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The Department of Biostatistics and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine community invite you to become
part of an outstanding research environment where your experience is valued and emphasis is placed on
continued learning. First among academic medical centers in growth of NIH funding, we seek all levels of master’s
and PhD biostatisticians to join us in contributing to advancements in science and medicine.
We currently have openings at all levels: full professor, associate professor, assistant professor, and senior and
junior MS biostatisticians, and BS biostatisticians. We are especially seeking associate professors, faculty-level
senior MS biostatisticians, and persons with leadership experience in a data coordinating center who will create
and direct a new center in the department.
All candidates should have excellent written and verbal communication skills along with knowledge of modern
statistical computing, especially R/S-Plus. We are particularly looking for individuals with expertise in clinical trials,
health services and outcomes research, Bayesian methods, high-dimensional data analysis, statistical methods in
epidemiology, or multicenter clinical trial data management.
Information for BS Statisticians
Information for MS Statisticians
Information for Faculty (Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor)
About the Department
Growth
Education
Collaboration
The University Community
About the University
About Nashville
Arts
Sports
Outdoors
Living
How to Apply/More Information
Additional Links
Vanderbilt
Attractions
Sports
Around the State
Nashville Information
The department is actively recruiting applicants for biostatistician I positions. Job requirements include a
bachelor's degree in biostatistics, statistics, or mathematics, as well as strong skills in communication, computer
science and other quantitative fields. Knowledge of R/S-Plus, Java, Python, Perl, Ruby, or related languages is
strongly preferred. Employees will focus on data management, programming and statistical computing, and will be
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Vanderbilt Biostatistics : Main.JobOpenings
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supervised by a senior biostatistician or faculty member. These positions will allow room for growth in statistical
skills.
Job requirements:
master’s degree in biostatistics or statistics
excellent computing and written and verbal communication skills
ability to work well with both fellow statisticians and other researchers
thorough knowledge of modern statistical methods, computing and software (especially R or S-Plus; also
includes SAS and MATLAB)
Exceptional qualities:
experience in consulting and teaching
background in areas such as clinical trials, health services and outcomes, high-dimensional data, and
longitudinal data
2+ years of experience for junior statisticians and 5+ years for senior statisticians
MS statisticians perform a variety of duties depending on their assigned research areas and interests. Some
examples include grant writing, statistical programming, data management, statistical teaching, assisting with
methodological research, and analysis of various types of data, including small pilot studies, clinical trials and
epidemiological databases.
The department has a defined career path for all employees. Junior biostatisticians are supervised by a faculty
member, while the most senior MS biostatisticians have faculty appointments. There is a weekly meeting for MS
statisticians in which topics such as career development and statistical methods are discussed. All MS
biostatisticians are eligible for generous benefits, including professional development funds, medical, dental and
vision insurance, and tuition benefits for employees, spouses and dependents. More information on benefits can
be found through Vanderbilt’s Human Resources department at http://hr.vanderbilt.edu/benefits.
These positions require a PhD in biostatistics or statistics with significant experience in biomedical research.
Extensive expertise in biostatistical methodology is essential. These positions require the candidate to vigorously
pursue extramural funding, publish in prominent journals, and actively participate in teaching programs of the
Department of Biostatistics and School of Medicine. Specific skills necessary are statistical modeling and
inference, clinical trials, health services research, Bayesian methods, study design, and collaboration.
Growth
The biostatistics department was created in 2003 under the leadership of Frank Harrell and has grown
tremendously in the past three years. We currently have 22 PhD faculty biostatisticians, 7 senior and 22 junior MS
biostatisticians, and 12 computer systems analysts, with plans to expand over the next several years. We plan to
begin classes for an MS program in biostatistics in fall 2009, with a PhD program to follow in the next few years.
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Education
We emphasize lifelong learning for all department members. Many opportunities for continued education are
available within the department, including seminars, master’s meetings, and workshops on subjects such as R,
Linux, and scientific writing. Each employee receives funds annually for additional professional development.
