Job Details

Mid-Career Faculty, Biostatistics

Position Number: 7277896
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Position Type: Science - Statistics

Mid-Career Faculty, Biostatistics

Details

The Division of Biostatistics in the Department of Population Health Sciences (PHS) at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah has openings for mid-career faculty members, who have a history of funded research as a PI/MPI and who work on the analysis of modern data sources and study designs, and expand the Division's methodological and collaborative strengths. We are looking for candidates who will lead methodological research, collaborate with biomedical researchers, support and develop grant proposals, teach in the PhD Biostatistics program, and mentor and advise graduate students. We are particularly interested in candidates who possess the research skills and experience required to successfully become leaders in multidisciplinary research teams within the institution and in national and international research networks, as well as pursue independent and collaborative methodological research in Biostatistics. We are especially excited about candidates who are interested in mentoring junior faculty and in future leadership roles.

Faculty members in the Division of Biostatistics collaborate closely and hold affiliations with the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), Study Design and Biostatistics Center (SDBC) and Utah Data Coordinating Center (DCC). The University of Utah School of Medicine is investing heavily in data science through the DELPHI Initiative and Responsible AI (RAI) Initiative. There is also substantial investment in genomics including the Center for Genomic Medicine (CGM). See below for more information on HCI, DCC, SDBC, DELPHI, RAI and CGM.

Methodological interest and experience are desired, but not limited to, the following areas: (1) omics (e.g., metabolomics, transcriptomics, metagenomics), (2) data fusion, (3) machine learning, (4) intensive longitudinal data analysis, (5) functional data analysis, (6) statistical computing, (7) generative AI and (8) novel study design.

The University of Utah offers highly competitive salaries and start-up packages and exceptional benefits. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the start date is flexible. The job announcement will remain active until the positions are filled.

Minimum Qualifications

A PhD in biostatistics or related discipline is required, as well as a demonstrated excellence in collaborative and methodological research. The candidate should be mid-career and have (1) a history of funding as PI/MPI, (2) an interest in mentoring graduate students and junior faculty, and (3) a commitment to team science. Candidates should apply online at
https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/204175.

Required materials:

Letter of interest (cover letter)
CV
Research statement
Teaching statement
Exemplar publications that highlight expertise in biostatistics
List of 3 references

Questions about these positions should be directed to the search committee chair: Daniel Scharfstein.

About the Division of Biostatistics

We are a tight knit entrepreneurial group of six faculty. We address important biomedical problems through deep collaborations with researchers at the University of Utah and beyond. We have deep connections with the Division of Epidemiology (within the Department of Internal Medicine), the Utah Data Coordinating Center, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, the Veterans Administration, and Intermountain Health.

We conduct methodological research that is motivated by the problems we encounter during our collaborations. We have an internationally diverse PhD students who receive training both in the classroom and through mentored collaboration. We are surrounded by large databases that can be used to address important scientific questions. For example,

The Utah Population Database (UPDB) is the world's largest resource for tracking diseases in families, with more than 11 million people in large, multigenerational pedigrees, linked to tens of millions of medically relevant records.
The Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) contains data extracted from many of the institution's disparate source systems, including patient, visit, clinical, operational, financial, and research data. It contains data on more than 2.5 million patients.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) provides researchers with access to all VA electronic health data and additional unique data sets, covering over 9 million Veterans, and high-powered cloud computing infrastructure and tools.

About the PHS Department

The Department of Population Health Sciences is a hub for education, investigation, and methodological expertise in population health. Our faculty are diverse and form three Divisions-Biostatistics, Cancer Population Sciences, and Health Services Innovation & Research. Faculty, staff, and students engage in research, education, and community activities to promote patient-centered healthcare and the delivery of evidence-based health innovations that improve population health and reduce health disparities within our community and beyond. The Department has particular strengths in pharmacoepidemiology, analysis of large databases, digital health, implementation science, cancer epidemiology, and health policy.

