Biological Data Scientist

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Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Data Scientist I

Job Summary:

We are seeking to hire an experienced research data analyst to support a research program focused on the epidemiology of vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia, led by Dr. Michelle Caunca in the Department of Neurology. The research analyst will be responsible for managing, coordinating, and transforming multiple longitudinal cohort studies. This Data Scientist will support projects focused on biological drivers of vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia, including neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers.  

The analyst will be responsible for developing data management systems and code for merging, harmonizing, and analyzing data that is highly complex in nature. The data in question are complex, longitudinal, and multi-level, including data derived from surveys, laboratory assays, neuroimaging, geocoding, event data, and administrative linkages. The ideal candidate has experience and background in prediction modeling, machine learning, and high-dimensional data analysis.

The position involves managing, analyzing, and interpreting research data from complex cohort studies in R and/or STATA and/or SAS. The successful candidate will have the capacity to manage to optimize reproducibility (including creation of codebooks and reproducible code that can be published), analyze data according to established statistical methods, oversee the work of students and fellow staff (e.g. who may be conducting or interpreting analyses), and develop recommendations based on research findings. The successful candidate will also participate in the preparation of independent and collaborative manuscripts, presentations at academic conferences and to key stakeholders (e.g. community organizations), and in designing analytic plans for future studies.

• This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.
• Applicants for this position will be considered for the following titles: Data Scientist I, II, or III. The title is determined by the experience and qualifications of the finalist.  

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Implements appropriate data science techniques under the guidance of other data scientists, statisticians, and/or other researchers to find data patterns and answer research questions chosen by the lead researcher including data visualization, statistical analysis, machine learning, and data mining

• Documents approaches to address research questions

• Prepares data sets for analysis including cleaning/quality assurance, transformations, restructuring, and integration of multiple data sources

• Composes and assembles reproducible workflows and reports to clearly articulate patterns to researchers and/or administrators

• Organizes and automates project steps for data preparation and analysis

Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Neurology, Caunca Research Lab

The Department of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin provides state-of-the-art care for people afflicted with diseases of the nervous system, conducts research in basic and clinical neuroscience, and offers medical students, residents and fellows intensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. The Department’s mission of clinical service, research and teaching is pursued at the University Hospital, the Middleton Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, the School of Medicine and Public Health, and in a diverse set of clinical outreach sites within the state of Wisconsin.  The faculty and academic staff of the department currently consists of over 200 individuals engaged in a broad range of clinical and academic activities. Neurology faculty and academic staff include neurologists, neuropsychologists and scientists who are engaged in basic and clinical research and also contribute to educational programs of the Department. There are more than 32 trainees in a variety of residency, fellowship, and postdoctoral programs.

Compensation:

The starting salary for the position is$60,000 annually for a Data Scientist I, $75,000 annually for a Data Scientist II, and $88,000 annually for a Data Scientist III, but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. 

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage.

• SMPH Faculty /Academic Staff Benefits Flyer 2026

Required Qualifications:

• Managing, analyzing, and interpreting research data from complex cohort studies in R and/or STATA and/or SAS.
• Manage and analyze data according to established statistical methods, oversee the work of students and fellow staff who also conduct data analysis and develop recommendations based on research findings.
• Participate in the preparation of independent and collaborative manuscripts, presentations at academic conferences and to key stakeholders (e.g. community organizations), and in designing subsequent waves of data collection (e.g. via the development of sampling strategies, survey instruments and questionnaires).
• Working knowledge of causal inference methods and/or prediction modeling.
• Ability to effectively communicate in a team setting.
• Ability to write reproducible code, conduct code review, and post code publicly for reproducibility. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least 1-2 years of experience working in an epidemiology or biostatistics group

Education:

Data Scientist I or II: Master's degree in public health, biostatistics, and/or epidemiology is preferred

Data Scientist III: PhD in public health, biostatistics, and/or epidemiology is preferred

How to Apply:

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 • Cover letter required
 • Resume required

Your cover letter should address how your training and experience aligns with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected.

Contact Information:

Caitlin Spaulding, [email protected], 608-265-1325

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. 

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Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

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