Training in Pediatric Cancer Epidemiology
At the heart of our division is training the next generation of researchers with the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to excel in their fields and contribute meaningfully to the global body of knowledge. Trainees have the opportunity to work in a variety of research settings including classical epidemiology, statistical genetics/computational biology, laboratory bench science, and clinical investigations. Along with coursework specific to pediatric cancer, strong graduate school degree programs at the University of Minnesota in Epidemiology (PhD), Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (PhD and MS) and in Clinical Research (MS) offer opportunities for courses in epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, biostatistics, cancer biology, genetic epidemiology, immunology, clinical trials/methods, and field research. Further, students have several unparalleled opportunities for supervised translational research projects in stem cell biology, human and animal research, study design and development, statistical analysis approaches, and individual and team grant writing.
Trainees who graduate from our programs will have the capacity to undertake high impact pediatric cancer research across a spectrum of disciplines. All trainees will participate in monthly pediatric epidemiology seminars, an annual retreat, and present their own research at national meetings. All trainees will receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research and in grant writing/preparation. Support is available for tuition, conference travel, research, and professional development, as appropriate.
Successful candidates should have strong methodological/quantitative skills, an interest in genetics/genomics and precision medicine, and experience with analytical programming. They should have formal training in statistical genetics or genetic epidemiology, or training that will transfer easily to population genetic research (e.g. computational biology, bioinformatics, data science, or machine learning). Under-represented minorities are especially encouraged to apply.
Open Positions
Research Fellowship in Translational & Genomic Pediatric Cancer Epidemiology
This training program emanates from the Division of Pediatric Epidemiology and Clinical Research and the Masonic Cancer Center. This program provides opportunities for both pre- and post-doctoral students to enhance their research training and experience in translational pediatric cancer epidemiology. The notable feature of this training grant is an exposure to a multi-disciplinary group of investigators who are highly interactive in their research endeavors. This program allows translational pediatric cancer epidemiology trainees an opportunity to integrate cross-educate in pediatric cancer epidemiology, biology, etiology, and clinical research.
There are three open positions each year: two post-doctoral and one pre-doctoral. It is expected that post-doctoral trainees will choose to obtain a Master's degree in Clinical Research through the Graduate School. Pre-doctoral students will be formally admitted into the PhD program in Epidemiology. For pre-doctoral fellows, the fellowship supports the Ph.D. degree. A minimum of three years on fellowship is anticipated, with a five-year maximum. For post-doctoral fellows, a two-year minimum commitment to traineeship is expected, with a three-year maximum. Under-represented minorities are especially encouraged to apply.
View the Research Fellowship Page for More Information
Additionally, pre-and-post-doctoral students may be supported through other sources of funding, such as federal grants, research assistantships, philanthropy, and other University support:
Post-doctoral Students
Post-doctoral trainees with eligible doctoral or medical degrees (e.g., PhD, DrPH, MD) may have diverse educational backgrounds and training, provided their degree is public health-related or translational to public health, and have demonstrated career orientation toward independent research in an academic, clinical, or public health setting.
Pre-doctoral Students
Pre-doctoral students may be enrolled in a variety of excellent graduate programs at the University of Minnesota including, but not limited to, Epidemiology (PhD), Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (MS and PhD), and in Clinical Research (MS).
Epidemiology or Biostatistics PhD students or GRAs (Epidemiology or Biostatistics PhD/MS programs)
Currently seeking PhD or MS students enrolled in the Epidemiology or Biostatistics PhD/MS programs to be supervised by Assistant Professor Cindy Im, PhD, MPH. By implementing biostatistical analyses and genetic/genomic analyses in childhood cancer survivorship and outcomes research, trainees will have the opportunity to: (a) solidify/develop their skills in applied biostatistics and/or statistical genetics; (b) improve their data presentation and writing skills; (c) engage in high-impact research; and (d) expand their professional network through research collaborations that extend across institutions in the US and internationally. GRAs are welcome to consider developing thesis/dissertation projects through this experience. For current students: please note that UMN transcripts and faculty references may be requested upon interview.