Career Center

Applications are invited for a full-time postdoctoral associate position in Biostatistics in the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.  For more information about the Biostatistics Division, visit https://www.sph.umn.edu/academics/divisions/biostatistics/.

The School of Public Health is committed to antiracism and anti-oppression in our mission and operations. In pursuit of this goal, we consider an individual’s record working with students and colleagues from historically marginalized backgrounds and experience identifying and eliminating systemic barriers to academic success. Because the SPH and the Division seek to increase the diversity of its workforce, we particularly encourage applications from those who belong to groups that have been historically underrepresented in our discipline, including those who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, those with disabilities, and those from LGBTQIA+ communities.

The post-doctoral associate will be mentored by Dr. Steffen Ventz (https://directory.sph.umn.edu/bio/sph-a-z/steffen-ventz) and will work with Dr. Ventz and his collaborators within and outside of the University of Minnesota. Potential research topics include: development of Bayesian methods for data-integration (EHR, clinical trial data, etc.), model-based clustering, multiple testing, functional data analysis, and the estimation of heterogeneous treatment effects. Areas of application may include cardiovascular diseases, cancer and HIV. In addition to methods development, the job responsibilities include writing first-author manuscripts, conducting simulation studies, possibly theory development, and real data analysis. The position will prepare the post-doctoral associate for an early-stage faculty career in academia, and the mentoring will emphasize these aspects (e.g., attendance of conferences and, if desired, working with graduate students on methods papers, etc).

This appointment is for 1-2 years, with a possible extension to year 3, contingent on satisfactory performance and funding availability.

Starting Date: Negotiable. The position is available immediately and will remain open until filled.

Questions? Inquiries are welcome and should be directed (along with a CV) to Dr. Steffen Ventz at ventz001@umn.edu

The Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, at the University of Minnesota has significant strengths in the areas of spatial and spatiotemporal statistics, especially as applied in environmental or climatological science and related health impacts, the development of innovative approaches, methods, and software for the manipulation and analysis of “big data” in the biomedical sciences, especially using machine learning techniques, and structural equation modeling (SEM), causal analysis, and other methods useful for accounting for latent factors in observational data. Current research in statistical methodology includes causal modeling, adaptive clinical trials, statistical genetics and bioinformatics including genomics and proteomics, analysis of spatial and longitudinal data, medical imaging methods, Bayesian methods, computer-intensive methods such as Markov chain Monte Carlo, survival analysis, and statistical data mining. Our faculty’s methods grants complement our large, more collaborative research projects with investigators in the University’s Academic Health Center.

At the present time, the Division has statistical and data coordinating centers for NIH-funded clinical trials networks in HIV/AIDS, Ebola and other infectious diseases, and in lung and cardiovascular disease. The Division also collaborates actively on research in cancer prevention and treatment, dentistry and periodontology, psychiatry/psychology, environmental and occupational health, health policy, chronic and neurodegenerative diseases, and smoking prevention.  Multi-year grants and contracts for various Divisional projects total $70 million.

The Division of Biostatistics (www.sph.umn.edu/biostatistics) currently includes 37 graduate faculty, 55 staff and 5 post-docs. The Division offers MS, MPH, and PhD degrees as well as a Certificate in Applied Biostatistics, and interacts in teaching, advising and research with the University of Minnesota School of Statistics. At the present time, the Division has 111 graduate students (52 Doctoral, 59 Masters). 

A PhD degree in Biostatistics, Statistics, Computer Science or a related field. Strong skills in communication and (computing/programming or statistical theory), experience in Bayesian data analysis. A working knowledge of some causal inference.

About University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.

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