Epidemiology Specialist

University of Arkansas System•Little Rock, AR

About The Position

The Arkansas Rural Community Health (ARCH) Study is seeking an Epidemiology Specialist in cancer epidemiology, with particular emphasis on large cohort studies in cancer research. The Specialist will contribute to both new and ongoing ARCH research initiatives, including cohort data linkage and synchronization, data cleaning and statistical analysis, and the creation and management of analytic datasets. Responsibilities also include preparing manuscripts for peer‑reviewed publications and assisting in the development and submission of grant proposals. In addition, the Specialist will support the Principal Investigator through literature reviews and the preparation of manuscripts (e.g., journal articles, conference abstracts, book chapters), grant applications, and promotional or educational materials such as annual research reports and general scientific summaries. A master’s degree in Epidemiology or a related field from an accredited institution is required. Proficiency in data management and statistical analysis using software such as SAS, STATA, or R is essential.

Requirements

Master's degree in epidemiology or related field plus four (4) years of experience working with cancer registry data required.
Experience in population cohort and cancer registry data.
Able to work independently; highly motivated.
Ability to think through a logical sequence of necessary events.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills in English.
Ability to multitask and adapt to changing priorities.
Ability to work with multiple researchers, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds in a collegial and professional manner.
Experience in the development of reports, graphs, charts, and other visuals is required.
Proficiency in SAS, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required.

Nice To Haves

Excellent skills in data analysis, database management, and computer programming (e.g., SAS, STATA, R software, etc.) preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and initiate work plans and timelines to fulfill project requirements.
Provide updates and status reports to the PI on a regular basis.
Participate in cooperative activities with funding agencies and other funded sites, including participation in conference calls and meetings, to enhance developmental aspects of the study protocol and dissemination of data.
Creation and management of large cohort datasets
Serve as liaison and coordinate interaction between participating laboratories, data managers, data analysts, and bioinformatics professionals involved in the projects.
Proactively identify barriers, explore solutions, propose and implement solutions while engaging the appropriate stakeholder(s).
Establish and foster collaborative relationships with stakeholders interested in cohort research locally and nationally to ensure ample and effective communication resulting in scientific products.
In collaboration with stakeholders, resolve research issues and questions of methodology, analysis, and interpretation.
Promote and facilitate research activities among investigators.
Participate in routine group meetings to discuss progress and timeliness and to resolve issues.
Assist with the preparation of standard operating procedures to facilitate compliance with all institutional and governmental policies and regulations.
Supervise study support staff as needed.
Perform other tasks as necessary to meet project responsibilities.
Conducts literature searches, reviews research findings, Critically appraises biomedical literature to identify gaps in current knowledge and to describe and evaluate new methodologies and new research discoveries.
Assists PI with literature reviews, manuscripts (e.g., journal articles, abstracts, book chapters), grant submissions, and promotional and educational material (e.g., annual research reports, general information articles) by providing writing, editing, minor revisions, and formatting.
Assists PI and co-Investigators with preparation of manuscripts and PowerPoint presentations.
Prepares manuscripts from their own empirical research for submission to peer-reviewed journals (a minimum of two first-author manuscripts per year).
Prepares abstracts for submission to scientific conferences for presentation.
Assists PI and co-Investigators with preparation of grant proposals, as needed.
Attends seminars, grand rounds, and other seminars when available.
Participates in group meetings.
Attends workshops, conferences, and other trainings in cancer research, cohort studies, cancer epidemiology, or advanced methods in epidemiology as available.
Performs other duties as assigned.