Radiation Epidemiology Training Opportunities with Specific Investigators

Environmental Epidemiology Research on the Health Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident - Postbaccalaureate (Masters-level) or Postdoctoral Fellowship

Elizabeth Khaykin Cahoon, Ph.D., an investigator in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB) of the NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, is recruiting a postbaccalaureate (Masters level) or postdoctoral fellow to conduct research on thyroid cancer and other disease risks in residents of Ukraine and Belarus exposed as children to fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The accident at the Chernobyl plant in April 1986 released massive amounts of radioactive material into the environment. The general population, particularly children, were exposed to internal radioactive iodine (I-131), primarily through consumption of contaminated milk. Because the thyroid gland uses iodine to synthesize thyroid hormones, iodine concentrates in this organ. However, the thyroid gland cannot distinguish between the radioactive and inert forms of iodine, so iodine-deficient populations may be subject to higher accumulations of radioactive I-131. Through a long-term, multi-country, international collaboration, we are comprehensively evaluating radiation-related risks of thyroid disease in individuals exposed to Chernobyl fallout as children and adolescents.

A successful candidate will work with deeply committed and talented researchers with expertise in epidemiology, oncology, and biostatistics. Fellows in DCEG have extensive career development and training opportunities through REB and the Division’s Office of Education. Salary and benefits are highly competitive and commensurate with experience.

Qualifications: Applicants with a masters degree or doctoral degree in biostatistics, epidemiology, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Excellent writing skills and experience with analyses of large and complex data is highly desired.

For more information about this opportunity, contact Dr. Cahoon.

To Apply: See the Division Fellowship Information page for an overview, qualifications, and application details.

Skin Cancer Prevention and Etiology - Postdoctoral Fellowship

Elizabeth Khaykin Cahoon, Ph.D., an investigator in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB) of the NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to conduct research on skin cancer risk in individuals exposed to photosensitizing medications. Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is the primary environmental risk factor for most types of skin cancers, which occur in approximately five million people and result in over ten thousand deaths each year in the U.S. Sensitivity to sunlight is influenced not only by constitutional characteristics such as skin complexion, but also by exposure to some potentially modifiable factors like photosensitizing medications, which reduce the minimal UVR dose needed to produce an erythemal response, or reddening of the skin, and potentially increase the risk of photocarcinogenesis. Using a large nationwide administrative dataset, we have planned a series of comprehensive analyses of photosensitizing medications in relation to the most UV-sensitive cancers, keratinocyte carcinomas and their precursors (e.g., actinic keratosis).

A successful candidate will work with committed and talented researchers with expertise in epidemiology, oncology, and biostatistics. Fellows in DCEG have extensive career development and training opportunities through REB and the Division’s Office of Education. Salary and benefits are highly competitive and commensurate with experience.

Qualifications: Applicants with a doctoral degree in biostatistics, epidemiology, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Excellent writing skills and experience with analyses of large and complex data is highly desired.

For more information about this opportunity, contact Dr. Cahoon.

To Apply: See the Division Fellowship Information page for an overview, qualifications, and application details.

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