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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

REVES@30: Past, Present, and Future Trends in Population Health

“Reves@30: Past, Present, and Future Trends in Population Health” will be held May 30 – June 1 2018 (with an Analysis Workshop on May 29th) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the Institute for Social Research in the University of Michigan.

The international REVES network encourages research on health expectancy, longevity, the disablement process and ageing.  It includes scholars from a broad range of disciplines such as demographers, clinicians, statisticians and social scientists.

REVES@30 is a joint conference of the REVES and TRENDS network.

2018 NCFR Annual Conference: Families and Cultural Intersections in a Global Context: Innovations in Research, Practice, and Policies

Contemporary families live in a world that is complex, increasingly interconnected, and culturally diverse. Families are affected by continuously evolving economic, technological, ideological, cultural, and political changes. In many areas, a decreasing fertility rate, the decline in household size, the aging population, and the sharp increase in the proportion of women entering the labor force have led to new and diverse family arrangements.

Despite these changes, families remain a central arena for promoting the well-being and resiliency of their members. The 2018 NCFR Annual Conference will focus on innovative approaches, theories, research, policies, and programs that support and strengthen families in all types of Western and non-Western settings. Of particular interest are proposals that focus on new lines of research and prevention and intervention approaches, programs, and policies that support vulnerable families.

The theme allows for a wide variety of topics, debates, and policy analyses. Find examples and more information about submitting your proposal at ncfr.org/ncfr-2018. The online proposal submission system will open in January 2018.

Medical Anthropology & Global Health Seminar Series: “Improving Access to HIV/AIDS Treatment for Pregnant Women in Africa: Applying Medical Anthropology in Global Health”

“Improving Access to HIV/AIDS Treatment for Pregnant Women in Africa: Applying Medical Anthropology in Global Heath”

 Professor James Pfeiffer, Department of Global Health, Department of Anthropology

Abstract: Dr. Pfeiffer will describe a recently completed 4-year implementation science intervention study in Mozambique conducted with co-PI Dr. Rachel Chapman (also in the Department of Anthropology). The project was funded by the NICHD to develop and test a pilot intervention in six large public clinics in central Mozambique. The project sought to improve implementation of 2013 WHO “Option B+” guidelines to start antiretroviral treatment (ART) among pregnant women at time of HIV diagnosis in prenatal care.  Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world and has among the highest HIV prevalence rates. Provision of ART to mothers for their own health and to prevent transmission of the HIV virus to their infants is one of Mozambique’s highest priorities for HIV programming.  Data from Mozambique indicated substantial loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) in the first 3 months after ART initiation in prenatal care, meaning that a very high proportion of mothers stopped taking the medication that should in principle be continued for life. The use of anthropological methods to help design, measure, and evaluate an intervention to improve adherence and retention in HIV care of pregnant women and new mothers will be described and discussed. Dr. Pfeiffer will present intervention results from the study and reflect on the role of medical anthropology in applied global health.

Dr. James Pfeiffer, PhD, MPH, is Professor in the Department of Global Health in the School of Public Health, and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Anthropology, at the University of Washington.  Dr. Pfeiffer has over twenty-five years of experiences conducting research in Africa. He has collaborated with Health Alliance International in projects targeting primary health care delivery and strengthening public health sectors.  His expertise covers a wide range of topics, including HIV/AIDS, community participation, nutrition, reproduction, religion, global health, and medical anthropology.  His work has been published in many journals, including Medical Anthropology Quarterly, Social Science & Medicine, the Annual Review of Anthropology, and The Lancet.

For more information about the MAGH lecture series, contact Marieke van Eijk (coordinator) at: mariev2@uw.edu

CSDE Biomarker Working Group: Telomere Length and Associations with Stress and Health

Guest speakers:
Dan Eisenberg (Associate Professor, Anthropology)
Peter Rej (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Anthropology)
Rob Tennyson (PhD Student and CSDE Trainee, Anthropology)

CSDE’s next Biomarker Working Group meeting will be Tuesday, December 12, from 2:00 to 3:30pm in 114 Raitt Hall.  We are very pleased to announce that CSDE’s resident experts in telomere length analysis, Dan Eisenberg, Peter Rej and Rob Tennyson, will provide an introduction to telomere biology and a brief synopsis of the use of telomere length as a marker of stress and health, followed by a question and answer session with working group participants.