Collaboration
Rather than focusing on short-term consulting projects, we develop long-term relationships with departments in the
School of Medicine so that we learn about the diseases and processes we are studying, improving our ability to
contribute to scientific advances. To facilitate these relationships, the department has a defined collaboration plan
for biostatisticians and researchers.
The University Community
The Department is an integral part of Vanderbilt’s School of Medicine. In addition to our relationships with many
departments in the School of Medicine, we provide statistical expertise to those who are not part of our official
collaboration plan through events such as seminars, workshops and daily biostatistics clinics. Department
members often participate in journal clubs and seminars with their medical research colleagues, and several of our
faculty teach courses in Vanderbilt’s MPH and MSCI programs.
For more information on the department, our philosophy and our goals, see our department goals page.
Vanderbilt University is an independent, private research university with an enrollment of over 11,000
undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The University comprises 10 schools and colleges, a public
policy institute, a distinguished medical center and the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center, all located on the
330-acre campus. With over 20,000 employees, Vanderbilt is the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee
and the second largest private employer in the state.
The School of Medicine is ranked in the ISI top five for research impact in clinical medicine and pharmacology and
received $282.3 million in total NIH funding in 2007, representing a ranking of 10th out of US medical schools. The
School has interdisciplinary relationships with other University departments in areas such as imaging, proteomics
and developmental disorders. Vanderbilt University Medical Center was recently named once again to US News &
World Report's "Honor Roll" of hospitals - one out of only 21 in the country.
In 2009, Vanderbilt became the first educational institution to be named one of Fortune's 100 Best Places to
Work.
147 Reasons to Work at Vanderbilt
Best known as the home of country music, our city has many other characteristics that make it a great place to
live. Nashville is a center for the health care, finance, publishing, music, and transportation industries, is home to
several universities, and has a diverse population. Nashville was chosen as Kiplinger’s #1 Smart Place to Live for
2006. Vanderbilt's Human Resources department has prepared an excellent video about the city.
Arts
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Nashville is most famous for its history with country music: the Grand Ole Opry hosts shows every weekend, the
Ryman Auditorium (the “Mother Church of Country Music”) is a favorite venue for intimate concerts, and the
country music industry is based on Midtown’s Music Row. However, there is far more to Nashville’s music
community. Artists from every genre come here to live, record and perform. The Sommet Center hosts several
large concerts yearly. There is a vibrant local music scene, encompassing genres from Americana to punk. The
Bluebird Cafe is a renowned venue for songwriters to perform their own material in a very personal environment.
Bonnaroo, a music festival held every summer in nearby Manchester, TN, brings an impressive lineup of both up
and coming and well-known artists to the state.
Art lovers will enjoy the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, housed in an art deco former post office and home to
rotating exhibits and the ArtQuest gallery for hands-on learning. Centennial Park, across West End Avenue from
the Vanderbilt campus, includes an art museum inside the Parthenon and is the base for the annual Shakespeare
in the Park series. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center hosts Broadway shows, operas and ballets, as well as
productions by the Tennessee Repertory Theatre. Smaller venues such as Franklin’s Boiler Room Theatre allow
more intimate performances and involvement by local actors. The Nashville Symphony is housed in the recently
completed Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which has advanced acoustical features, natural lighting, a
custom-built organ, and a convertible seating system to accommodate performance types from classical to
cabaret.
Sports
Athletics is a favorite Nashville pastime, as the city has professional, semi-professional, and university teams in
several sports. The city’s best-known team is the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, who play at LP Field on the east bank
of the Cumberland River. Hockey fans will enjoy going to Nashville Predators games at downtown’s Sommet
Center, located on historic Lower Broadway. For a great night out with the family, head to a Nashville Sounds
baseball game. The Sounds are a AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Belmont and Lipscomb Universities play in the Atlantic Sun Conference; their “Battle of the Boulevard” is an
anticipated local event. Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro plays in the Sun Belt Conference.
