"Postdoctoral Associate in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases"

Department:

Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health

Anticipated Appointment Date:March 15th, 2026

Fixed Term: One year, Full-time (renewable)

A postdoctoral position is available with Professor Robert Heimer in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health. His research has focused on public health applications at the intersection of substance use and infectious diseases. He is seeking a qualified candidate to work on a five-year NIDA-funded project that seeks to understand the nature of the illicit drug supply in Connecticut.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD by the start of appointment, be proficient in a range of biostatistical applications, and have had experience working with marginalized communities, especially people who use drugs. The job entails field work and data analysis components. A successful candidate will be responsible assisting Dr. Heimer in organizing community-based drug checking in five Connecticut locations. They will test samples provided by community members who illicitly use opioids, stimulants, sedatives, and other addictive psychoactive substances using a portable Fourier transformed infrared spectrometer (FTIR). They will also administer surveys to and manage the chain referral system for recruiting participants. A second part of this project involves wastewater testing conducted by colleagues at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. The successful candidate will work to integrate and analyze the community and wastewater testing results. Responsibilities here will focus on data preparation, coding and implementation of analyses under Professor Heimer’s guidance, preparing data tables and figures for presentation and manuscripts, and contributing to manuscript drafting and revisions at a level consistent with co-authorship. There is also the opportunity to work with project co-investigators Professors Gregg Gonsalves and Joshua Warren on modeling the study data to identify spatio-temporal patterns in the integrated datasets. The candidate may also contribute to the development of new grant applications.

The position is a one-year, full-time role and is renewable, contingent upon performance and funding.

Qualifications

Candidates should possess a PhD, preferably in epidemiology and/or health data sciences and be interested in developing their career skills through an interdisciplinary, team approach to public health research. Candidates with research experience working with people who use drugs and community organizations that serve this population are preferred. Having a car to drive to sites in Connecticut outside New Haven is essential. Support for further training and research presentation opportunities is available.

Salary will be based on the Yale Postdoctoral Compensation policy.

Application Instructions

Yale University will use Interfolio to search for this position. Applicants receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials at no cost.

Please apply online here.

Please submit (1) a cover letter describing your research interests and interest in the position, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) contact information for two references, and (4) (preferred but not required) a research or job market paper.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.