The Department of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health seeks a Postdoctoral research scientist to provide data management and conduct analysis of an ongoing project focused on how opioid policies and policies that regulate substance use during pregnancy affect maternal and infant health outcomes. This will include the organization of longitudinal state-level database of substance use policies and the analyses of administrative datasets such as Medicaid and Marketscan. The ongoing project involves creating large cohorts of pregnant women who use opioids in Medicaid and Marketscan data and linking such data with relevant state-level opioid policies and state-level substance use policies that target pregnant women.

A candidate with an interest and prior knowledge and training in substance use epidemiology is preferred. The successful candidate will have experience compiling and cleaning data from multiple administrative datasets, experience in substance use epidemiology and ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, and expertise in analyzing complex data and applying approaches such as difference-in difference (DiD) analyses; the ideal candidate will also have proficiency in R and SAS. The candidate will be involved in all administrative aspects of the grant including getting access to data and storing the data; they will also lead the analyses using a DiD approach and regression. Experience with substance use epidemiology, state-level policies and analyses, DiD, and regression (model selection and validation), is essential. She/he/they will provide assistance and lead preparation of reports and papers for publication; assist in the development of IRB applications as well as related grant proposals and research protocols to extend the scope of the project; support data storage and data code publication in public repositories; and provide other support as required.

Minimum Qualifications

A doctoral degree in epidemiology is required. Proficiency in R, SAS, and experience with administrative datasets is essential.

Additional Qualifications:

Experience with quantitative data management and analysis.

The ability to work with a large team of diverse investigators and collaborators (researchers, public health officials, and policy makers).

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Detail oriented.

High-level of interpersonal and organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with various administrative datasets such as Medicaid and Marketscan.

Familiarity with various regression models, DiD analyses, state-level substance use policies.

Training in substance use epidemiology is a plus.

Ability to create large cohorts from administrative data.

Essential Functions

Data compilation, model simulations, and analysis, 65%

Create presentations of results and supporting material for scholarly presentations and papers, writing manuscripts, assist in grant proposals and ongoing research meetings, 25%

Review and provide a summary of relevant scientific literature, 5%

Perform other related duties as assigned, 5%

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.