Postdoctoral fellow in genetic epidemiology of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions
The Giri Lab is seeking a postdoctoral fellow intent on an interdisciplinary career in academic research. Our team spans epidemiology, biostatistics, genetics, biomedical informatics, and is interested in understanding disparate factors contributing to disease etiology including genetic, social and life-style factors.
We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow interested in genetic epidemiology of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions. The fellow will have the opportunity to work with EHR data, biobanks, lead collaborative consortium projects cross-cutting several conditions including hypertension, kidney disease, and diabetic complications. A key focus of the group is to understand the etiology of cardiometabolic conditions during pregnancy (gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes) and how these are related to cardiometabolic conditions outside of pregnancy.
The ideal applicant will bring quantitative insights, data analysis skills, and creative energy to advancing research aimed at understanding causal mechanisms and etiology of pregnancy related outcomes including gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia. Experience with methods related to genetic epidemiology, analysis of large-scale genetic data and causal inference methods such as mendelian randomization, and mediation analyses with related publications will be prioritized for interviews.
AREAS OF RESEARCH
A significant portion of the research conducted in our group focuses on understanding etiology and mechanisms (genetic, biologic or socially-mediated) involved in conditions unique to pregnancy such as gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia. These investigations often involve combining large-scale data from electronic health records and linked biorepositories available at VUMC alongside data from collaborators and contributors from across the world to provide input for agnostic (genome-wide scans) and for hypothesis-driven investigations into disease etiology. We have expertise in racial disparity research, admixture mapping, gene-by-environment interaction, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacogenetics. The team also has content expertise in genetics and clinical aspects of metabolic, vascular, and renal conditions including diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and kidney disorders. A key focus of the research is to understand similarities and differences in etiologies behind metabolic, renal, and hypertensive conditions by studying pregnant and non-pregnant manifestations of these disorders. The team actively leads and collaborates with projects, programs and groups across multiple medical disciples including obstetrics and gynecology, nephrology and hypertension, and endocrinology.
This postdoctoral fellow will have multiple opportunities to lead and participate in large-scale consortia-based projects. The postdoctoral fellow may be eligible to apply for training grants available at VUMC.
Projected Start Date: Earliest availability desired; for the right candidate we are willing to align with the candidate’s timeline.
QUALIFICATIONS:
· PhD in Epidemiology, Human Genetics, Statistics, or related disciplines
· Proficiency with statistical software and programming languages (e.g. Stata, and R)
· Familiarity with working in the linux/unix environment and scripting (highly desirable)
· Background in or desire to learn about metabolic/vascular/renal conditions during or outside of pregnancy
· Ability and desire to learn new techniques and implement new software tools
· Record of authorship of peer-reviewed publications is required; experience with grant development is desirable
· Strong initiative, multitasking ability, and desire to lead projects
For more information about how to apply, please contact Caytie Gascoigne, MPH c.gascoigne@vumc.org