Assistant, Associate, or Project Scientist - Public Health

Open date: October 6, 2025

Most recent review date: Thursday, Nov 6, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Tuesday, Oct 6, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego (hwsph.ucsd.edu) is committed to academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body and invites applications for an Assistant, Associate, or Full Project Scientist position to contribute to new and ongoing public health research studies.

The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science is dedicated to creating and promoting public health innovations to advance equity, justice, and well-being for all. The School focuses on health, diversity, inclusion, and social equity in everything we do. We believe this starts in the workplace, where we actively strive to ensure a sense of belonging for everyone and honor the idea that through our differences, we are better together.

In working to fulfill that vision, we are comprised of more than 125 primary appointed faculty and academics, 200 staff members, and 25 secondary appointed faculty, and provide mentorship and instruction to 230+ postgraduate and 650+ undergraduate major students across six degree programs and a clinical residency. We conduct research and instruction in public health disciplines such as Biostatistics, Climate & Environmental Health, Community Health Sciences & Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, Global Health, Health Behavior, Health Policy, Public Mental Health, and Technology & Precision Health, totaling ~$125M in grants and contracts and housing five research service cores.

We engage in research and teaching collaborations across the University and the community tnerships with the community and with health agencies are fundamental to the School.

Position Duties - The Assistant Project Scientist will contribute to NIH- and state-funded research projects focused on health economics and health policies related to cannabis and other drugs. The role will involve evaluating the causal impacts of drug policies, product attributes, and marketing activities using both econometric modeling of observational datasets and experimental research. The Project Scientist will contribute to the development of large-scale population surveys, the design and implementation of experimental research protocols, and the recruitment of human subjects.

The role will include the use of econometric techniques, including causal models, advanced regression methods, demand curve estimation, and other structural modelling methods, and latent class analysis.

At UC San Diego, Project Scientists are academic researchers who are expected to make significant and creative contributions to a research team, but are not necessarily leaders of the research team. They are not required to carry out independent research or develop an independent research reputation, but will publish and carry out research or creative programs with supervision by a member of the Professor or Professional Research series.

University and public service are encouraged but not required, and they do not have formal teaching responsibilities.

Appointments and duration vary depending on the length of the research project and availability of funding. Appointment at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Project…