
DHHS and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers.
