Environmental Epidemiology Research Opportunity, ORISE

Position Description 

A research opportunity is currently available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. EPA ORD recently reorganized and this is the newly named Center. This was formerly in the National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL).

This research opportunity is to evaluate the beneficial influences of the natural environment on human well-being. This research opportunity focuses on the influence of local natural environment (e.g. residential neighborhood) on human health and well-being. The research participant may collaborate with a dynamic multidisciplinary team of Federal scientists and research fellows with expertise in environmental health, landscape ecology, remotely-sensed earth observations, and social surveys. The research project may involve geospatial and statistical analyses of large existing national databases including individual-level health survey data.

Duties

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant may be involved in the following research activities: developing and computing indicators of ecosystem services; estimating exposure or dose; identifying and compiling relevant socioeconomic and additional environmental data; and modeling individual-level human physical and mental health outcomes using these variables. Analyses may explore land use and land cover within residential buffers, temporal and/or residential relocation effects, and climate and latitudinal variability that may influence the local natural environment’s effect on health behaviors and outcomes.

The research participant will have the opportunity to support the development of manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals. The research participant may have the opportunity to attend at least one scientific conference to present research and continue professional development.

*Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Spring/Summer 2020

Qualifications

The qualified candidate must have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills

• Statistical and geospatial analysis and programming using ArcGIS, Python, SAS, and/or R
• Knowledge of ecosystem services

How to Apply

A complete application consists of:

• An application
• Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. All transcripts must be in English or include an official English translation. 
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional references