NIH – Tenure-Track Investigator

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Aging
Intramural Research Program

Tenure-Track Investigator

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), Intramural Research Program (IRP), a major research component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is seeking applications from talented and highly motivated individuals for a Tenure-Track Investigator position in the Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences (LEPS), https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/labs/leps, located at the Biomedical Research Center (BRC) in Baltimore, MD. The position includes the opportunity to develop a new epidemiology research group with an attractive start-up package and operating budget, including access to comprehensive NIA core facilities and to the unique and extensive resources of the NIH.

LEPS performs integrative and translational research that bridges biologic, biomarker, and behavioral investigations to answer questions of public health priority that arise in diverse aging populations. LEPS carries out its research using large established population-based life-course studies, clinical trials, publicly available databases, and experimental approaches. Current LEPS research interests focus on multi-dimensional approaches to study aging in the whole person. This includes defining genomic and other ‘omics’ signatures of aging processes; describing social, behavioral, and biologic risk factor trajectories related to healthy aging; and identifying factors that contribute to the disproportionate health burden in subgroups of the United States population. The incumbent will have the opportunity to take advantage of active community cohorts such as the SardiNIA Project (https://sardinia.nia.nih.gov), the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES) Reykjavik Study (https://hjarta.is/en/research), The Dynamics of Health, Aging, and Body Composition (https://healthabc.nia.nih.gov) and the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Lifespan (HANDLS) Study (https://handls.nih.gov/).

The successful candidate will develop an independent research program, expanding the current research portfolio of the Laboratory. Areas of interest may include but are not limited to:

– ‘omic’ measures and their interactions with the environment,
– life-course biology and behaviors,
– environmental exposures, including climate change, or
– chronic disease epidemiology including mental health

The incumbent will also have a major role in training and mentoring the next generation of leaders in the epidemiology of aging, training staff, and postdoctoral fellows, and maintaining research continuity within the Laboratory, as well as developing a network of intra- and extramural collaborations.

Eligible candidates must have a Ph.D. or M.D. (or M.D., Ph.D.) or equivalent doctoral degree in Epidemiology, Biomedical, Biometric Sciences, or related fields. It is preferred that candidates have at least 5 years of experience conducting collaborative epidemiologic research relevant to aging; this may include a postdoctoral fellowship within a research setting. An ideal candidate would have a strong record of scientific accomplishments and peer recognition. Applicants with a broad range of interests will be considered, but preference will be given to those with demonstrated knowledge of and experience in using epidemiologic methods to investigate the interest areas listed above, including evaluating biomarkers, applying novel state-of-the-art assessments of risk exposures and function, exploring gene/environment risk interactions, and identifying relevant causal pathways that moderate the course of aging. It is preferred that the candidate’s capabilities be demonstrated through publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals in the relevant fields.

Salary is commensurate with experience and accomplishments. A full package of benefits (including retirement, health, life insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, etc.) is available. All employees of the Federal Government are subject to the conflict-of-interest statutes and regulations, including the Standards of Ethical Conduct. Additional information regarding the NIA/IRP is available at the following website: www.irp.nia.nih.gov.

To apply, please send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and bibliography, a one-page mentoring and diversity impact statement, specifically detailing activities involving women and persons from other groups which are underrepresented in biomedical research, a statement of research interests and vision (1-2 pages) in a single PDF, and arrange to have three letters of recommendation directly sent to Angela Prazak, Supervisory Management Analyst, Office of the Scientific Director, National Institute on Aging; Vacancy #NIA-IRP-23-01-AP; via email: niairpjobs@mail.nih.gov. Applications, including letters of recommendation (sent directly from the letter writer), must reference Vacancy #NIA-IRP-23-01-AP for consideration. The first round of reviews is expected to occur on or about April 22, 2023; however, applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

DHHS and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers.

The NIH is dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.