Staff Scientist - Nutrition Epidemiology

Summary

Seeking to hire a full‑time Staff Scientist to join Dr. Wood's Research Group at the Children's Nutrition Research Center (CNRC), Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Wood leads a multidisciplinary research program focused on the analysis of large‑scale ‘omics data from longitudinal observational studies to examine pathways linking lifestyle behaviors, such as nutrition, to health. While much of the group’s work centers on chronic diseases of aging (e.g., type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease), the lab also maintains a growing pediatric research portfolio applying similar analytic paradigms to early‑life data.

The Staff Scientist will function as a senior scientific contributor within the research group, working closely with Dr. Wood (PI) to advance ongoing grant‑funded studies.

The primary responsibility of this role will be to lead the development of manuscripts for submission to peer‑reviewed journals (including serving as first author on select publications). This will require critically evaluating analytic results in the context of current scientific literature and identifying additional analyses that would strengthen scientific inference. The Staff Scientist will collaborate with data analysts and other members of the group, in consultation with Dr.

Wood. In addition, the Staff Scientist will contribute to the preparation of grant applications and progress reports and be named as key personnel on funded projects. The position is reserved for career researchers and is intended to be utilized after completing at least three years of Postdoctoral research. This position was created to support the sustained scholarly productivity of the group by providing dedicated scientific leadership in manuscript development, interpretation, and synthesis across multiple funded projects.

The role emphasizes continuity, depth of scientific contribution, and long‑term collaboration, rather than short‑term training or transitional appointments.

Cover letters are strongly encouraged.

• Contribute to multiple concurrently funded projects within a collaborative research group and will play a central role in advancing the group’s publication output.
• Conduct comprehensive and critical reviews of the scientific literature using major biomedical and social science databases (e.g., Pub Med/Medline, PsycINFO), synthesizing evidence to inform analytic plans and manuscript development.
• Synthesize and integrate findings across studies, identifying gaps in current knowledge and opportunities to advance scientific understanding.
• Evaluate and interpret results from data analyses conducted within the research group, assessing their consistency with underlying hypotheses, study design, and limitations of observational data.
• Lead the drafting of manuscripts for submission to peer‑reviewed journals, including development of introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections, in close collaboration with the PI.
• Collaborate with data analysts and trainees to identify additional analyses that strengthen scientific inference and manuscript quality, with analytic priorities coordinated through the PI.
• May supervise, coordinate, and provide scientific guidance to less experienced research staff or trainees, as appropriate.
• Contribute substantively to the preparation of grant applications, progress reports, and related research documents, under the direction of the PI.
• Participate in meetings with internal and external collaborators, including multi‑site and interdisciplinary research teams.
• Contribute to professional dissemination of research findings through posters, slide presentations, and written reports.
• May have opportunities to lead scientific presentations at local, national, or professional forums.
• Perform other job related duties as assigned.

• Doctoral Degree. Experience may not be substituted in lieu of degree.
• Three years of post‑doctoral research experience.

• Demonstrated interest in, and working knowledge of, the role of nutrition and lifestyle factors in human health and disease.
• Ability to interpret and contextualize the potential physiological relevance of…