Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Company: Columbia University
Location: New York
Posted on: June 2, 2025

Job Description:

The Obstetrics Department is seeking a motivated Postdoctoral Research Scientist. The full-time Post-doctoral Research Scientist (PRS) position is supported by a research grant funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) and will include collaborations and mentorship with the Department of Biomedical Informatics. The successful candidate will conduct, and lead aspects of, research within the fields of maternal morbidity and mortality and informatics, with a specific focus on the inpatient labor and delivery and post-partum patient population. Research will include mixed methods, both quantitative modeling of EHR data and qualitative data collection with clinical subject matter experts. Specifically, this research will investigate how EHR data can reliably identify clinical-management factors associated with failure to rescue in the setting of maternal emergencies such as: (i) severe hypertension, (ii) obstetric hemorrhage, (iii) sepsis, and (iv) frankly abnormal maternal vital signs (maternal early warnings systems). In this project, the PRS will leverage the richness of EHR data to characterize provider behavior and risk stratify patients. This research provides an excellent opportunity for the RF to work within a multidisciplinary research team to explore maternal morbidity and mortality and informatics research. The RF will contribute to the ongoing research projects and be encouraged to lead publications and prepare grant proposals.
Current available position is grant-funded. The PRS will be mentored by the Principal Investigator.

Job Responsibilities:

• 
  
• Collaborate on large research projects with increasing responsibility
  
• Lead small to medium size research activities
  
• Mentor pre-doctoral trainees on specific research tasks
  
• Disseminate research findings (at least 2 dissemination activities per academic year
  
  
  
  
  The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is dedicated to the goal of building a multicultural faculty and staff committed to teaching, working and serving in a diverse community, and strongly encourages applications from candidates of traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
  We are continuously seeking to recruit individuals who will enhance the diversity of our workplace and the effectiveness of our organization.
  Minimum Qualifications:
  
  
  • 
    
  • PhD degree in biomedical informatics, nursing informatics, computer science, information science, computational linguistics, data mining, or a closely related field; or an MD/PharmD with demonstrated strength in Biomedical Informatics research.
    
  • Expertise in maternal health research
    
  • Experience in biomedical informatics research; ability to plan and carry out research experiments and projects.
    
  • Works independently and participates productively as a team player.
    
  • Superior analytical and problem-solving skills, including a creative and self-motivated mindset.
    
  • Strong written and oral communication skills required.
    
    Preferred Qualifications:
    
    
    • 
      
    • Candidates with experience in the areas of EHR data modeling are strongly encouraged to apply.
      
    • Programming experience in computer programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, C#, etc).
      
    • Experience with statistical informatics methods.
      
    • Experience with SQL and data warehouses.
      Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
      
      Pay Transparency Disclosure
      
      The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Keywords: Columbia University, West Hartford , Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Other , New York, Connecticut