Career Opportunity - Postdoctoral Fellowship in Environmental Justice & Health Disparities
The Division of Environmental Health in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California announces a new Postdoctoral Research Fellow position available in Summer 2021. The successful candidate will conduct investigations around community-driven epidemiology for environmental justice in both urban and rural contexts. We are seeking applicants with demonstrated experience in and/or commitment to working effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and members of underrepresented groups. Research opportunities on multiple community-driven environmental justice projects focused on industrial pollution, health disparities, community science, and community engagement abound in Southern California. A substantial portion of our research is grounded in working with economically stressed communities of color and conducted in partnership with community-based environmental justice organizations across Los Angeles and throughout Southern California.
Our current and potential lines of research address health concerns of communities—especially those that consist primarily of Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander and African-Americans living under economic hardship and facing disproportionate adverse health outcomes from social and environmental disparities. Topics of interest include: a) transportation-related (sea, air, and land-based) air pollution and impacts on health; (b) health impacts from “goods movement” facilities, including marine ports, railyards and inland warehouses; and (c) broader health and emerging concerns arising from land-use decisions such as locating industries (e.g. metal smelter or oil drilling) adjacent to homes and schools across the multiethnic landscape. Innovative approaches for research translation and communication to reduce health disparities, address environmental racism and promote health equity would be especially welcomed.
The Department of Preventive Medicine is home to leading research programs in epidemiology and health behavior, with particular strengths in environmental health and community engagement. The Department is located on USC’s Health Sciences Campus, home to several world-class research laboratories studying complex human diseases including cancers, cardiorespiratory diseases, neuro-developmental and neurodegenerative disorders. The successful applicant will collaborate with faculty from a variety of disciplines (statistics, remote sensing, epidemiology, environmental engineering) and receive advanced training in exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology. Opportunities to develop grant preparation skills, publish scholarly articles, present research at academic conferences, and gain teaching experience will be readily available.
Qualifications:
• PhD in environmental health, epidemiology, sociology, community-engaged research or related discipline
• Experience in or has demonstrated commitment to community-based research, racial disparities and environmental justice
• Strong quantitative skills or mixed-method approaches
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
Start date: Summer 2021. The position is located in Los Angeles, CA.
Benefits: USC offers a competitive benefits package including health insurance.
How to Apply: Review of applications will commence February 15, 2021.
Applications received after the deadline may be reviewed until the position is filled or the search is closed. Interested candidates should email applications with the subject line, “EJ Postdoctoral Fellowship” to Professor Jill Johnston at jillj@usc.edu.
Applications should include the following (save files as a PDF with the following naming conventions):
1) A cover letter describing research experience and interests, including contact information for three references - save the file as “[Last Name]_Cover”,
2) A Curricula Vitae (CV)/ current extended resume - save as “[Last Name]_CV” 3) A writing sample (e.g. a recent manuscript, report, or dissertation portion)- save as “[Last Name]_Writing Sample”
Applicants from diverse backgrounds, underrepresented in environmental health sciences, women, and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. USC is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
For more information about the Department of Preventive Medicine, please visit the Department website at https://preventivemedicine.usc.edu/ and the Southern California Environmental Health Center website at https://scehsc.usc.edu.