Post Doc Res Assoc

University of Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 57,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Utah invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, in partnership with the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

This NIH-funded project focuses on translating a validated blood-based dietary biomarker into clinical practice for colorectal cancer prevention and on studying biomarkers of meal timing behaviors in relation to cancer risk.

Qualifications

• PhD in Epidemiology, Nutrition, Public Health, Biostatistics, or related field.
• Experience in population-based research and statistical modeling, including regression and longitudinal or mixed-effects methods.
• Strong publication record and scientific writing skills.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., R, SAS).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary, multi-site team.

Responsibilities

• Conduct epidemiologic analyses of epidemiologic and clinical trial data.
• Work with metabolomics, proteomics, and dietary data.
• Support the development of clinical trial intervention materials, including group education programming.
• Implement natural language processing pipelines.
• Collaborate with partners at the University of Utah and The Ohio State University and with metabolomics, biostatistics, and pathology cores.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication and present findings at scientific conferences.
• Assist in grant writing and progress reporting to NIH.
• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to lab meetings and collaborative discussions.
• Ensure compliance with IRB protocols and data security standards.

Skills

Population-based research

Statistical modeling

Longitudinal or mixed-effects methods

Scientific writing

Education

PhD in Epidemiology, Nutrition, Public Health, Biostatistics, or related field

Tools

R

SAS

Job description

Job Summary

The Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah, in partnership with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the lab of Dr. Mary Playdon. This position is funded by NIH grants from the National Cancer Institute (1R01CA313949; 1R21CA299749), focused on (1) translating a validated blood-based dietary biomarker into clinical practice for colorectal cancer prevention, and (2) investigating biomarkers of meal timing behaviors in relation to cancer risk.

The successful candidate will lead epidemiologic and translational analyses that integrate nutritional metabolomics, multiplex inflammatory protein (inflammotype) profiling, dietary intake, electronic medical record data, and adenoma outcomes across two high-volume academic medical centers (University of Utah and The Ohio State University), and integrating metabolomic data from multiple cohort studies in collaboration with investigators at the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute to investigate meal timing and cancer, among other research opportunities.

The University of Utah is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

For more information about Dr. Playdon's research, visit her faculty profile https://profiles.faculty.utah.edu/u6017378.

Details about the NIH-funded project (1R01CA313949) can be found on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov.

Huntsman Cancer Institute is committed to cancer prevention, care, and survivorship for all communities within the area we serve, which includes Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, with impact worldwide.

In your cover letter or during your interview process, we invite you to share how your professional experiences have prepared you to serve as a member of our team as we work to reduce the cancer burden experienced by all people and communities. This may include description of your prior experiences related to research, prevention, clinical care, community engagement/outreach, training, administration, or other areas relevant to Huntsman Cancer Institute's mission and this position.

Study related activities

• Conduct epidemiologic analyses of epidemiologic and clinical trial data.
• Work with metabolomics, proteomics, and dietary data.
• Support the development of clinical trial intervention materials, including group education programming.
• Implement natural language processing pipelines.
• Collaborate with partners at the University of Utah and The Ohio State University and with metabolomics, biostatistics, and pathology cores.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication and present findings at scientific conferences.
• Assist in grant writing and progress reporting to NIH.
• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to lab meetings and collaborative discussions.
• Ensure compliance with IRB protocols and data security standards. Required materials: 1. CV2. Cover Letter3. List of three referencesQuestions about this position should be directed to Dr. Mary Playdon at [e-mail].

Preferences

• PhD in Epidemiology, Nutrition, Public Health, Biostatistics, or related field.
• Experience in population-based research and statistical modeling, including regression and longitudinal or mixed-effects methods.
• Strong publication record and scientific writing skills.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., R, SAS).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary, multi-site team.

Requisition Number: PRN46086B

Full Time or Part Time? Full Time

Work Schedule Summary

Department: 01938 - HCI Mary Playdon Research Prog

Location: Campus

Pay Rate Range: 63,480

Close Date: 12/01/2026

Open Until Filled