Post Doc Res Assoc

Job Summary

An NIH-funded postdoctoral research associate position is available immediately at the University of Utah to conduct research on how place-based features influence mortality risk among the working-age population, especially due to cardiometabolic disease as well as drug, suicide, and alcohol-related conditions. The project draws on two unique datasets that have been linked with multidimensional area- and place-based data. First, the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study includes three waves of rich psychosocial and health assessments from 1995 through 2014 and more than twenty years of mortality follow-up.

Second, the Utah Population Database (UPDB) includes Utah death records, covering the period of 2000 through 2023, linked within families and to an extensive set of state administrative and health records. While MIDUS provides national scope and breadth of psychosocial processes, UPDB will allow for the examination of rich place-based measures with a large sample of working-age Utahans (n ≈ 1 million adults;

188,402 deaths observed), modeling spatial processes, and considering family risk factors.

Duties of the postdoctoral associate include preparing area-level data, data analysis, and manuscript writing. The position will entail working closely with an interdisciplinary team of investigators from the fields of lifespan development, population health, sociology, geography, and biostatistics. The associate will engage in self-directed research and team science, as they take the lead on multiple manuscripts per year and have extensive co-authoring opportunities.

Advanced research training and access to university resources will be provided to help the associate prepare for a research career.

Full‑time, 12‑month appointment with potential for renewal; competitive salary and benefits package; office, laptop, and workstation provided. Utah residency required; hybrid remote/on‑site schedule available. Target start date between May through August of 2026. The position is in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies (https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) at the University of Utah.

• Study design incorporating longitudinal and spatial data as well as clustering by family units.
• Data analysis incorporating extensive area‑level data on environmental attributes and toxins, urban amenities, resident sociodemographic characteristics, and social resources.
• Analysis of health and mortality outcomes in adulthood, involving survival analysis, multilevel modeling, and spatial analysis.
• Development of theoretical or conceptual framework regarding place‑based effects on mortality in the US, especially that incorporate the deaths of despair framing.
• Mentoring graduate students in data analysis, manuscript preparation, and presentations.
• Assisting co‑authors with literature review and manuscript preparation.

Doctoral degree in epidemiology, sociology, geography, economics, developmental science, or a related field by the start of the position. Expertise in social, structural, and/or geographical determinants of health. Experience with longitudinal and spatial analysis.

Record of publications and research productivity commensurate with time since receiving doctoral degree. Expertise with a wide range of analytic techniques, including reproducible workflows, imputation, longitudinal analysis, survival analysis, and spatial analysis. Fluent in Stata or R.

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at…