An outstanding candidate is sought to work on an original research project supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH/NHLBI R01 Award) entitled “Cost-Effectiveness of Health System and State-Level Strategies to Improve Diet and Reduce Cardiometabolic Diseases (CMD)” as part of the multi-year, multi-grant Food-PRICE project. The aims of the overall project are to: (1) estimate health impacts, costs, cost-effectiveness, and effects on disparities of specific health system strategies to improve diet and reduce CMD; (2) estimate health impacts, costs, cost-effectiveness, and effects on disparities of specific state-level policies to improve diet and reduce CMD; (3) assess administrative and legal feasibility of health system and state strategies to improve diet and reduce CMD; and (4) disseminate top findings from the prior period, related grants, and this new work to relevant stakeholders in key legislative, agency, and advocacy positions.

Mentoring and training will be under the direction of the Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University; in close collaboration with Dr. David Kim, Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Dr. John Wong, Interim Chief Scientific Officer and Professor at Tufts Medical Center.  The postdoctoral researcher will also work with a multi-disciplinary team, including economists, lawyers, nutrition scientists, medical doctors, public health/policy experts, epidemiologists, statisticians/modelers, decision scientists, and policy makers, and will also have the opportunity to interface with national and international policy experts, business leaders, and other stakeholders. Major emphasis will be placed on gaining skills for a successful independent research career, including leading original analyses and manuscripts and other career development activities. A competitive salary, benefits, and travel/educational opportunities are offered in the interdisciplinary environment at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

This postdoctoral researcher will work with the PI, other project faculty, and the rest of the research team to achieve the project aims. S/he will focus on leading of analyses, abstract preparation, and manuscript drafting, with a focus on policy-relevant, peer-reviewed scientific abstracts and manuscripts on health, economic, and equity impacts of several nutrition policies in relation to cardiometabolic disease outcomes such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. The work will include the design and development of policy options, estimating intervention costs, and modeling costs, cardiometabolic disease benefits, and effects on health disparities of selected health systems interventions and state-specific nutrition policy innovations in the US population, using microsimulation models in close collaboration with the modelers. Heterogeneity in cost-effectiveness will also be assessed for example by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, or income, and the potential effects on disparities related to these factors. We anticipate the postdoctoral researcher leading at least 1-2 manuscripts per year and contributing to several more as a co-author. The postdoctoral researcher will also interact with our Policy Advisory Group that includes key experts with knowledge and expertise on the design and implementation of food policies, and participate in planning of stakeholder meetings. The overall work and findings of the postdoc will be critical to inform the planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based dietary strategies to achieve optimal cardiovascular health and reduce health inequities. The publication of research findings in high-quality journals and national and international conferences is expected.

In addition to this project, candidates will have the opportunity to contribute to other research, based on their experience and interests, within the larger research team of Dean Dariush Mozaffarian. Examples may include conducting pooled epidemiological analyses or collaborating with global dietary analyses.

This position is anticipated to be for 3 years. The initial appointment is for 1 year with annual renewal conditional on performance. The ability to work in the US is required in order to apply for this position.

Preferred starting date is early 2021. Candidates from diverse backgrounds and from around the world are encouraged to apply who are willing to conduct their research at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, located in downtown Boston, MA.

Required education, experience and skills:

Applicants must have a doctoral degree (PhD/DrPH/ScD) or MD plus additional training in food policy, nutrition science, nutritional epidemiology, public health nutrition, biostatistics, epidemiology, public health, health simulation modeling, or related fields; as well as a record of original, first-author research publications in one or more of these areas. Candidates should have excellent written and oral communication skills, strong quantitative/analytical research skills, experience using STATA, SPSS, SAS, or R for both data management and analysis, and the ability to work well independently and as part of a team with collaborators.

Preferred education, experience and skills:

Formal coursework and research experience are preferred in some combination of non-communicable disease modeling, decision-analytic modeling, cost-effectiveness analyses, or policy analysis.  A strong interest/experience in dissemination and translational research is desirable.

Application should include:

1. Cover letter describing previous achievements, research interests, career goals, and why the candidate is suitable for this position (maximum 2 pages),
2. CV including a list of relevant publications,
3. Official copy of academic transcript(s) from undergraduate and graduate studies,
4. Formal reference letters from at least two academic referees.

For questions, please contact Sylara Marie Cruz (Sylara_Marie.Cruz@tufts.edu). Applications will be considered as they are received.