The University of California’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity (CCHE) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are seeking a 2-year postdoctoral researcher interested in studying wildfire smoke, climate resilience, and health disparities related to climate change. The selected candidate will become a fellow in CCHE and join the Climate Change Epidemiology Lab at UCSD to work under the supervision of Dr. Tarik Benmarhnia (UCSD) with Dr. Neeta Thakur (UC San Francisco, UCSF) and Dr. Sheri Weiser (UCSF).

The researcher will apply and develop various methods to estimate heterogeneous causal effects of wildfire smoke on various health issues using electronic health records to ultimately create “vulnerability profiles” to guide clinical response in the UC Health care system. Additionally, the researcher will be expected to implement quasi-experimental methods, including difference- in-differences and synthetic control methods to assess the effectiveness of wildfire smoke health risk strategies (including early warning systems) implemented in California in the last decade. The position will also include leading data analysis and manuscript writing in collaboration with the research team. The overall aim of this work will be to accelerate emergency response to wildfire smoke in the San Francisco Bay Area while identifying lessons and best practices to scale throughout the rest of California. Training in epidemiologic methods, spatial analysis, climate change and health, and manuscript/grant writing will be provided.

Interested candidates must possess a strong understanding of epidemiological methods, and in particular, causal inference methods. They must also have strong programming skills in R, Stata and/or SAS, as well as excellent problem-solving skills, interdisciplinary thinking, and strong writing skills. A doctoral degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, environmental health sciences, or equivalent is required for this position. Applicants who do not have a completed PhD at the time of application must include a letter from their PhD supervisor specifying the date of their dissertation defense. Desired qualifications include experience with electronic health records and an interest in policy evaluation. The researcher will be encouraged to pursue career development activities, present at professional conferences, and develop independent research projects.

The start for the position is flexible, with a preference for September 2023. Salary will be based on qualifications and experience.

Interested applicants should submit their CV, a 1-page cover letter that includes a range of possible start dates and the candidate’s goals with this research, 2?3 samples of scholarly writing (published, under review, or in preparation), and the names and contacts of 3 references. Applications should be submitted in PDF format by July 1st 2023 to tbenmarhnia@ucsd.edu and m1hale@ucsd.edu. Applications will be considered until position is filled.