Post Doc Res Assoc

The Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah, in partnership with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the lab of Dr. Mary Playdon. This position is funded by NIH grants from the National Cancer Institute (1R01CA
313949; 1R21CA
299749), focused on (1) translating a validated blood-based dietary biomarker into clinical practice for colorectal cancer prevention, and (2) investigating biomarkers of meal timing behaviors in relation to cancer risk.

The successful candidate will lead epidemiologic and translational analyses that integrate nutritional metabolomics, multiplex inflammatory protein (inflammotype) profiling, dietary intake, electronic medical record data, and adenoma outcomes across two high-volume academic medical centers (University of Utah and The Ohio State University), and integrating metabolomic data from multiple cohort studies in collaboration with investigators at the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute to investigate meal timing and cancer, among other research opportunities.

The University of Utah is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

Huntsman Cancer Institute is committed to cancer prevention, care, and survivorship for all communities within the area we serve, which includes Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, with impact worldwide.

• Conduct epidemiologic analyses of epidemiologic and clinical trial data.
• Work with metabolomics, proteomics, and dietary data.
• Support the development of clinical trial intervention materials, including group education programming.
• Collaborate with partners at the University of Utah and The Ohio State University and with metabolomics, biostatistics, and pathology cores.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication and present findings at scientific conferences.
• Assist in grant writing and progress reporting to NIH.
• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to lab meetings and collaborative discussions.
• Ensure compliance with IRB protocols and data security standards.

• 1. CV
• 3. List of three references

• PhD in Epidemiology, Nutrition, Public Health, Biostatistics, or related field.
• Experience in population‑based research and statistical modeling, including regression and longitudinal or mixed‑effects methods.
• Strong publication record and scientific writing skills.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., R, SAS).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary, multi‑site team.

• PhD in Epidemiology, Nutrition, Public Health, Biostatistics, or related field.
• Experience in population-based research and statistical modeling, including regression and longitudinal or mixed-effects methods.
• Strong publication record and scientific writing skills.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., R, SAS).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary, multi‑site team.

The University of Utah 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  for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions.

Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at  or  or University Human Resource Management at  if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.

This position may require the successful…