The Biomarker Working Group provides a forum for informal discussions of practical and theoretical issues associated with collecting and using biomarker data in social and behavioral science research.  This working group is open to all students, faculty, and staff and we plan to meet about once a month. Those interested in joining the working group can contact Ellie Brindle (ebrindle@uw.edu) to be added to the email distribution list.

Introduction to Stata

Instructor: Cori Mar

This workshop is an introduction to Stata, a software program for data analysis and statistics.  It assumes no prior experience with Stata. It introduces the Stata graphical user interface, data types, and help pages. It covers reading in data, renaming variables, labeling variables, labeling value labels, subsetting data by variable or case, and saving a new data file.

Visit the link below to register and learn more about the workshop.

Postdoctoral Position at Social Science Research Institute

A postdoctoral position is available to study the social and biological determinants of health at the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Duke University. The candidate will affiliate with the Triangle Working Group on the Social and Biological Determinants of Health, which is composed of Triangle-area social scientists and biologists with shared interests in biosocial processes that influence development and aging across the life course.

Potential projects include investigation of socially sensitive biomarkers of aging and the effects of social relationships on morbidity/mortality, in a cross-species comparative context. The postdoc will work directly with a Duke-based faculty member of the working group, but will have the opportunity to interact with all members of the group, as well as with the dynamic set of population researchers at SSRI and Duke more broadly.

Candidates must have a PhD in the social or biological sciences. Requirements include outstanding skills in data analysis, writing and oral communication, and the ability to work both independently and in a multidisciplinary team-oriented environment. Candidates with experience in population-based database analysis, biodemography, social behavioral research (human or animal model), or comparative analysis across species are particularly encouraged to apply.

The position is for one year with the possibility of extension.  Compensation will follow NIH NRSA postdoctoral stipend levels.

Applicants should submit a letter (email) of interest outlining experience and research goals, as well as a CV and the names and contact information of three references to Jenny Tung (jenny.tung@duke.edu) and Angela O’Rand (aorand@soc.duke.edu). In the cover letter, please identify working group member(s), including at least one faculty member based at Duke, with shared research interests.

Current Triangle-based faculty members are: 1) Duke: Susan Alberts (Biology, Evolutionary Anthropology), Dan Belsky (Population Health Sciences), Angela O’Rand (Sociology), Jenny Tung (Evolutionary Anthropology); 2) UNC-Chapel Hill: Allison Aiello (Epidemiology), Kathie Mullan Harris (Sociology), Claire Yang (Sociology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center); 3) Wake Forest University: Carol Shively (Pathology, Comparative Medicine).

Duke University is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to building a diverse academic community.

Assistant Professor of Political Science

The Department of Political Science of Dyson College of Arts and Sciences at Pace University invites applications for an anticipated faculty position at the Assistant Professor level (tenure track) to begin September 2018. The position is located at the University’s New York City campus in lower Manhattan.

Applicants should have an earned PhD or equivalent in political science with a focus in the area of Comparative Politics. Preference will be given to candidates who have had additional methodological (quantitative and/or qualitative) training, and whose interests engage questions linked to community-based activism, advocacy organizations, and/or social justice issues. We seek applicants whose expertise encompasses Latin America, international political economy, and/or the developing world. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a scholarship program involving students.

Application materials should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research program, teaching philosophy and a list of three references with contact information in a single PDF file sent to mbolton2@pace.edu

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled; applications received by December 30, 2017 are guaranteed full consideration.

Associate Professor of Social Work

The School of Social Work (UBC-Vancouver) invites applications for a full-time tenure-stream position at the rank of Associate Professor, beginning July 1, 2018. Applicants are required to have a Master’s degree in Social Work and a PhD in either Social Work or related disciplines.

