About City of Hope

City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment organization for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hope’s translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin, monoclonal antibodies and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution.  AccessHope™, a subsidiary launched in 2019 serves employers and their health care partners by providing access to City of Hope’s specialized cancer expertise.

A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope is ranked among the nation’s “Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report and received Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Its main campus is located near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California and in Arizona.

City of Hope’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We believe diversity, equity and inclusion is key in serving our mission to provide compassionate patient care, drive innovative discovery, and advance vital education focused on eliminating cancer and diabetes in all of our communities.  Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ensures we bring the full range of skills, perspectives, cultural backgrounds and experiences to our work -- and that our teams align with the people we serve in order to build trust and understanding.  We are dedicated to fostering a community that embraces diversity - in ideas, backgrounds and perspectives; this is reflected in our work and represented in our people.

Position Summary:

The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope is looking for a talented Postdoctoral Fellow with specialization in at least two of the following domains: data science, bioinformatics, machine learning, sensor data, geospatial analytics, complex statistical methods (e.g., Bayesian modeling). The ideal candidate will also have domain knowledge in public health-related applications and will join our team in working on a diverse array of research projects. The research fellow will work with Dr. Marta Jankowska from the Population Sciences Division at the Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope.

The first primary project seeks to develop methods for understanding and predicting minute-level behaviors such as physical activity, sleep, and eating behaviors. We aim to relate these factors to metabolic diseases and cancer risk as influenced by environmental contextual factors such as green spaces, noise, or air pollution, and eventually develop GeoAI driven Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions.

The second primary project is working toward multi-modal data fusion of omics, sensor, biological, and social determinants of health data. Additional projects focus on development of advanced methods for dynamic environmental exposure estimation using GPS and accelerometer sensors, development of novel environmental measures through use of machine learning as applied to satellite imagery and generating spatial data applications for integration of registry data with environmental factors.

The successful candidate will have freedom to explore their own research interests within the areas of mHealth, data fusion, novel machine learning applications, advanced data science applications to health, GIScience and public health, environmental exposure science, health behavioral science, and metabolic and cancer related diseases. Opportunities for the fellow to apply for independent funding will be available and encouraged. The position will include leading data analysis and manuscript writing in collaboration with the research team. Additional funding will be available for attending scientific conferences, workshops, and trainings. 

Basic education, experience and skills required for consideration:

• A Ph.D. degree in a quantitative field such as Environmental Health, GIScience, Computer Science, Epidemiology, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics or a related discipline is required.
• Experience working with large and complex data sets.
• Domain application in public health and/or geospatial data is desired.
• Strong statistical and data science skills in a programming language such as R or Python.
• Excellent scientific writing and strong oral communication skills.
• The ability to work effectively, collaboratively, and collegially with colleagues from different disciplines.

Additional Information:

• As a condition of employment, City of Hope requires staff to comply with all state and federal vaccination mandates.

City of Hope is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

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