Posting Expiry
JOB SUMMARY
The Centre for International Child Health (CICH) at BC Children’s Hospital is seeking 1 full-time postdoctoral fellow for an initial appointment of 1 year with the strong possibility of renewal. The postdoctoral fellow will conduct research and operational management of global health initiatives utilizing digital health technologies in Uganda (and other low-resource countries) with a focus on paediatric, maternal and newborn populations. The candidate will be required to reside in Uganda for the majority of this appointment. The position is available to a PhD trained individual with a desire to embrace the complexity and messiness of frugal digital health implementation in low-resource settings with passion, resilience, and lots of creativity. The vision of this project is to leverage and develop evidence based technologies to aid front line healthcare workers in diagnosing, triaging and treating critically ill patients in low-resource hospitals. Find yourself in new areas of inquiry that urgently require attention if we are to transform the quality of care in these hospitals. To be successful in this role, the candidate will need to embrace the dizzy highs and tumultuous lows of real-world, pragmatic research, using innovative and rigorous research methodologies, alongside strong relation skills need to work in this team.
ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS
The co-ordinating centre is located in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics with Dr. Mark Ansermino, and the Centre for International Child Health at the Children and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia. The successful candidate will work with the Principal Investigator, Co-Investigators, Program Manager, and research staff on related studies.
WORK PERFORMED
The primary activities of the Postdoctoral Research Fellows include:
• Conducting substantive, methodologically rigorous research analyses
• Participating in study design, quality assurance testing, documenting coding methods, and interpreting results;
• Act as lead research manager of projects in Uganda (e.g. Uganda team lead). Travel throughout Africa is expected
• Organizing and collecting data – helping coordinate research assistants and staff to support these activities
• Representing the research team to Minister of Health officials in Uganda
• Working with stakeholder and NGO partners in Uganda
• Contributing to literature reviews and syntheses;
• Writing research abstracts, summary reports, and scientific articles, and submitting articles to peer-reviewed journals;
• Presenting study results to the scientific community at national and international conferences;
• Identifying and pursuing secondary research projects and research funding; and
• Collaborating with the other research teams.
CONSEQUENCE OF ERROR
The post-doctoral fellow is required to conduct all activities in an ethical manner and with adherence to the Tri- Council Policy Statement concerning Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED
The majority of work will be done independently, with support of the Program Manager and/or Principal Investigator.
SUPERVISION GIVEN
The candidate is responsible for supervision of Canadian and Ugandan research team staff, staff at research hospitals (eg. Study nurse, data collectors), and students.
QUALIFICATIONS
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a collaborative team environment
• High personal motivation, self-management, detail-orientated; ability to take responsibility for meeting deadlines
• High degree of comfort with change, and the ability to be agile and adaptable as the projects evolve in large complex health systems and their health technologies.
• The qualified candidate(s) will have a doctorate degree in a relevant discipline (i.e., Epidemiology, Statistics, Biostatistics, Public Health or a related field as long as the candidate has a strong foundation in statistics). Minimum of two years related experience.
• Demonstrated skills in data management and programming using statistical packages (SAS and SQL and occasionally STATA and R);
• Demonstrated knowledge of research processes, systematic reviews, and syntheses;
• Education/training and experience in quantitative research methods, and multivariate statistical analysis;
• Excellent communication skills, including strong writing, research, and interpersonal skills;
• High-level conceptual, analytical, and critical appraisal skills; and
• Demonstrated initiative and willingness to work closely with members of a research team.
• At least 2 years’ experience living/working in low-resource setting.
• Strong relational skills and be able to exert influence and work across sectors (hospitals, primary care and community).
• Ability to work independently and without direct supervision, and problem solve technical and methodological issues that arise during the course of the research.
• Must be able to exhibit a high level of professionalism, judgement, ethical conduct, discretion and diplomacy
Contact:
Interested individuals should send their curriculum vitae with all relevant employment and academic experience; 1-2 writing samples (publications) or thesis chapter; and a cover letter, noting research experience and interest in the position by email to Bella Hwang – bella.hwang@cw.bc.ca
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the BC Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.