Biostatistician, Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research

PAY GRADE: 31E

CONTEXT OF THE JOB:

The Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research (DECCAR) at the University of Delaware is seeking a mid-level Biostatistician to support research focused on Alzheimers disease and related disorders (ADRD). This position will play a key role in supporting the Delaware Longitudinal Study for Alzheimers Prevention (DeLSAP) as well as a newly funded grant from the NIH leveraging electronic health records to assess treatment strategies for hypertension in older adults with ADRD. The Analyst will contribute to generating databases from linked EHR and Medicare claims data and prospective cohort studies conducting statistical analyses and data management while collaborating with affiliated faculty on grant proposals complex dataset planning and statistical reporting.

The ideal candidate will have strong proficiency with statistical software (e.g. R SAS Stata) and database skills for manipulating research and clinical data performing quality control checks producing analytic datasets and conducting statistical analyses in large databases (e.g. descriptive statistics survival analysis regression-based analyses). All work will require application of Good Clinical Data Management Practices (GCDMP). The candidate will regularly interact with senior biostatisticians within the College of Health Sciences (CHS) Biostatistics Core.

DECCAR is a leading hub in the state of Delaware for interdisciplinary research clinical education and community engagement focused on cognitive aging and dementia. The Center supports innovative efforts to slow prevent or reverse ADRD while enhancing the quality of life and care for older adults.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITES:

• Collaborate with investigators on study design power calculations statistical analysis plans and analysis of preliminary data for grant proposals.
• Consult with research teams to identify appropriate statistical methods aligned with research aims and objectives.
• Merge and reorient different clinical databases and health services claims to generate cohorts and derive study variables for analysis.
• Independently generate descriptive statistics to characterize study populations.
• Independently conduct basic survival analyses including Kaplan-Meier and Cox Proportional Hazards Models.
• With the assistance of senior scientists implement advanced regression modeling using inverse probability of censor and treatment weights.
• Use model post-estimation commands to obtain predicted values and generate data visualizations and figures for grants and publications.
• Generate longitudinal study cohorts from deidentified health administrative data including electronic medical records and Medicare claims.
• Maintain well-documented statistical code for public dissemination and archive data and code systematically.
• Summarize and interpret analytical results for investigators and study teams.
• Contribute to manuscript development and ensure accuracy of statistical tables and figures.
• Design and manage data collection systems (e.g. REDCap) including development of data entry forms.
• Perform routine quality control (QC) checks and resolve data issues in coordination with research staff to ensure data integrity.
• Address data quality concerns related to system functionality data entry and collection procedures.
• Generate internal reports on DeLSAP cohort composition to inform recruitment strategies.
• Participate in study-related meetings workshops and conferences as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Masters Degree in Statistics/Biostatistics Epidemiology Computer Science Mathematics Applied Economics or a related quantitative discipline.
• Experience designing data collection procedures as well as administrating designing and querying databases (MS Access SQL) using REDCap or another data collection system.
• Experience in research study designs choosing appropriate basic statistical methods for cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs performing basic analyses using statistical software (e.g. SAS R Stata) and conveying results to investigators.
• Technical writing skills focused on communicating all aspects of study design data management and analysis suitable for grant applications and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for effectively communicating with investigators and collaborators as well as the ability to establish and maintain a cooperative working relationship with a research team.
• Ability to organize initiate and work independently to address responsibilities; must have strong time management skills and ability to re-prioritize work when there are changes in assignment workload and pressures of deadlines.
• Strong critical thinking and organizational skills detail oriented and possess excellent problem-solving skills.
• Other experience including developing web applications in JavaScript other languages (PHP Python C or Java) or querying from EMR systems considered a plus.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This is a full-time 2-year grant-funded position with potential for renewal contingent upon performance and continued availability of funding. The Biostatistician will report to the Center Director and Associate Professor Dr. Christopher Martens and Assistant Professor Dr. Daniel Harris (Department of Epidemiology) and will work closely with DECCAR leadership affiliated investigators and trainees. This job offers the flexibility of remote/hybrid work though some on-campus meetings are required. All remote employees must be available during normal East Coast business hours.