Post Doctoral Fellow Healthy Cities Healthier Lives

Location
Toronto, ON
 
Full job description
Post Doctoral Fellow

SUMMARY

The Healthy Cities Healthier Lives Research Program, led by Dr. Gillian Booth, is seeking a highly motivated individual with excellent leadership, critical/analytic thinking, project management, and communication skills for a 1-year Post Doctoral Fellowship. This research program is located within the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions. MAP is Canada’s largest research centre focused on health equity and the social determinants of health. Internationally recognized for groundbreaking science and innovation, MAP develops and implements real-world, evidence-driven program and policy solutions that disrupt cycles of socioeconomic exclusion and poor health.

Within the MAP Centre, Dr. Gillian Booth has established a research program that examines the effect of the built environment on health. The objective of this research program is to advance our understanding of how different aspects of the built environment (i.e. neighbourhood walkability, public transit, parks, food environment) can be better designed, modified, or promoted to improve health, especially for equity-deserving communities. This research program is studying the built environment’s effect on risk factors for obesity (e.g. physical activity, diet) and obesity-related conditions (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular disease), as well as the impact of built environment policy interventions on future health outcomes and costs.A major focus is to study combined effects of built environment exposures to understand the incremental health benefits and costs of targeting multiple aspects of the built environment simultaneously.

RESEARCH PROJECT

The successful post doctoral fellow will work closely with a team of research scientists and staff to carry out a research project entitled ‘Community resilience and diabetes incidence following the pandemic: A comparative analysis of Canadian cities.’ This research will use both traditional epidemiological methods and machine learning methodology to explore variation in standardized diabetes incidence across Canadian cities following the pandemic, inequalities in diabetes incidence that exists within cities, and the city- and neighborhood-level factors that explain this variation. There will be flexibility for the successful candidate to shape this work and to formulate their own additional research questions and program.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Research Study Development, Initiation, and Conduct (55% of work time)

Leads and manages the research project (described above) under the direction of a Supervising Scientist.
In collaboration with the Principal Investigator and research team, develop specific research questions and study designs that align with objectives of the research program.
Plan and oversee the operations of research projects, including establishing project priorities, timelines, and milestones; proactively working with team members to move the project forward in a timely manner; and
liaising with research team members, staff and stakeholders to ensure the success of projects
Prepare and submit required documents to initiate research projects through the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, including Privacy Impact Assessments, Project Activation Worksheets, and Dataset Creation Plans/Data Analytic plans.
Shapes and develops the research project, including developing project protocols and processes, formulating additional novel research questions that will address knowledge gaps, etc.
Supports data acquisition (identifying data sources, facilitating data transfer agreements, etc); responsible for data management, merging datasets, data cleaning, creating data dictionaries); and conducts data analysis under the supervision and direction of the broader research team.
Perform statistical analyses within a secure environment, including identifying appropriate statistical procedures (under the direction of a biostatistician); preparing the data for analysis; conducting analysis; interpreting results and critically assessing for data validity or data errors; and producing reports/presentations of the results to the research team.
Leads and participates in team meetings by facilitating focused discussions that drive action, advance project goals, and ensures productive collaboration, while providing insightful and intellectual discussions related to the project.
Maintains clear knowledge and understanding of research ethics, regulations and policies while remaining in full compliance with all applicable policies for ethical conduct to ensure adequate quality control.
Conducts ongoing review of relevant literature to keep up with current knowledge.
May assist Investigator(s) in writing/submitting research grant applications or awards
Report/Manuscript Writing and Presentations (25% of work time)

Lead manuscript preparation and submission, including writing initial drafts; clearly presenting data in tables and figures; providing insightful interpretation of the results and their implications; and soliciting and incorporating feedback from all co-authors.
Receives mentorship from the Principal Investigator to present at local, national and/or international meetings/conferences.
Networks and collaborates with other Researchers to keep abreast of new developments in research, to exchange information, within scope of authority, etc.
Selects appropriate techniques/methods to analyze data and provides interpretation of study results.
May conduct knowledge translation activities by disseminating the results of research to the wider scientific community and other relevant stakeholders.
Day to Day Project and Staff Guidance Tasks (15% of work time)

Provides day to day guidance for activities performed in the research program under the direction and guidance from the Principal Investigator.
May provide day to day guidance to research staff (research coordinators, research assistants).
May guide and mentor students on how to conduct research/analysis, advise students on academic matters and career decisions, and help students network.
Seeks, develops, and maintains, internal and external relationships for research collaborations and partnerships.
Administrative Duties (5% of work time)

May coordinate research activities with other departments; study approval from the Research Ethics Board; approval for grant applications, research contracts, hiring from the Office of Research Administration, etc.
Prepares research ethics board and all other required submissions relative to initiating and conducting individual studies, under the direction of a supervising Scientist.
Performs Cross Functional and Other Duties as Assigned and/or Requested.

All staff are expected to carry out their assigned duties and responsibilities in a manner which prioritizes patient and employee safety, and confidentiality. Key accountabilities in this regard include:
Strict compliance with patient/employee confidentiality practices and policies.
Strict compliance with patient/employee safety practices and standards.
Appropriate identification, reporting and response to patient/employee confidentiality breaches in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Appropriate identification, reporting and response to patient/employee safety risks and incidents/events in accordance with established policies and procedures.
QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Candidates must have obtained either a PhD or medical degree within the previous six years.
Demonstrated experience conducting epidemiological studies involving large databases (i.e. administrative databases, national surveys, etc)
Demonstrated ability to design, execute and manage multiple research projects.
Experience or knowledge of machine learning concepts is an asset
Demonstrated data management skills
Excellent and demonstrated ability to conduct complex data analyses and modelling. Proficiency using statistical software (i.e. R, Stata, SAS, SPSS etc.) is required.
Knowledge and
experience in diabetes research or a related/relevant field.
Experience in several aspects of research study development, initiation, execution, analysis and interpretation required.
Excellent academic writing skills, including previous experience with manuscript and report preparation
Exceptional capacity for critical thinking and generating new ideas, with keen attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Excellent project management skills, including strong organizational aptitude, and ability to develop/maintain timelines and manage multiple projects effectively.
Excellent problem solving, analytical and critical thinking skills.




Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process. When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity. Read more