Position Title: Statistical analyst for the PERCH study

Duties & Responsibilities: Project summary: The Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) project aims to characterize the etiology of severe pneumonia in developing countries using standardized clinical and epidemiologic methods and state of the art laboratory tests. This case-control study will provide new information to drive development of vaccines and changes in diagnosis and treatment policies. PERCH is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is a major project of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) http://www.jhsph.edu/ivac. The PERCH Core team consists of an interdisciplinary team of study coordinators, epidemiologists, statisticians, laboratorians, and clinicians supported by administrative, budget, and contracts staff and a Data Coordinating Center (EMMES) responsible for the collection, management and primary analysis of the data. Over a two year period PERCH will enroll over 6,000 cases with severe or very severe pneumonia and an equal number of controls from 7 countries: Bangladesh, Mali, Thailand, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and The Gambia. In addition to laboratory and clinical data, data will also include chest x-ray images and auscultatory sound files. For more information and to see the PERCH protocol and other study documents, visit our website at http://www.jhsph.edu/ivac/projects/perch/index.html. To read a recently published supplement on PERCH methods, go to http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/suppl_2). Position summary: The Statistical Analyst will be a member of the PERCH Core Team located at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, and will work closely with senior JHSPH biostatisticians and epidemiologists to explore, summarize and analyze PERCH data. The Statistical Analyst will also work with counterparts at the Data Coordinating Center (EMMES) and at the field sites to assure standardization and quality control of analytic methods. As such, the successful applicant will be capable of working in partnership with a diverse group of international and local institutions, and ideally have experience working with field epidemiologists and biostatisticians in developing country settings. Excellent trouble-shooting, written and oral communication skills, and an ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team environment will be required. Ability to travel to international meetings is required, up to 5%. Examples of specific essential duties & responsibilities include: • Statistical, quantitative and data analysis and related programming using SAS. • Conduct exploratory and preparatory analyses to support and inform development of sophisticated analytic models for primary and secondary study objectives. • Manipulate and analyze study data for quality, performance, progress, and results. • Answer ad hoc data inquiries posed by the Core Team. • Participate in development of analytic datasets, including merging multiple sources of data from different datasets, developing checks for accuracy of records and conducting internal consistency checks, developing documentation for created analytic variables, coding, labeling, transforming, creating and cleaning variables. • Develop and implement standard analytical statistics, including univariate and multivariate analysis of categorical and continuous variables for association and calculating correlation coefficients, t-tests, nonparametic tests and analysis of variance working from written or verbal instructions. • Adapt a model programmed in R examining the association between infection, disease and other factors to examine subgroups and effects of stratification. • Assist in writing Data Analysis Plans for sub-analyses and sub-studies. • Develop automated scripts to report descriptive statistics. • Develop and maintain a library for analytic programs and datasets. • Prepare organized, clear reports for internal use and assist with manuscript preparation by writing statistical narratives and preparing graphs and tables that summarize results and visualize complex data. • Track and monitor data trends, raising concerns when necessary and providing insights and recommendations. • Checks own work to ensure accuracy and consistency/standardization across analyses. • Perform other tasks as assigned.

Position Qualifications: Qualifications: • Masters or PhD in informatics, biostatistics, epidemiology or a related field. • Experience analyzing large and complex databases for epidemiological research. • Proficiency with SAS programming required. • Ability to learn R sufficient to understand and modify an existing programmed model. • Experience with MS Excel, Word and PowerPoint. • Experience handling, manipulating and analyzing data sets. • Proficiency with basic statistical techniques. • Basic understanding of case-control studies. • Available and willing to travel domestically and internationally by air, as required, up to 5%. • Commitment to the objectives and mission of PERCH. Experience and skills: • Epidemiology, database design and data management experience. • Highly organized. • Ability to document work in a manner clearly understandable to others. • Ability to work on multiple projects in parallel while managing and meeting changing deadlines and priorities. • Experience with research in developing countries preferred but not required. • Demonstrated problem solving and trouble shooting skills. • Logical, statistical and quantitative reasoning skills. • Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail. • Ability to work effectively with a diverse range of partners and agencies across many time zones. • Ability to work both in a small team environment and independently. • Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills required. • Fluency in English required.

Salary Range: commensurate with experience

Benefits: JHU benefits for full-time faculty: http://benefits.jhu.edu/documents/FT-Fac-Exec.pdf

Web Site: http://www.jhsph.edu/ivac

Application Address: e-mail a cover letter and your C.V. as attachments to: Lawanda Lewis llewis@jhsph.edu. Please include “PERCH Statistical Analyst Application” in the subject of your email message. If you are unable to send a copy by e-mail, please fax a copy to +1 (410) 502-3732 with ATTN: PERCH on the cover sheet.

Contact Email: llewis@jhsph.edu

Application Deadline: 05/15/2012