Post Doctoral Fellowship in MDR-TB, Harvard Medical School
Category : Alumni
Project Description
Applications from PhD or other doctoral-level degree holders are invited for a full-time project focused on improving the quality of evidence generated from observational treatment cohorts of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB). The position will be based in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine (DGHSM) at Harvard Medical School, which conducts research to improve the practice of medicine, the delivery of treatment, and the development of health care policies locally and worldwide. Researchers at DGHSM have a long history of conducting research on tuberculosis, HIV, and other conditions. The selected candidate will join a team of epidemiologists and clinicians aiming to improve access to high-quality evidence-based care for MDR-TB around the world.
The postdoctoral fellow will work with us on two initiatives:
- The endTB observational study, comprised of over 2,600 patients in 17 countries, is the largest multi-country study of patients receiving MDR-TB treatment with the newer drugs, bedaquiline and delamanid. The postdoctoral fellow will apply advanced epidemiologic methods (e.g., marginal structural models, g-estimation) to longitudinal data to answer pressing outstanding questions related to the safety and effectiveness of different MDR-TB regimens. Under this NIH-funded initiative, the postdoctoral fellow will also contribute to the implementation of a prospective cohort study of patients receiving a shortened, all-oral MDR-TB regimen in one of five countries. (70% effort)
- Research Excellence to Stop TB Resistance (RESIST-TB), in partnership with Harvard University, is leading a research initiative to explore the challenges associated with use of observational data and enhance its utility to guide the development of MDR-TB treatment recommendations. With collaborators from multiple institutions, the fellow will support development of tools and guidance for optimizing the confidence and evidence gleaned from observational studies of MDR-TB. Examples include adaptation of the STROBE checklist with a focus on quality for guideline development and guidance for minimizing loss of confidence in observational studies used for guidelines due to: limitations in study design or execution, imprecision, indirectness, inconsistency, and publication bias. (30% effort)
The successful applicant will be expected to participate as lead author on publications arising from this work and to communicate findings in oral presentations at national and international conferences. We are seeking candidates willing to commit to at least 2 years of work on this project.
Qualifications and Skills
- Doctoral degree holders (or 2020 degree candidates) in Epidemiology, Biostatistics or related field.
- Experience applying advanced epi methods, including: marginal structural models, g-formula and simulation studies.
- Advanced programming skills in a statistical package such as SAS, Stata, or R.
- Strong writing skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively.
- Interested in global health.
- Experience in any of the following areas is desirable: guideline development, application of GRADE methodology, meta-analysis, pharmacoepidemiology.
Additional Information
- Click here to learn more about the position
- Click here for more information about the department.
Application Instructions
Email the following items in one PDF with the surname as the first word of the PDF file:
- Cover letter stating long-term career aims, interest in the project, and suitability for the position, specifically referring to the criteria listed above
- Curriculum vitae
- Two or three relevant publications or manuscripts
- Contact information for three to five potential references.
Applications should be emailed to: rebecca_grow [at] hms [dot] harvard [dot] edu
