Research Fellow

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biostatistics and Cancer Genetics

Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biostatistics to join the Department of Data Science and contribute to collaborative research in cancer genetics and precision oncology.

The primary focus of this position is collaborative and applied biostatistical research. The fellow will work closely with clinical investigators, geneticists, genetic counselors, computational researchers, and biostatisticians on study design, data management and derivation, statistical analysis, interpretation, and scientific communication. The fellow will also have opportunities to contribute to methodological research motivated by the scientific projects.

Approximately 50% of the fellow’s effort will be devoted to an NIH-funded R01 project focused on the development and validation of prediction models for identifying germline pathogenic variants, using large multi-institutional datasets from Dana‑Farber and collaborating cancer centers. The remaining 50% will support collaborative research within the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention at Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high‑risk and underserved populations.

We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School‑affiliated hospitals.

The fellow will serve as a biostatistician on a multidisciplinary team developing and validating statistical prediction models for germline pathogenic variants. Responsibilities will include:

• Conducting statistical analyses of large clinical, genetic, and genomic datasets.
• Performing data derivation, data cleaning, harmonization, quality control, and integration of data from multiple institutions and data sources.
• Developing and validating statistical prediction models.
• Evaluating model discrimination, calibration, clinical utility, and performance across patient subgroups and institutions.
• Conducting simulation studies and computational evaluations.
• Contributing to the development and evaluation of statistical methods motivated by the project.
• Developing reproducible statistical programs and analysis workflows.
• Preparing statistical results, tables, and figures for manuscripts, presentations, and scientific reports.
• Contributing to peer‑reviewed manuscripts and other scientific publications.

The fellow will also serve as a collaborative biostatistician for research conducted within the DFCI cancer genetics program. The fellow will collaborate with clinical investigators, geneticists, genetic counselors, and other research team members on clinical, translational, and observational studies in cancer genetics, hereditary cancer, and cancer prevention.

Responsibilities will include:

• Providing statistical input on study design and research questions.
• Developing statistical analysis plans.
• Performing data management, data derivation, and statistical analyses.
• Selecting and applying appropriate statistical methods for clinical and biomedical research.
• Interpreting…