The School of Population and Public Health (SPPH) is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) for a 1-year term, with the option for renewal for one additional year. The position will: focus on mathematical modelling of COVID-19 transmission and outcomes, and assessment of impact of various interventions on COVID-19, funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The position will be based in the Data and Analytic Services team at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and in the School of Population and Public Health (SPPH) at the University of British Columbia. BCCDC is the lead public health organization for surveillance, modelling, research and evaluation, guidelines and policy development for COVID-19 response in British Columbia. Our team is currently working on range of COVID-19 models informing policy needs for the province. We have a strong interdisciplinary group of mathematical modelers, statisticians, epidemiologists, infectious disease and public health physicians and policymakers working in a data-rich environment with many learning and development opportunities. Housed within the Faculty of Medicine, SPPH is an innovative unit that encompasses many of the health-related groupings at UBC as a collaborative venture. The School is structured around four divisions: Occupational and Environmental Health; Health Services and Policy; Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health Practice; and Health in Populations. The resulting mix of professions and disciplines is seen as a means of connecting individuals and learners to galvanize the relationship between health research, public health and health services and to enhance learning.

The primary activities of the Postdoctoral Research Fellow include:

• development of mathematical models of COVID-19 transmission and outcomes
• assessment of the impacts of various interventions on COVID-19 using robust mathematical and/or statistical methods
• collaboration with local modelling teams at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, as well as with a national team focused on COVID-19 modelling in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will have support and flexibility to develop their own research program, in collaboration with local, national and international partners, in addition to taking a leading role in COVID-19 forecasting.

The candidate must have completed a PhD in mathematical modelling, statistics or a discipline with a strong quantitative component.

Training in the following areas:
Experience:

• Mathematical modelling with data, preferably in the context of biological populations, is strongly preferred.

Skills:

• Proficient knowledge of a programming language for mathematical or statistical modelling, such as R or Python.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, research and interpersonal skills.

Errors made could influence the ability of the research team to meet critical deadlines, as well as compromise the results of research project, and therefore impact the credibility of the Principal Investigator. Poor decisions may be damaging to the reputation of the Principal Investigator, the School, and the University and could lead to incorrect or inappropriate policy recommendations being made.

This position will be responsible for access, collection, use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996) and other UBC privacy and security policies. This position requires employees to work under strict confidentiality requirements; internal procedures and policies to protect personal information must be followed and adherence to these requirements will be regularly reviewed by the employer.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Contact: data_analytics@bccdc.ca Position code on HR website: 37933