Vanderbilt plays in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference. The VU baseball team advanced to the
regional championships in the 2007 NCAA tournament, and pitcher David Price received the 2007 Golden Spikes
award for national player of the year. Football, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball tickets are available
to Vanderbilt faculty and staff at reduced rates.
Outdoors
Middle Tennessee is home to many recreational areas, but there are great places for outdoor recreation right
inside the city. Nashville’s parks and recreation department organizes sports leagues for all ages. The Edwin and
Percy Warner parks are the largest city-administered parks in the state, with 2684 acres for picnics, sports,
walking, running, golf, horse trails, and hiking. Municipal golf courses are available at seven locations. Radnor
Lake State Park has six miles of hiking trails, all within Nashville’s borders. Percy Priest Lake and Old Hickory
Lake are both partially located within Nashville city limits, as are the Harpeth and Cumberland rivers.
Outside metropolitan Nashville, Montgomery Bell State Park in nearby Dickson County has cabins, campgrounds,
and a golf course. Fall Creek Falls, about an hour and a half drive east from Nashville, is one of the highest
waterfalls east of the Rockies; the state park has accommodations and trails for biking and hiking. The Great
Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most visited parks in the country, is a four-hour drive east of town.
The Smokies contain not only great hiking trails, fishing, biking, and camping, but also historic sites such as
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Newfound Gap and Cades Cove.
Living
Whatever style of living you choose can be found in the Nashville area. Loft apartments, condominiums and
townhouses are common in the downtown, Gulch and West End areas. East Nashville and Sylvan Park feature
Victorian houses and tight-knit neighborhood atmospheres. For those looking for a suburban lifestyle, Nashville
has plenty to choose from. If you like a more rural setting, try adjoining Wilson or Cheatham counties.
Nashville is growing quickly, and has the retail and restaurants to prove it. East Nashville and the
Vanderbilt/Belmont areas are home to a variety of independent shops and cafes. The Mall at Green Hills, just
down the road from the Vanderbilt campus, houses designer stores including Burberry, Juicy Couture, Swarovski,
Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton. Cool Springs, just south of Nashville, is a large retail area drawing customers
from all over the region. Opry Mills, in northeast Nashville, adjoins the Opryland Hotel complex and features
shopping outlets, the Rainforest Café and Aquarium restaurants, Dave & Buster’s, and an IMAX theater.
Southern cooking is, of course, prevalent around the area; local favorites include Swett's meat-and-three and the
Loveless Cafe. But thanks to Nashville's diversifying population, many ethnicities are also represented on the
restaurant scene, including everything from Italian and Mexican to Ethiopian and Persian, casual family restaurants
to swank fine dining.
More information on Nashville's demographics, population, leisure, weather, and history, as well as relocation
information and a cost-of-living comparison, can be found at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce website.
To apply or request more information for faculty positions, email a cover letter and CV to biostat@vanderbilt.edu.
Please send CVs in pdf format.
To apply for bachelor's or master's positions, go to the Vanderbilt Jobline and search for "biostatistician," or
enter requisition number RM12344 (biostatistician I - bachelor's degree), RM12341 (biostatistician II - minimal
work experience), or SF10192 (biostatistician III - several years of work experience). For more information
regarding staff positions, contact Jennifer Thompson at ms_recruit@vanderbilt.edu or (615) 322-9301. Please
note that this email address is for information and questions only. We cannot accept applications via email; you
must apply through Jobline. Thank you.
For what to expect during the staff statistician application and hiring process, please see our application process
page.
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Attractions
Grand Ole Opry
Country Music Hall of Fame
Ryman Auditorium
Bluebird Cafe
The Hermitage
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art
Belle Meade Plantation
Historic Downtown Franklin
Opry Mills
Opryland Hotel
Sports
Tennessee Titans
Nashville Predators
Nashville Sounds
Around the State
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Tennessee State Parks
Bonnaroo
Nashville Information
The Tennessean
The City Paper
Nashville Scene
All the Rage Entertainment Calendar
2007 Guide to Nashville
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau
Topic revision: r41 - 20 Jul 2009 - 11:04:04 - JenniferThompson
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