Through high impact research, we strive to contribute to a world where all individuals have the opportunity to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health. The department is highly interdisciplinary, collaborative, and innovative, and we seek faculty who will thrive in this environment.

Work Environment

The Department of Population Health Sciences is one of 26 departments in the School of Medicine in the Health Sciences Campus. University of Utah Health (U of U Health) is a patient focused center distinguished by collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. The U of U Health values candidates who are committed to fostering and furthering the culture of compassion, collaboration, innovation, accountability, diversity, integrity, quality, and trust that is integral to our mission. The Health Sciences Campus is home to 24 Institutes and Centers including The Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI; our NCATS funded CTSA), the Huntsman Cancer Institute, the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research Institute, the Center for Medical Innovation, the Utah Center on Aging and the Utah Data Coordinating Center. Faculty are active members in numerous research initiatives, including Digital Health, Center for Metabolic Health, DELPHI, and Responsible AI Initiative.

The University of Utah and Department of Population Health Sciences is committed to supporting our faculty, staff and students to lead balanced lives, while achieving success in their professions. The goal is to create a space that is safe and welcoming for all, and where all faculty, staff, and trainees are meaningfully engaged and have equal opportunity to succeed.

Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI)

HCI is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, which means it meets the highest standards for cancer care and research and receives support for its scientific endeavors. HCI is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of the world's leading cancer centers. Patients primarily come from Utah and four neighboring Mountain West states to comprise the largest geographical catchment area among comprehensive care centers.

The University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute is home to exceptional genetic epidemiologic resources through the UPDB, the Utah SEER Cancer Registry, and EDW. The University's excellent genomics resources and biospecimen repository are bolstered by a strong research informatics core, enabling outstanding research in genetic and molecular epidemiology. HCI investigators have strong relationships with Community Health Clinics across the HCI catchment area and conduct small- and large-scale pragmatic trials addressing the catchment area's cancer burdens. HCI continually has over 200 open trials, including experimental therapeutic trials spanning all three phases of drug development.

The Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource provides state-of-the-art biostatistics and research design support to clinical, translational, laboratory, and population sciences investigators at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Cancer Biostatistics provides expertise for cancer researchers, from formulation of research objectives to study design, along with analysis, development of novel methods, interpretation, and dissemination of results.

Utah Data Coordinating Center (DCC)

The DCC is a nationally recognized Academic Research Organization (ARO) based at University of Utah Health. Since its founding in 2001, the Utah DCC has provided clinical, data, and statistical coordinating center support for 14 national research networks and has led the implementation of more than 225 multicenter studies, contributing to over 1,000 scientific publications. Their mission is to harness the power of collaboration to advance science, improve health, and benefit humanity.

With more than 120 professional staff and 14 faculty experts spanning medicine, biostatistics, epidemiology, nursing, pharmacology, and related disciplines, the DCC provides end-to-end research support-from study design and protocol development through trial implementation, data analysis, and manuscript production. Their multidisciplinary teams deliver expertise in biostatistics, data management, project management, regulatory affairs, information technology, clinical operations, and research execution. They support academic, government, and industry-sponsored research across a wide range of therapeutic areas, including rare diseases, and across the full lifespan from pediatrics to geriatrics.

For more than two decades, the DCC has partnered with investigators nationwide to coordinate complex clinical trials, observational studies, registries, and research networks. By combining scientific rigor, innovative technology, and a collaborative culture, they help transform research discoveries into evidence that improves patient care and public health. They are committed to providing a seamless experience for our research partners while creating a dynamic, mission-driven environment where talented professionals can build meaningful careers and make a lasting impact.

