Current Training Opportunities
Below is a list of some current training opportunities organized by DCEG branches. To learn about additional opportunities, please contact investigators directly.
See the Division Fellowship Information page for
an overview, qualifications, and application details.
Biostatistics Branch
Training in Methods for Epidemiology and Genetics Studies with Dr. Sholom Wacholder
Dr. Wacholder is looking for a postdoc who is interested in design and analysis of epidemiologic studies and who is comfortable with allowing applications to motivate methodologic research. Dr. Wacholder plays a key role on a number of exciting substantive projects. These include several genome-wide association, cohort, and case-control studies that address questions related to cancer prevention and etiology, clinical practice, and randomized trials. Each project raises methodologic questions that are challenging and important beyond the specific application. Solving these problems in a way that will improve the science can be fun, worthwhile, and professionally rewarding. In addition to strong quantitative skills, this position requires either knowledge of methods for epidemiologic or genetic association studies or solid statistical training. For more details on the opportunity, please contact Dr. Wacholder (wacholds@mail.nih.gov).
Clinical Genetics Branch
Training in the Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes of Childhood
http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/wais/bold032001.pl?A_02-C-0052.html@etiologic; http://marrowfailure.cancer.gov/
CGB is seeking a clinically-trained pediatric or medical hematology/oncology physician with research interests in the Inherited Bone Marrow Failure disorders, e.g., Fanconi anemia, dyskeratosis congenita, Diamond Blackfan anemia, Shwachman Diamond syndrome, Thrombocytopenia Absent Radii syndrome, etc., who desires a post-doctoral research opportunity which is focused on these rare conditions. The Branch is now more than 10 years into assembling and analyzing the world's largest cohort of affected families, systematically collecting demographic, medical, epidemiologic, genetic, and psychosocial/behavioral data plus carefully-annotated biospecimens, to support etiologically-oriented translational research. This includes the opportunity to learn the clinical phenotype of these diseases first-hand, participate in the evaluation of clinical research protocol participants, become involved in the analysis and publication of data derived from this cohort, and acquire new skills related to clinical genetics and epidemiology. For further information, please contact either Dr. Blanche Alter (alterb@mail.nih.gov) or Dr. Sharon Savage (savagesh@mail.nih.gov).
Qualifications
Individuals with clinical training in pediatric or medical hematology/oncology who also have a strong interest in inherited bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition syndromes are sought for this position. Previous training or experience in genetics, epidemiology, and/or biostatistics would be highly beneficial, although not required.
Training in Clinical Cancer Genetics
The Clinical Genetics Branch is seeking an outstanding clinical post-doctoral fellow to work with Christian Kratz, M.D. to investigate individuals with an increased cancer risk due to genetic predispositions. Specifically, research is aimed at defining the clinical phenotype and studying the cancer epidemiology in individuals with different genetic diseases including: 1) familial testicular cancer; 2) inherited bone marrow failure syndromes and familial myelodysplastic syndrome; 3) Ras pathway related syndromes; and 4) pleuropulmonary blastoma. Dr. Kratz's group aims to develop cancer screening and prevention strategies and collaborate with intramural and extramural laboratory-based researchers to reveal novel molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders and/or cancer in persons with these syndromes. Additionally, the group is interested in genetic risk factors of pediatric cancers such as pilocytic astrocytoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. The successful candidate will be responsible for one or several of these projects and will also have the opportunity to further develop her or his own interests. For further information, please contact
Christian P. Kratz, M.D. at kratzcp@mail.nih.gov.
Qualifications
Candidates should have a M.D. or D.O. and experience or interest in at least one, preferably two of the following: medical or pediatric hematology or oncology; epidemiology; genetics; genomics; population genetics; molecular biology or related fields. Applicants must have less than 5 years of post-doctoral experience. This is not a laboratory based position. Recent graduates are encouraged to apply.
Genetic Epidemiology Branch
Selected Research Opportunities - High Dimension Data Analyses
- Evaluate behavioral genotypes/phenotypes for tobacco and alcohol use with 550K Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data.
- Assess genes, environmental risk factors, and interactions for lung cancer in a case-control study with 550K GWAS data.
- Examine candidate genes and pathways for melanoma or dysplastic nevi in population- or family-based case-control studies using data from a custom 29K SNP chip.
- Analyze candidate genes and pathways for esophageal or gastric cancer in case-control or cohort studies using data from a custom 29K SNP chip.
Contact Dr. Phil Taylor (telephone 301-594-2932, email: ptaylor@mail.nih.gov) for further information about these special opportunities in GEB.
Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch
Applications of GIS for exposure assessment in environmental epidemiology
OEEB is looking for a postdoctoral fellow interested in applying geospatial methods utilizing geographic information system (GIS) technology to the study of cancer etiology. Research opportunities exist to use GIS for exposure assessment of air and water pollutants for linkage to geocoded residential history information from case-control studies of cancer. Additional opportunities exist for conducting descriptive epidemiologic studies using census data and environmental monitoring databases to explore spatial patterns in cancer incidence. In addition to strong quantitative skills, this position requires knowledge and experience using GIS technology with environmental data. A background in environmental science or environmental health is also desirable. For more details on these opportunities, please contact Dr. Mary Ward.
Training in retrospective occupational exposure assessment
The Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) is looking for postdoctoral fellows who are interested in improving occupational exposure assessment approaches in cancer epidemiology studies. The studies of occupation-related risk carried out by OEEB include retrospective assessment of historical exposures, through industry and questionnaire-based evaluations in case-control and cohort studies, and on-site evaluation of exposures through air, dermal and biological monitoring. The OEEB studies are international in scope and cover a wide range of occupational exposures, such as pesticides, solvents, diesel exhaust, and benzene. These positions require a background in industrial hygiene or other exposure science and requires strong quantitative skills. The successful candidate must have an interest in applying exposure science methodology to chronic disease epidemiology. For more details on this opportunity, please contact Dr. Friesen.
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Opportunities are available to work on multiple studies:
Laboratory of Translational Genomics
Investigating the Biological Basis of Common Germline Risk Variants Identified Through Genome-Wide Association Studies.
Dr. Laufey Amundadottir is looking for a postdoctoral fellow with a strong background in molecular biology, genomics and genetics. Candidates interested in functional and translational laboratory work to enhance our understanding of the functional underpinnings of risk variants identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in cancer are encouraged to apply. Our laboratory uses high-throughput genome-wide approaches as well as targeted approaches in small genomic regions surrounding the most significant risk variants to understand the role common germline variants play in cancer risk. A successful candidate will work on projects that involve various molecular and cellular biology approaches such as the analysis of gene expression, splicing and regulation thereof, genomics and genetics as well as whole genome sequencing approaches (RNA-seq and ChIP-seq). The major focus of our group is to investigate molecular phenotypes of association findings and provide an understanding of the genetic and biological basis of common germline risk variants. For more details on the opportunity, please contact Dr. Amundadottir.
Qualifications
A doctoral degree in molecular or cellular biology, genetics or a related field is required. A strong background in genomics and the analysis of regulation of gene expression as well as bioinformatical/statistical methods to analyze complex data sets is a major advantage.
