Postdoctoral Scholar, Dementia Health Services Research

University of Calgary; Calgary; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative research opportunity awaits a Postdoctoral Scholar in Dementia Health Services Research. Join a dedicated team at a leading Canadian university, focusing on enhancing the quality of care for individuals living with dementia. This role offers the chance to engage in meaningful research, utilizing healthcare databases and conducting studies that impact community health. With a commitment to professional development, you will have the opportunity to hone your skills in biostatistics, work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams, and contribute to high-impact publications. If you're passionate about making a difference in health services research, this position is perfect for you.

Benefits

Health benefits

Continuing education opportunities

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant field with focus on Alzheimer's disease preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of biostatistical methods and observational study designs required.

Responsibilities

• Design studies and manage research ethics and compliance procedures.
• Analyze studies using observational and biostatistical methods.

Skills

Biostatistical methods

Observational study designs

SAS

R

Scoping reviews

Systematic reviews

Delphi methods

Communication skills

Research ethics

Machine learning

Education

PhD in Epidemiology

PhD in Biostatistics

PhD in Health Services Research

PhD in Gerontology

Tools

SAS

R

Administrative healthcare databases

Job description

Description

Area: Dementia Health Services Research

Duration: 2 years

Start Date: December 2, 2024

Salary: $70,000 - 90,000 CAD per annum (depending on experience and qualifications), plus University of Calgary Plan C health benefits

The Department of Psychiatry in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar in Dementia Health Services Research.

Job Description:

The Postdoctoral scholar will be part of a research team using administrative healthcare databases and primary sources of health data for studies related to health services and quality of care for people living with dementia in Alberta, funded through the Alzheimer's Association. The Postdoctoral scholar will primarily report to Drs. Seitz and Kirkham (Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine) in collaboration with other members of the research team.

The program of research involves studies related to identifying quality indicators for measuring the quality of care for individuals with dementia in community settings and operationalizing these measures for use with provincial administrative data. The research project involves a scoping review of dementia quality indicators, prioritization of quality indicators using Delphi methods, and analysis of provincial health services data for people with dementia.

The Postdoctoral scholar will be involved in the design of studies, study management (research ethics and compliance procedures), analysis of studies using observational and biostatistical methods, and knowledge translation activities related to research outputs including presentations and preparation of manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications. The postdoctoral scholar will also take a lead role in communicating and coordinating with other trainees, researchers, and members of the research staff and stakeholder organizations. There will be opportunities for continuing education as part of the Postdoctoral scholar position.

Qualifications:

• Required: PhD in relevant field including: Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Services Research, Gerontology or related field preferably with a focus on Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia.
• Completion of PhD (or anticipated completion of PhD) within 2 years preceding application preferred.
• Required: Advanced knowledge of biostatistical methods and/or observational study designs.
• Preferred experience with SAS and R.
• Preferred to have experience working with administrative healthcare databases (hospitalization, medication prescription, physician claims data).
• Preferred to have experience in scoping reviews, systematic reviews, and Delphi or nominal group methods.
• Experience working with interdisciplinary research teams.
• Familiarity with working with large complex datasets using secondary data, preferably health-related, but experience with data from other fields will be considered.
• Familiarity or experience with conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently as part of a research team.
• Experience with research ethics board applications preferred.
• Additional analytic skills in machine learning/artificial intelligence analytic methods would be beneficial.
• Desire to learn new research methods and contribute to the learning of others in the research team.

Application Details:

Please submit a cover letter summarizing qualifications and interest in the position, a current CV, and the names of three references. Please submit application through the posting at the University of Calgary or by email to Dr. Dallas Seitz ([e-mail]). Candidates who are being considered for the position will be contacted for potential interviews.

The terms and conditions of employment are covered under the UCalgary and PDAC Collective Agreement. To find out more about the postdoctoral scholar program at the University of Calgary visit our Postdocs website.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences, and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups.

About Calgary, Alberta

Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders in business, community, philanthropy, and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.