Post Doc Res Assoc

Announcement

Details

Open Date 09/01/2026 Requisition Number PRN46086B Job Title Post Doc Res Assoc Working Title Post Doc Res Assoc Career Progression Track A00 Track Level FLSA Code Administrative Patient Sensitive Job Code? No Standard Hours per Week 40 Full Time or Part Time? Full Time Shift Day Work Schedule Summary VP Area President Department 01938 - HCI Mary Playdon Research Prog Location Campus City Salt Lake City, UT Type of Recruitment External Posting Pay Rate Range 63,480 Close Date 12/01/2026 Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time) Job Summary

The Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah, in partnership with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the lab of Dr. Mary Playdon. This position is funded by NIH grants from the National Cancer Institute (1R01CA313949; 1R21CA299749), focused on (1) translating a validated blood-based dietary biomarker into clinical practice for colorectal cancer prevention, and (2) investigating biomarkers of meal timing behaviors in relation to cancer risk.

The successful candidate will lead epidemiologic and translational analyses that integrate nutritional metabolomics, multiplex inflammatory protein (inflammotype) profiling, dietary intake, electronic medical record data, and adenoma outcomes across two high-volume academic medical centers (University of Utah and The Ohio State University), and integrating metabolomic data from multiple cohort studies in collaboration with investigators at the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute to investigate meal timing and cancer, among other research opportunities.

The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

For more information about Dr. Playdon's research, visit her faculty profile https://profiles.faculty.utah.edu/u6017378.

Details about the NIH-funded project (1R01CA313949) can be found on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov.

Huntsman Cancer Institute is committed to cancer prevention, care, and survivorship for all communities within the area we serve, which includes Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, with impact worldwide.

In your cover letter or during your interview process, we invite you to share how your professional experiences have prepared you to serve as a member of our team as we work to reduce the cancer burden experienced by all people and communities. This may include description of your prior experiences related to research, prevention, clinical care, community engagement/outreach, training, administration, or other areas relevant to Huntsman Cancer Institute's mission and this position.

Responsibilities

Study related activities:

• Conduct epidemiologic analyses of epidemiologic and clinical trial data.
• Work with metabolomics, proteomics, and dietary data.
• Support the development of clinical trial intervention materials, including group education programming.
• Implement natural language processing pipelines.
• Collaborate with partners at the University of Utah and The Ohio State University and with metabolomics, biostatistics, and pathology cores.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication and present findings at scientific conferences.
• Assist in grant writing and progress reporting to NIH.
• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to lab meetings and collaborative discussions.
• Ensure compliance with IRB protocols and data security standards.

Required materials:

1. CV

2. Cover Letter

3. List of three references

Questions about this position should be directed to Dr. Mary Playdon at mary.playdon@hci.utah.edu.

About the University of Utah

The University of Utah is the state's oldest and largest institution of higher education and offers an exceptional research and teaching environment. The University of Utah encompasses both the flagship university and the health sciences campus for the state, competes in the Big 12 conference, and is the largest research-intensive institution in the Mountain West.

About the Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology

The Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology (NUIP) houses an active group of researchers, educators, and trainees dedicated to understanding how maintenance of metabolic health combats the development and progression of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. NUIP faculty members maintain active engagement with other programs within the Health Sciences Center and endeavor to translate new research findings into clinical procedures and community outreach programs that improve quality of life. The department offers degree programs that train biomedical scientists, research scholars, and clinical dietitians. Faculty strive to implement active, team-based learning strategies in all programs to transition students to a mode of learning ideally suited for lifelong careers as leaders in healthcare.

About the Division of Cancer Population Science

The Division of Cancer Population Science, within the Department of Population Health Science, serves as the academic home for faculty and graduate students with emphasis in population cancer research. The University of Utah houses the Huntsman Cancer Institute, an internationally renowned cancer center with outstanding clinicians and scientists. The Division fosters the integration of cancer population sciences with clinical research and provides expertise on study design, molecular and translational epidemiology, and cancer prognosis, survivorship, and outcomes research. Many interactions on both the academic and research side take place, in particular with the Departments of Surgery, Oncological Sciences, and Pediatrics, the Division of Epidemiology in the Department of Internal Medicine, the Division of Public Health in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, the College of Health, the College of Nursing, and many more.

About Huntsman Cancer Institute

HCI is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), supporting and fostering a vibrant cancer research enterprise in a highly collaborative environment. HCI has an outstanding history of academic achievement and impact and a commitment to excellence in patient care, research, teaching, and service. In addition, the University of Utah and HCI are home to superb shared resources, such as the Utah Population Database as well as the Utah Cancer Registry, which is a long-standing and preeminent Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) site. HCI has extensive depth in population sciences research, coupled with a strong tradition of community-based research, and collaborations with clinicians to conduct transformational research for individuals and populations. As part of our scientific mission of excellence, we seek to positively impact the populations we serve, specifically those in Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.

Minimum Qualifications Preferences

• PhD in Epidemiology, Nutrition, Public Health, Biostatistics, or related field.
• Experience in population-based research and statistical modeling, including regression and longitudinal or mixed-effects methods.
• Strong publication record and scientific writing skills.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., R, SAS).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary, multi-site team.

Type Benefited Staff Special Instructions Summary Additional Information

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems ("URS"). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS' post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.

Veterans' preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at the: University of Utah Non‑Discrimination page.

Online reports may be submitted at https://oeo.utah.edu

https://publicsafety.utah.edu/safetyreport/ This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.

As per University of Utah policy 5-108: Transfer of Benefits Eligible Staff Members, a new hire to the University of Utah who is still serving a 12 month probationary period will not be hired into another University of Utah job (a transfer) until the successful completion of the probationary period.

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• • Do you meet the minimum qualifications of the position as specified in the job posting?

• Yes

• No

• Do you have any current relatives working in HCI?

(Open Ended Question)

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References

Optional Documents