Postdoctoral Researcher - Data Science Institute

Summary

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), a postdoc is an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced research training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path. In addition, according to the National Postdoc Association (NPA), Postdoctoral appointees can pursue basic, clinical or translational projects so long as their primary effort is devoted toward their own scholarship.

Postdocs are essential to the scholarly mission of the mentor and host institution, and thus are expected to have the freedom to publish the results of their scholarship.

The Hogan Lab in the Data Science Institute is seeking a post‑doctoral researcher for work in ontology, semantic web, and referent tracking. The incumbent will gain experience managing existing, as well as starting new, ontologies and using them in various annotation and data management applications.

A key project is the Advancing Prevention Research in Cancer through Ontology Tools (APRICOT) Project funded by the US National Institutes of Health, working with behavioral scientists and ontologists across three other European sites. This project is developing ontologies and associated tools and resources to be used in reporting behavior research. This position will work on the development of the Ontology for Modeling and Representation of Social Entities (OMRSE) and its interoperability with the Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology (BCIO).

• Contribute to the development of OMRSE; manage the issue tracker; create periodic releases; lead development meetings.
• Develop APRICOT project deliverables, including interoperability between OMRSE and the BCIO and annotation of Social Determinants of Health instruments and data.
• Participate in APRICOT meetings and events.
• Contribute to the development of the Rehabilitation Ontology (REHABO); manage the issue tracker; create periodic releases; lead development meetings.
• Contribute to the development of the Drug Ontology (DrOn); manage the issue tracker; create periodic releases; lead development meetings.

• Plan, design and execute complex research studies, procedures and protocols.
• Participate in discovery projects.
• Coordinate research study activities; lead and manage projects.
• Oversee organization, synthesis and analysis of data and findings.
• Prepare scientific reports, outcome findings and scientific manuscripts.
• Participate in meetings with principal investigator and research staff in which you will evaluate/interpret the validity of data, develop methodologies, and design and evaluate lab procedures.
• Maintain supplies, negotiate with vendors, and track purchase orders.
• May oversee the work of laboratory personnel including training and development as well as daily work direction, delegation and establishing priorities.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Required knowledge: ontology, terminology, controlled vocabularies, data models.
• Technical knowledge:
  Web Ontology Language, Protégé, Git Hub.
• Strong interest in multi‑disciplinary collaboration.
• Writing skills.
• Presentation skills, organization, time management, multi‑tasking.
• Documentation and records management.
• Data utilization.
• Complex problem solving and critical thinking.
• Resource management.

Minimum Required

Education:

PhD in a scientific field or MD

Minimum

Required Experience:

0 years

Preferred Education: PhD in Biomedical Informatics or related field

Preferred Experience: Ontology, semantic web, referent tracking

Work requires occasionally lifting moderate weight materials, standing, or walking continuously.

Occasional exposure to dust, noise, temperature changes, or contact with water or other liquids. Work is performed in an environmentally controlled environment.

Ability to detect and translate speech or other communication required. May occasionally require the ability to distinguish colors and perceive relative distances between…