Job Information
University of Utah Postdoctoral Research Associate – Place Effects on Health and Mortality in Salt Lake City, Utah
Details
Open Date 03/13/2026
Requisition Number PRN44470B
Job Title Post Doc Res Assoc
Working Title Postdoctoral Research Associate – Place Effects on Health and Mortality
Career Progression Track A00
Track Level
FLSA Code Administrative
Patient Sensitive Job Code? No
Standard Hours per Week 40
Full Time or Part Time? Full Time
Shift Day
Work Schedule Summary
VP Area Academic Affairs
Department 00136 - Family and Consumer Studies
Location Campus
City Salt Lake City, UT
Type of Recruitment External Posting
Pay Rate Range $62,232 - $65,640
Close Date 06/13/2026
Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time) 04/15/2026
Job Summary
An NIH -funded postdoctoral research associate position is available immediately at the University of Utah to conduct research on how place-based features influence mortality risk among the working-age population, especially due to cardiometabolic disease as well as drug, suicide, and alcohol-related conditions. The project draws on two unique datasets that have been linked with multidimensional area- and place-based data. First, the Midlife in the United States ( MIDUS ) study includes three waves of rich psychosocial and health assessments from 1995 through 2014 and more than twenty years of mortality follow-up. Second, the Utah Population Database ( UPDB ) includes Utah death records, covering the period of 2000 through 2023, linked within families and to an extensive set of state administrative and health records. While MIDUS provides national scope and breadth of psychosocial processes, UPDB will allow for the examination of rich place-based measures with a large sample of working-age Utahans ( n = 1 million adults; 188,402 deaths observed), modeling spatial processes, and considering family risk factors.
Duties of the postdoctoral associate include preparing area-level data, data analysis, and manuscript writing. The position will entail working closely with an interdisciplinary team of investigators from the fields of lifespan development, population health, sociology, geography, and biostatistics. The associate will engage in self-directed research and team science, as they take the lead on multiple manuscripts per year and have extensive co-authoring opportunities. Advanced research training and access to university resources will be provided to help the associate prepare for a research career.
Position Details:
Full-time, 12-month appointment with potential for renewal.
Competitive salary and benefits package.
Office, laptop, and workstation will be provided. Utah residency required; hybrid remote/on-site schedule available.
Target start date between May through August of 2026.
The position is in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies (https://www.fcs.utah.edu) at the University of Utah. The University is a Big-12, Carnegie RU/VH Research University, a member of the Association of American Universities, and Utah’s flagship university. The University is located in beautiful Salt Lake City, which offers an outstanding quality of life in a metropolitan area, nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. The nearby mountains offer world class skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. The city is cosmopolitan with theater, arts, sports, entertainment, and nightlife.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities:
Study design incorporating longitudinal and spatial data as well as clustering by family units.
Data analysis incorporating extensive area-level data on environmental attributes and toxins, urban amenities, resident sociodemographic characteristics, and social resources.
Analysis of health and mortality outcomes in adulthood, involving survival analysis, multilevel modeling, and spatial analysis.
Development of theoretical or conceptual framework in the area of place-based effects on mortality in the US, especially that incorporate the deaths of despair framing.
Mentoring graduate students in data analysis, manuscript preparation, and presentations.
Assisting co-authors with literature review and manuscript preparation.
Minimum Qualifications
Preferences
Minimum Qualifications: Doctoral degree in epidemiology, sociology, geography, economics, developmental science, or a related field by the start of the position. Expertise in social, structural, and/or geographical determinants of health. Experience with longitudinal and spatial analysis.
Preferences: Record of publications and research productivity commensurate with time since receiving doctoral degree. Expertise with a wide range of analytic techniques, including reproducible workflows, imputation, longitudinal analysis, survival analysis, and spatial analysis. Fluent in Stata or R.
Type Benefited Staff
Special Instructions Summary
Additional Information
The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patients.
All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action ( OEO /AA). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at: https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/
Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu
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