Postdoctoral Fellow (Clinical Epidemiology / Pharmacoepidemiology)

Job Description

Postdoctoral Fellow (Clinical Epidemiology / Pharmacoepidemiology)

VA St. Louis Health Care System St. Louis, MO On-site

About the Clinical Epidemiology Center

The Clinical Epidemiology Center at the VA St. Louis Health Care System is recruiting multiple Postdoctoral Fellows in clinical epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology.

The Center is directed by Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, an internationally recognized leader in clinical epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology (TIME100 Health honoree; Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher). Our team leverages large-scale electronic health records and advanced epidemiologic/causal inference methods to generate evidence with real-world impact. We have a strong publication record in leading journals (e.g., Nature, Science, Nature Medicine, NEJM, JAMA, BMJ, and others).

Position summary

Fellows will gain advanced, hands-on experience designing and executing real-world evidence studies using the U.S. Veterans Health Administration national healthcare databases. You will contribute to study design, analysis plans, statistical analyses, interpretation, and preparation of manuscripts and presentations.

Fellows are expected to contribute to a robust pipeline of high-impact publications and will be supported in pursuing extramural funding (VA, NIH, and others) and transitioning to independence in academia, industry, or related paths.

Fellowship tracks (choose one)

Clinical Epidemiology Track

Focus: long-term health effects of COVID-19 and other acute infections, vaccine effectiveness, and infectious disease epidemiology.

Pharmacoepidemiology Track

Focus: comparative effectiveness and medication safety using advanced causal inference methods.

Key responsibilities

Design observational studies and emulate target trials using VHA data

Develop statistical analysis plans; implement reproducible workflows

Conduct and interpret analyses (causal inference / confounding control)

Draft manuscripts, abstracts, and presentations; respond to peer review

Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team and contribute to methodological innovation

Required qualifications

Doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) in epidemiology, biostatistics, statistics,

Strong SAS programming skills (required)

Excellent scientific writing and communication; ability to present results clearly

Commitment to collaborative, team-based research

Preferred qualifications

R and/or Python experience

Causal inference experience (e.g., target trial emulation, propensity scores, g-methods, ML for causal inference)

Experience with large datasets/EHR-based research

Demonstrated publication record

Appointment, salary, and location

Renewable annually (appointment renewal contingent on performance)

Salary: $75,815 + $22,744 fringe paid directly to employee; total package $98,559

Start date: Target April 2026 (flexible for exceptional candidates)

Location: VA St. Louis Health Care System, St. Louis, MO — not remote/virtual

Work authorization

· Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at start date.

· Candidates currently in the U.S. on OPT will be considered.

· H-1B may be possible for candidates already in the U.S., subject to institutional eligibility and approvals.

How to apply

Please submit: (1) CV, (2) brief cover letter indicating preferred track and methodological interests, (3) contact information for 2–3 references

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are filled.

Full-time