"Associate Research Scientist"

The Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health is seeking a full-time Associate Research Scientist with a strong computational biology and genomics background to contribute to ongoing and future projects in bioinformatics, genomics, evolutionary biology, and population-level public health. Reporting to the Principal Investigator, the ARS will develop and apply novel approaches for genomic surveillance, pathogen evolution, and detection of genomic novelty. They will be expected to collaborate closely with faculty across Columbia University and affiliated institutions to conceptualize original research, assist with grant preparation, and disseminate findings in peer-reviewed journals and national/international conferences. The ARS will also mentor graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research staff in computational genomics and quantitative methods and may co-supervise doctoral and master’s students, including participation on dissertation committees, where appropriate. They will perform other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Contribute expertise to existing studies – 25%
• Development of novel research methods – 20%
• Report/manuscript/presentation preparation – 20%
• Grant conception and writing contribution – 20%
• Mentorship and training – 10%
• Other related duties as assigned – 5%

Required Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in training, education and/or experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, evolutionary biology, statistics, computer science, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publications in relevant scientific journals.
• Advanced expertise in statistical modeling, algorithm development, and large-scale genomic data analysis.
• Proven ability to work independently while thriving in collaborative, interdisciplinary environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience securing or contributing substantially to external research funding.
• Experience working with public health agencies, clinical datasets, or pathogen surveillance data.
• Demonstrated leadership in method development or software/tool creation.
• Evidence of effective mentorship of trainees or junior researchers.

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training.  The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.