Study Design and Biostatistics Center (SDBC)

The SDBC SDBCis the statistical core of the Translational Research: Implementation, Analysis and Design (TRIAD) team, which is a highly multidisciplinary group of biostatisticians, epidemiologists, psychometricians, health economists, survey design researchers, systematic review experts, implementation scientists and qualitative researchers engaged in a wide range of collaborations throughout the University of Utah and elsewhere. The SDBC currently includes seven PhD and 20 MS level biostatisticians, as well as several Biostatistics PhD students. Faculty in the SDBC develop novel statistical techniques and software and teach the principles of Biostatistics in Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and U of U's Master of Statistics programs. Focus areas of the SDBC and the broader TRIAD team include the design of clinical trials and observational studies, analysis of longitudinal and survival data, epidemiologic modeling, Bayesian analysis, modern causal inference, statistical genetics and genomics, machine learning methods, health economics, survey design, systematic reviews, behavioral statistics and psychometrics, implementation science and qualitative research.

Data Exploration and Learning for Precision Health Intelligence (DELPHI) Data Science Initiative

The DELPHI Initiative aims to drive innovation in health and medicine by catalyzing biomedical data science research. Specifically, the DELPHI initiative aims to expand data science expertise to accelerate scientific discovery and implementation through key efforts to build community, catalyze research, increase national distinction, facilitate recruitment, and enhance education. The DELPHI Initiative provides regular communication on upcoming events and funding opportunities, hosts educational workshops, an annual research symposium, and seminars, and sponsors research through seed grants as part of the larger One Utah Data Science Hub.

Responsible AI Initiative (RAI)

The One-U Responsible AI Initiative (One-U RAI) is a $100 million transdisciplinary initiative launched in 2023 and led by the University of Utah Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute. One-U RAI catalyzes the responsible innovation, translation, application, and study of artificial intelligence to address scientific and societal grand challenges. Its work is organized across three thematic areas (Environment, Health Care & Wellness, and Teaching & Learning) and builds on existing research strengths across the University of Utah.
The initiative is grounded in the National Institute of Standards and Technology's principles of trustworthy AI: validity and reliability, safety, security and resiliency, accountability and transparency, explainability and interpretability, privacy, and fairness with mitigation of harmful bias. One-U RAI brings together applied AI research expertise, advanced cyberinfrastructure, and a translational workforce to position the University as a regional and national leader in responsible AI.

Center for Genomic Medicine (CGM)

CGM is one of the nation's leading institutions for translating genomic discoveries into clinical practice. CGM brings together over 115 interdisciplinary faculty engaged in genomic medicine research across the disease and translational spectrums, spanning genetic discovery, functional validation, and translation, while also developing innovative software and data science solutions that enable genomic discoveries worldwide. In collaboration with clinical departments, CGM is actively bringing genomic medicine to routine patient care in the neonatal intensive care unit and rare and undiagnosed disease programs.

Facts about University of Utah and Utah

Utah is known for stunning natural wonders, including five National Parks, and world-class recreation for outdoor enthusiasts. The University of Utah is the state's oldest and largest institution of higher education and offers an exceptional research and teaching environment. The university is located in Salt Lake City, which has been named one of the top 10 mid-sized American cities. It is a diverse and vibrant city and is a thriving hub for innovation and the arts. It is surrounded by the Wasatch Mountains, which offer ample opportunity for outdoor adventure, including nine ski resorts within an hour of campus. Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas offer diverse neighborhoods, great schools, restaurants, arts and entertainment, and endless possibilities for sports and recreation. Learn more about living in Utah.

Values and Culture
The University of Utah Health (U of U Health) is a patient focused center distinguished by
collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. The U of U Health values candidates who are committed to fostering and furthering the culture of compassion, collaboration, innovation, accountability, acceptance, integrity, quality, and trust that is integral to our mission.

Department: 01721 - PHS - BIOSTATISTICS
City: Salt Lake City, UT
Track: Tenure Track
Close Date: 12/25/2026
Open Until Filled: No
Requisition Number: PRN04075F

To apply, visit https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/204410

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.

Veterans' preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number, can be located at https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/.

Online reports may be submitted at https://oeo.utah.edu.