Post Doc Research Associate - HPP

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Description

The Department of Health Promotion and Policy within the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at UMass Amherst seeks candidates for a 2-year full-time postdoctoral research associate position. The successful candidate will work directly with Dr. Michal Horny, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, and Dr. Laura Attanasio, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management. This position will provide the successful candidate with the opportunity to examine health care prices, access to care, and utilization of care using health insurance claims, survey and linked vital statistics-hospital discharge data within ongoing research projects. The postdoctoral associate will be responsible for cleaning and analyzing data and interpreting and presenting study results. Likely topics include health care affordability, health care prices, and perinatal health care quality, depending on the candidate's interest and experience.

Essential Functions

• Data management
• Data cleaning and analyzing health insurance claims data, insurance beneficiary surveys, and linked vital statistics-hospital discharge data
• Working independently on programming, analytic, and dissemination tasks
• Contributing to the drafting of related manuscripts and other dissemination materials as appropriate
• Collaborating with team members on project planning and implementation
• Participating in team meetings as required
• Performing other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience,
Certifications, Licensure)

• PhD with research experience in health economics, health services research, biostatistics, epidemiology, public health, or related discipline
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Understanding of econometric and biostatistical principles and methods
• Advanced knowledge of statistical software such as Stata (preferred), R, or SAS
• Data management and analysis experience using survey or administrative data.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience,
Certifications, Licensure)

• Previous experience working with commercial health insurance or Medicare claims data
• Previous experience working with national survey data, such as the National Health Interview Survey, Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, or Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
• Previous experience working with vital statistics and/or hospital discharge data
• Familiarity with a Linux server computing environment

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be supervised by Drs. Horny and Attanasio and have opportunities for mentorship with them and for teaching within the School, depending on the interest of the position holder.

Application Instructions

Along with the application, please submit three (3) letters of recommendation or the names and contact information of three (3) references.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.