Postdoctoral Scholar in Social Epidemiology Research Group – UCI Program in Public Health
Position overview
Application Window
Open date: December 8, 2023
Most recent review date: Friday, Jan 5, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.
Final date: Saturday, Jun 1, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position description
Dr. Tim Bruckner seeks a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Program in Public Health at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), to quantify the extent to which postponement of childbearing in Denmark affects health, educational, labor market, and other societal costs—both for parents and their children. The fellowship is a one‐year appointment with the possibility of one-to-two‐year renewal. This appointment is contingent upon receipt of the Ph.D. prior to the start date. The start date is negotiable but could begin as early as June 1, 2024.
Background: Over the last 40 years, age of first-time mothers in Denmark has increased by more than 20%, from 24.8 years in 1981 to 29.8 years in 2021. The newly funded project (in cooperation with the Rockwool Foundation) aims to understand the extent to which postponement of childbearing affects birth outcomes, children’s health and educational outcomes, and parental labor force participation. We will characterize changes over time (i.e., 1980 to 2018) in parents’ delay of childbearing in Denmark and delineate which demographic groups in particular account for these trends. We will exploit the longitudinal nature of register data (available from Statistics Denmark) to use sibling-control and maternal fixed-effects methods to estimate biologically-based sequelae of older age at childbearing (>30 years) as well as social “selection” into postponed childbearing. Lastly, we will focus on women of non-western backgrounds and the special circumstances that apply to this group.
Duties:
- Conduct research using the full force of the Danish Registers (1980 to 2018), under the guidance of Professor Tim Bruckner, Department of Health, Society & Behavior. Submit articles for publication.
- Participate in project meetings and other events with the team from Rockwool Foundation (Copenhagen, Denmark), as well as colloquia in the Program in Public Health. You will also attend colloquia at the Center for Population, Inequality, and Policy, as relevant.
- Have the option to attend graduate coursework in the Program in Public Health and elsewhere.
- Travel to Copenhagen approximately 1x per year. The Postdoctoral Fellow will also have other opportunities for collaborative and independent research projects, as part of the Bruckner Lab (https://sites.uci.edu/brucknerlab/). They will be expected to engage with the Project Team at Rockwool Foundation, the Program in Public Health (UCI), and and the Center for Population, Inequality, and Policy (UCI). The Fellow is expected to take advantage of the many resources at UCI (e.g., colloquia, workshops, and other events) to develop a research career.
Department: https://publichealth.uci.edu/departments/
Program: https://publichealth.uci.edu/
Qualifications
Qualifications - the candidate will be expected to have:
- PhD in epidemiology, demography, economics, sociology, or a related field
- Background in epidemiology, demography, health policy or biostatistics
- Background in maternal and infant health
- Fluency in at least two of the following: SAS, STATA, R
Work Expectation: Whereas the candidate is expected to have an in-person presence at UCI at least 2 days a week, remote work arrangements are negotiable.
Application Requirements
Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
Cover Letter
Statement of Research
Teaching Statement - See our guidance for writing a reflective teaching statement.
(Optional)Inclusive Excellence Activities Statement - Statement addressing how past and/or potential contributions to inclusive excellence will advance UCI's Commitment to Inclusive Excellence. See our guidance for writing an inclusive excellence activities statement.
Sexual Misconduct, Harassment and Discrimination Declaration Form - All applicants of academic positions at the University of California, Irvine must download, complete, sign, and upload the following form with their application: Sexual Misconduct, Harassment and Discrimination Declaration Form
Misc / Additional (Optional)
- 3-5 required (contact information only)
About UC Irvine
The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.