Job Opportunities: Diverse Opportunities in HIV, Comorbidities and Substance Abuse Research
The AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience (ALIVE) Cohort is amongst the largest and longest running studies of persons who inject drugs (PWID) globally. Originated in 1988, the ALIVE cohort follows community recruited participants with six-month study visits collecting behavioral, clinical, laboratory data and biological samples. Within 2 major themes focused on HIV and substance abuse, and HIV, aging and comorbidities, our research covers the entire translational spectrum from basic mechanistic investigations to behavioral/social network/neighborhood studies to clinically focused research to epidemiological modeling.
We are seeking highly motivated and qualified candidates to join our research team. We have opportunities at the postdoctoral fellow or junior faculty level (Assistant Research Professor Track), commensurate with experience.
As we celebrate our 35-year anniversary, ALIVE remains centered in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The successful candidate will integrate into our multidisciplinary team of researchers and collaborators in both the schools of public health and medicine at Johns Hopkins. Individuals will have the opportunity to contribute to ongoing projects and develop their own research agenda within the broader scope of the ALIVE study. Over the past decades, ALIVE has provided the environment, data, biospecimens and mentoring required to launch the careers of numerous students, fellows and junior faculty, effectively functioning as a training grant. In recent years, our trainees have been 5 for 5 for NIH K awards – all but one awarded on initial submission. ALIVE has provided a launching point for career development, with numerous investigators rising to leadership roles as deans, department chairs, division chiefs and other institutional leadership positions. In addition to our long-standing funding from NIDA for the parent study, we typically have 10 to 20 additional NIH or equivalent studies nested within the cohort infrastructure (currently including studies on liver, lung, oral health, non-injection drug use, COVID-19, frailty, etc.). Our biorepository is approaching 1 million unique aliquots, with existing virologic, metabolic, GWAS, epigenetic, and other multi-omic data.
Responsibilities:
1. Collaborate with senior investigators to develop and lead research projects related to HIV, comorbidities and / or substance abuse.
2. Contribute to study design, implementation and development of innovative research methodologies.
3. Conduct data analysis, interpretation, and manuscript preparation using ALIVE cohort data.
4. Present research findings at national and international conferences.
5. Publish research results in high-impact scientific journals.
6. Collaborate with team members and investigators within the ALIVE Cohort Study.
Qualifications:
1. A doctoral degree (Ph.D., Sc.D., or equivalent) in epidemiology, public health, or a related field. Clinically trained individuals with an MD or equivalent degree also preferred be considered, particularly if possess additional epidemiology /statistical training (MS, MPH).
2. Strong background in HIV research and epidemiology.
3. Proficiency in statistical analysis software (e.g., Stata, R,) and data management.
4. Experience working with large-scale datasets and complex statistical modeling would be a valued asset.
5. Knowledge of comorbidities associated with HIV infection and their impact on health outcomes and / or knowledge of addiction / substance abuse research.
6. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
7. Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
8. Prior experience in manuscript preparation and publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Application Process:
Interested candidates should submit the following materials as a single PDF file via email to tkammer1@jhu.edu
1. Cover letter summarizing research interests, relevant experience, and career goals.
2. Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications
3. Contact information for three references.
4. One or two representative publications.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until positions are filled.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.
The anticipated start date is flexible but preferably within three to six months of selection.
Similarly, the duration of the PDF is flexible, but a minimum 12-month commitment would be expected with preference for longer duration.
For inquiries about these positions, please contact: Dr. Greg Kirk (gdk@jhu.edu) or Dr. Shruti Mehta (smehta@jhu.edu), ALIVE Co-Principal Investigators.