Director, Division of Biostatistics, Washington University in St Louis

Position Description

Overview

The Division of Biostatistics ( at Washington University in St. Louis is seeking a dynamic faculty candidate to lead its Division of Biostatistics. The Division of Biostatistics is a medical school-wide facility that engages in research, biostatistical consultation, teaching and training. Its academic mission centers around biostatistical and data science excellence in clinical, epidemiological, and genetic studies. Its faculty possess superior leadership skills in a variety of areas including clinical trials, cardiovascular biostatistics, multicenter study coordination, family and genetic studies of human diseases, computing, and statistical packages. Biostatistical consultation represents an important activity of the division, providing expertise in all these areas on a fee for service basis.The Division engages in innovative research, workforce development, and biostatistics service delivery targeting a variety of critical areas of need, including:

• The integration, management, and analysis of heterogeneous data, information, and knowledge resources;
• Computational approaches to the analysis of imaging, clinical, and genomic data to inform precision medicine;
• The acceleration of clinical, epidemiological, and genetic research through the systematic management of study protocols, data resources, and analytical pipelines;
• Developing cutting-edge independent scientists and future research leaders in biostatistics and data science; and
• Methodological and technical approaches to enable and enhance research reproducibility and rigor

The teaching and training component of the Division’s mission is centered around a multi-disciplinary graduate training program in biostatistics, which provides training in biostatistics, genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, and bioinformatics. The program was launched in 2011 with a Master of Science degree in biostatistics, which in addition to coursework includes an internship, statistical consulting laboratory, and an optional thesis. The Division leads a post-doctoral training program in genetic epidemiology and a summer Program to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research.

The Division comprises a multi-disciplinary team of faculty investigators, technical staff, and trainees affiliated with partnering academic units from throughout Washington University. In this way, the institute spans traditional organizational boundaries and provides for a crosscutting community-of-practice that enhances and extends the academic and operational strengths of the university and that leverages the unique living laboratory afforded by our robust local and regional research and healthcare delivery enterprises.

Basic Qualifications

Required:

• Terminal degree in biostatistics, data science, the computational sciences, or relevant clinical fields (, MD, DO, DNP, etc.) with additional biostatistics-specific training
• Demonstrated track-record of scholarly achievement as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, extramural funding, and successful trainees whom they have mentored
• Academic administrative and management experience, including domains such as:Strategic planningProgrammatic tracking and evaluationTalent acquisition and performance managementAcademic and student affairsCurriculum designResearch administration and complianceTechnology deliveryOutreach and engagementAdvancementFinance
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills

Preferred:

• Experience in the translation of biostatistical and data science methods and tools into operational contexts
• Research interests in one or more of the following application domains:NeurodegenerationCardiovascular diseaseGeneticsMetabolic diseases (including diabetes and obesity)Organ transplantationRare genetic diseases
  

Additional Qualifications

The Opportunity

The recently launched Office of Health Information and Data Science (OHIDS) includes the Institute for Informatics , Division of Biostatistics, Bernard Becker Medical Library, Office of the Chief Research Information Officer, and a close partnership with the Office of Medical Education the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences.The above represents an alignment of critical units across the School of Medicine, integral to a top-tier academic medical institution. Reporting directly to theto the Associate Dean and Chief Data Scientist, Dr. Philip Payne, the Division Directorwill operate at strategic, operational, and tactical levels to enhance the effectiveness of Dr. Payne and the OHIDS team.

Within OHIDS, the Division of Biostatistics provides a hub for faculty, staff, and trainees working at the intersection of data science, biostatistics, and healthcare delivery. The Division includes faculty-led laboratories, traditional and in-career focused training programs, data coordinating centers, and a number of applied programs that involve that rapid translation of biostatistics and data science methods and tools into solutions for use by clinical trialists; physician-scientists; and Division faculty, staff, and trainees.

The Director of the Division will serve as a member of the senior leadership team of OHIDS, reporting to the Associate Dean, and will oversee the strategic direction and daily operations of the Division, including: 1) strategic planning and evaluation of the overall performance of the Division; 2) recruitment of faculty, staff, and trainees; 3) academic and student affairs; 4) research and educational programming; 5) applied biostatistics and data science projects spanning Washington University Physicians and/or BJC HealthCare; and 6) internal and external outreach, engagement, partnering, and advancement. In addition, the Director of Division will partner with OHIDS staff to manage the business, financial, and human resource needs of the Division.

The ideal candidate for this role will be an established biostatistician with demonstrated leadership experience or potential. Such individuals should have a track-record of scholarly achievement as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, extramural funding, and successful trainees whom they have mentored. Experience in the translation of biostatistical and data science methods and tools into operational and clinical trial contexts is preferred. Further, candidates should have a terminal degree in biostatistics, data science, the computational sciences, or relevant clinical fields (, MD, DO, DNP, etc.) with additional biostatistics-specific training. A commitment to both diversity as well as team-based approaches to data and biostatistical science and practice is essential to success in this role.

This position will include appointment as a faculty member within the Washington University School of Medicine at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, depending upon the qualifications of the candidate.

Contact Name

Dr. Randi Foraker

Contact Email

Posting Date

2/25/2021

End Date

No end date

EEO Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship (where prohibited by federal law), age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.