Assistant Scientist-MSH - Population Health Science & Policy

The Assistant Scientist conducts research involving the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health. Engages in clinical investigation or other research, production, technical writing, and related activities.

Dr. Shelley Liu, Associate Professor of Population Health Science and Policy, is seeking an Assistant Scientist to join her NIH R01-funded research program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. This position focuses on applying and developing item response theory (IRT) and Bayesian psychometric methods for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) biomarker data — a novel and growing application space at the intersection of quantitative methodology and environmental health. The position involves leading methods development in IRT and psychometric methods. 

The Assistant Scientist will have the opportunity to lead multiple first-author publications on methods development, co-author additional publications, and develop collaborations at a medical school. 

• Conducts research to develop methodologies, instrumentation and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings.
• Designs and conducts complex clinical research studies requiring the determination and evaluation of alternative methods, computational modeling, diagnosis and treatment.
• Plans and directs studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
• Follows strict safety procedures when handling materials to avoid contamination.
• Teaches principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
• Confers with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.
• Develops treatments and designs research tools and techniques.
• Explores subject area and defines scope and selection of problems for investigation through conceptually related studies.
• Develops hypotheses to be tested and methodology for evaluating results.
• Examines the results of clinical trials and adjusts the dosage levels to reduce negative side effects or to induce better results.
• Communicates research results to the scientific community via published papers.
• Develops new proposals for research and obtain support for new and/ or continuing research activities.
• Makes decisions and recommendations that have a major impact on extensive scientific research activities.

• PhD in Biological Sciences or related field
• Two years experience

Preferred:

•  Expertise in IRT, psychometrics, Bayesian inference
• Additional expertise in cognitive diagnostic models and causal inference