Candidates are required to have a strong commitment to our School’s vision of social justice and ethics of care. We are particularly interested in candidates with scholarly and practice expertise in one or more of the following areas: health, mental health, disability, law and social work, social and international development, feminist practice, or practice with LGBTQ communities; and those with demonstrated excellence in research and scholarly activities; evidence of externally funded research; a strong record of publications and contributions within the field; ability and interest in high quality, innovative teaching; and a record of, or capacity to establish, effective relationships with the practice community. Experience in program coordination is an asset.

The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an active program of research, publication, teaching and student supervision at the graduate (MSW, PhD) and undergraduate (BSW) levels, and to take a leadership role in program coordination within the School.

The School of Social Work at UBC-Vancouver is a member of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE). Both the BSW and MSW programs are fully accredited by the Board of Accreditation of CASWE. For further information, visit: www.socialwork.ubc.ca.

Applications are to be submitted online by December 31, 2017 through the UBC Faculty Careers website at: http://www.hr.ubc.ca/careers/faculty-careers/ The Job Posting ID is: 27906.

Applicants should be prepared to upload the following documents in the order listed: a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement of research and teaching philosophies, a one-page statement identifying their contribution, or potential contribution, to diversity, along with their ability to work with a culturally diverse student body, a sample publication, and evidence of teaching effectiveness. In addition, applicants should arrange to have three signed, confidential letters of reference sent to sowk.dir@ubc.ca by the same deadline. Review of applications will begin soon after December 31, 2017 and will continue until the position is filled.

Enquiries may be directed to: Dr. Miu Chung Yan, Director, School of Social Work, University of British Columbia, 2080 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z2. Email: sowk.dir@ubc.ca.

This position is subject to final budgetary approval. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Researcher and Lecturer in Economics

The Brandmeyer Center for Applied Economics at the University of Kansas School of Business is seeking to hire a full-time, 12 month, non-tenure track Economics Researcher and Lecturer Specialist to conduct research and teaching in economics.  Traditionally, the Center’s research agenda has focused on research issues relevant for state and local economic policy and economic development primarily within the State of Kansas.  Research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the (sub-national) economics of:  development, education, energy, environmental amenities, health care, regulation, taxation, transportation, and water resources.

In a continuing effort to enrich the academic and research environment and provide equal educational and employment opportunities, the university actively encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups in higher education.  This position will report to the Director of the Center for Applied Economics.

Position is scheduled to begin January 2018, but may consider alternative start date.  Required qualifications:

  1. A PhD degree in economics.
  2. Three years of economic research experience in areas related to health care, energy, labor markets, or human capital development, at a sub-national level, with at least two of these years of experience obtained in the private-sector.
  3. Demonstrated ability to independently and effectively teach and manage economics classes, OR strong evidence of ability to lead groups/teams, develop training materials, and mentor or instruct small groups, as judged by application materials.
  4. Evidence of potential for engaging in high quality research through publications, grants, or other research initiatives.

To apply go to https://employment.ku.edu/academic/10428BR.  A complete application will include the following: online application, curriculum vitae, three professional references and cover letter demonstrating evidence of research activity and teaching effectiveness.

Application deadline is December 26, 2017.

Assistant Professor of Health Economics and/or Health Policy

The Department of Health Policy and Management of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health seeks applicants for one or more faculty position(s) at the assistant professor level, beginning 09/01/2018.

We seek scholars with a doctoral degree in economics, health policy, or a closely related degree who will be able to conduct research in health or health care economics and policy and can teach health economics, research methodology, and/or health policy at the master’s level. All applicants must have the potential for excellence in teaching and research.

The Department of Health Policy and Management has a multidisciplinary faculty that trains Masters level students in health policy and health administration. We maintain close ties with Columbia’s Graduate School of Business, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and School of International and Public Affairs, as well as with many New York area healthcare delivery and research institutions.

We encourage both new graduates and current assistant professors to apply. To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae, a sample of research, and three letters of recommendation via https://academicjobs.columbia.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=65419 .

Please address any questions to the search committee chair, Professor Matthew Neidell (mn2191@columbia.edu).