Proctor Foundation postdoctoral fellowship opportunity

The MINDSCAPE group within the Francis I. Proctor Foundation at the University of California, San Francisco, is seeking a postdoctoral fellow, data analyst or research scientist to support its partnership with the Centers for Disease Control’s Modeling Infectious Diseases (MInD) in Healthcare Network. The project's broad goals are to leverage mathematical, statistical and computational modeling to minimize infectious disease transmission and related emergence of antimicrobial resistance in healthcare facilities and other workplaces. There is a specific emphasis on MRSA, Clostridioides difficile and SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Current areas of interest include:

  • Optimizing the clinical and public health utility of computational tools for determining the risk of acquiring healthcare-associated infections, or antimicrobial-resistant infections.
  • Developing and validating transmission models for MRSA and C. difficile to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce nosocomial colonization and disease transmission.
  • Elucidating the relationship between antimicrobial stewardship efforts and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
  • Using electronic health record data to predict clinical trajectory of severe infections, risk of disease complications and optimal treatment.
  • Quantifying the relative contributions of factors driving health disparities due to respiratory infections (e.g. COVID-19), including infectious exposure, comorbid conditions, hospital care and post-hospital care.
  • Evaluating strategies for infectious disease surveillance and mitigation of outbreaks in healthcare facilities, congregate facilities, and workplaces.

A rich network of collaborations among multiple academic institutions (e.g. New York University Langone, University of Michigan, and Eastern Carolina University), public health agencies (e.g. San Francisco and California departments of public health and the CDC), and UCSF research groups provide access to a broad range of expertise and data. Participation in bi-weekly conference calls with the CDC MInD network will provide a national venue for dissemination of research findings and development of new partnerships.

Applicants should have a record of achievement in infectious disease modeling, clinical informatics or relevant quantitative fields. Strong communication skills and programming experience (in R, Python, etc.) are also necessary. Those who are passionate about the clinical and public health impact of infectious disease modeling will be particularly well suited. UCSF is committed to hiring and retaining researchers that reflect the diversity of California's population, particularly those who have been systematically and historically underrepresented.

The position will be based at UCSF’s Mission Bay Campus in San Francisco. Office space will be provided, but a mix of on-site and remote work is welcome. Perks of living in the Bay Area include a unique mix of vibrant city life and easy access to a wealth of outdoor adventures. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The start date is negotiable. Questions regarding this position can be addressed to Seth Blumberg MD, PhD ([email protected]). Interested applicants should submit a CV and brief description of interest to Seth Blumberg.