Postdoctoral Research Associate Department of Biostatistics & Health Data Science

Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Biostatistics & Health Data Science
The Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, together with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Lehigh University, seek a Postdoctoral Research Associate to contribute to our research initiatives and academic programs.

This role offers a unique opportunity to research infectious disease modeling with Professor Thomas McAndrew in biostatistics and research water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenges in resource-constrained contexts with Professor Gabrielle String.

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will engage in interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research as well as gain experience in mentorship and academic service. Preference will be given to applicants with a background in the computational modeling of infectious diseases.

Because this position focuses on the development of the individual in all aspects of research and mentorship, and because of Lehigh University's rich resources in support of Postdoctoral Research Associates (New & Current Postdocs), this position at Lehigh University is in-person.

Dr. McAndrew is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science at Lehigh University. He has led projects associated with the mathematical modeling of infectious diseases that focus on augmenting surveillance with social data, such as human judgment and search information data, to improve forecasting. McAndrew has a long history of mathematical modeling of several pathogens (HPV, SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, influenza).

Dr. String studies how and why interventions to interrupt environmental transmission of disease succeed or fail in real-world settings. She is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in Civil & Environmental Engineering and Population Health at Lehigh University, where her work includes sustained engagement with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenges in humanitarian and development contexts, which serve as important contexts for broader questions about environmental transmission, system resilience, and the real-world performance of public health interventions.

Position Number: S62610

Anticipated Salary: $70,000 - Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, including benefits. Please visit the Postdoctoral Affairs Office website for the compensation policy at Lehigh University.

Responsibilities:

The individual hired will be expected to design studies, submit IRB proposals, and collaborate with academic and industry partners. The individual hired will also be expected to supervise day-to-day activities within research teams, develop project independence, publish research, and support grant proposals. Emphasis is given to individuals who can process infectious disease data, build novel computational models of disease dynamics, and lead statistical analysis of data sets.

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will be formally appointed in the area that best aligns with their career goals and educational background, based on the candidate's strengths at the time of hire, and the project needs and goals. For reference, the missions of each area are outlined below.

The Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science at Lehigh University advances the development and application of statistical, computational, and technological methods to address complex health problems. The department conducts cutting-edge methodological research, collaborates on interdisciplinary studies, and educates the next generation of health data scientists. Areas of expertise include bioinformatics, computational biology, artificial intelligence, network science, Bayesian methods, spatiotemporal methods, visualization, evolutionary game theory, infectious disease modeling, and assistive and accessibility technologies, with a shared commitment to improving health outcomes through data-driven discovery.

The mission of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is to educate students in the principles and methods essential to the practice and advancement of civil and environmental engineering. The program is proactive and continues to incorporate new and emerging paradigms in all aspects of teaching and education while maintaining rigorous standards in traditional approaches. Graduates of the program possess the technical expertise required to maintain a healthy balance between societal welfare, economic growth, and the environment surrounding us.

Our goal is to prepare students to apply and continually cultivate knowledge that will enable them to become successful practitioners, innovators, and leaders serving our complex society.

Dr. String's lab profile at Gabrielle String and Dr. McAndrew's lab profile at Computational Uncertainty Lab

Other responsibilities may include:

* Design, execute, and analyze experiments, contributing to the overall goals of the research group.

* Prepare and publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present results at conferences.

* Assist in the mentorship of graduate and…