| Full Description |
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) is pleased to announce an opening for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the area of health-related data science with Dr. Alvin Jeffery. This full-time position will provide a mentored training experience in preparation for an academic/industry research position. Training opportunities will be related to data science, machine learning, biomedical informatics, and health phenomena. Activities will include scientific computing, preparing research study protocols, data analysis, disseminating research findings, developing scientific manuscripts as lead author or co-author, presenting research findings at conferences, grant writing, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, and performing other related duties.
This particular position is partially (50%) funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Drug Abuse) to develop a framework that supports computational phenotyping of substance use disorders using electronic health record data. The long-term goal of the phenotyping framework is to support large genetics studies involving multiple organizations. While at least 50% of the position will be directly focused on this grant, the remaining 50% of the position will be focused on mutually-developed goals between the fellow and their mentor(s).
Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to work as a team member are essential. Candidates should have a depth of python-based scientific computing experience, including experience with machine learning, natural language processing, and high-performance computing. The ideal candidate is someone with experience/interest in transformers and large language models.
VUSN offers a one-year postdoctoral fellowship, with the option of a second year pending funding, to individuals who have completed a doctoral program (PhD) within the past five years in the areas of computer science, biomedical informatics, or quantitative-focused health sciences. A postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University opens doors to an environment rich with experienced mentors, diverse data sources, and resources designed to support your growth as a scientist and scholar.
Postdoctoral fellows have access to exceptional resources to conduct their own research, including multiple opportunities to publish and assistance with grant-writing or project planning for the next stage of their research careers. During the fellowship, fellows receive individualized mentoring and training to develop the skills needed to become successful independent investigators in their fields. |
| Application Details |
Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended.
Curriculum Vitae (links to publications).
Three letters of recommendation, one of which is from a representative of the applicant’s dissertation committee. Letters should address the applicants’ scholarly abilities, area for growth, and future potential in academia and emailed directly from the recommender to alvin.d.jeffery@vanderbilt.edu
Cover letter (2-5 pages single-spaced) that describes previous research experience, goals for postdoctoral training and career, focus/area of research, expectations/needs during mentorship, and an idea for potential research project to carry out during the postdoctoral training (feasible to conduct in less than 2 years). Applicant should highlight their skills and potential contributions to a research team. |