Department Overview

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, known as one of the pioneers in personalized cancer medicine, is an international leader in research and cancer treatment. Driven by its mission to end cancer as we know it, the institute is building upon its expertise in targeted treatments to advance the early detection of cancer when the disease is most treatable.

KCI is a National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer center and has four scientific programs (Translational Oncology (TO), Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC), Quantitative Oncology (QO), Cancer Biology (CB)) that conduct high-impact research across the cancer continuum. The KCI aims to be the workplace of choice nationally and internationally for individuals to reach their potential and perform the most innovative research, education, and care in service to our patients, students, workforce, and community. We inform our work by the needs and the input of our community across the state and strive for a mission-driven work environment that is diverse in people and ideas, equitable in opportunities and promotes a climate of respect and trust. We expect all Knight Cancer Institute employees, faculty, and staff to support this aim and demonstrate these principles in their daily interactions. The KCI includes the Division of Oncological Science (DOS), which provides an academic home for cross-disciplinary cancer researchers who conduct team science within the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). DOS faculty represent multiple scientific disciplines, including data science, population science, and precision systems biology, which support innovation and translation of discovery to impact cancer patients and the broader population and promote transdisciplinary research.

Every Knight Cancer employee is expected to embody our guiding principles: 

• We act BOLDLY—Breakthroughs require pushing the boundaries of science, exploring new frontiers, and thinking differently
• We SUPPORT each other—Respect leads to trust, which leads to excellence
• We work as a CONNECTED team—We must leverage our collective brain power to conquer cancer because no one individual can do it alone 

Function/Duties of Position

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute (KCI) is seeking a highly qualified and motivated faculty member in a quantitative cancer research discipline to serve as the Director of the Cancer Data Science Shared Resource (CDSSR). The KCI has experienced exponential growth in research scope, strategic partnerships, clinical trials portfolio, faculty recruitment, and multiple centers of excellence, including the Center for Biomedical Data Science (CBDS). The rapid co-evolution of both technology and computational methods led to data-driven approaches becoming indispensable for basic, clinical, translational, and population research at KCI.

The CDSSR Director will be crucial in integrating and expanding services to meet the quantitative needs of cancer research at KCI, including, but not limited to, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computational biology, machine learning, knowledge systems, analytics, and other emerging data-driven and data-intense endeavors. The appointee will lead the CDSSR, ensuring that data science expertise is available to support the quantitative research needs of KCI members. The appointee will work with the Head of the Division of Oncological in recruitment of faculty who will contribute to effort in the shared resource. Additionally, the individual will maintain a robust personal and/or collaborative portfolio of cancer relevant research.

The position will include membership in a KCI scientific program and a faculty appointment in the Division of Oncological Sciences or appropriate clinical department at the Associate or Full Professor level, depending on qualifications. 

The CDSSR Director will report to the Associate Director of Shared Resource Management and, for the faculty appointment, will report to the head of the Division of Oncological Sciences or appropriate clinical department.  The leadership role is expected to be 30% effort for at least the first three years and the independent research effort is negotiable, with a minimum of 20%; the remaining effort will be dedicated to shared resource collaborative work.

Duties & Responsibilities

The CDSSR Director will be responsible for leading a shared resource that addresses the data science needs of Knight members across four scientific programs.  The CDSSR will focus on the development and application of algorithms, methods, and workflows for the analysis of complex and heterogeneous data predominant in cancer research and cancer care, as well as ensuring outstanding support for the diverse portfolio of clinical trials across the Knight disease groups.   The CDSSR Director will advance cancer research and transform cancer prevention and care at the Knight through innovation and collaboration in the quantitative sciences through the following mechanisms:

Leadership

• Build and inspire a diverse, collaborative team of data scientists that will transform cancer research and care at the Knight and provide robust service offerings from CDSSR;
• Provide vision, planning, and execution of a sound business model, ensuring CDSSR goals are aligned with the strategic goals of KCI;
• Attend Knight Scientific Leadership Committee (SLC), Knight Shared Resource Director meetings, KCI scientific retreats, and other key Knight meetings as appropriate for a CCSG-supported shared resource leader serving as subject matter expert on data science shared resources for Knight Cancer Institute and providing a data science lens to decision-making;
• Ensure CDSSR representation on KCI scientific and/or research committees as appropriate (e.g., Clinical Research Review Committee, Data and Safety Monitoring Committee);
• Serve as an expert on NCI P30 CCSG Guidelines, as well as institutional policies as they pertain to shared resources;
• Provide written CCSG progress reports in non-competing years for CDSSR. Every five years, actively engages in the preparations for the P30 CCSG competitive renewal written application and participates in oral and/or poster presentations, as needed. Participates in national conferences and working groups related to NCI designation as appropriate; and,

• Model and expect the following key behaviors within CDSSR: 1) promote a philosophy of continuous quality improvement 2) ensure the team meets or exceeds service-level understanding (SLU) standards; and 3) embody the KCI Guiding Principles of acting boldly, supporting each other, and working as a connected team;
• Promotes professional conduct and behavior of the highest integrity, exhibiting utmost respect for all members of the OHSU, scientific, and catchment area communities; demonstrates consistency of action and purpose with unquestionable forthrightness.

Translation

• Ensure new methods and workflows from CBDS, QO, and DOS are being democratized for Knight Investigators;
• Publish original research in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and present findings at national and international conferences; and
• Maintain current knowledge of the scientific activities in the four scientific programs.

Connection

• Increase capacity to triage and respond to analytic requests through the implementation of a business plan (e.g., FTE coverage, chargebacks)
• Facilitate collaborations with relevant CBDS, DOS, and QO faculty for more complex requests or longer-term methodology development;
• quantitative services and ensure CDSSR faculty and staff: (1) Develop and maintain services to support research needs (e.g., drop-in clinics, consultation) (2) Collaborate with cancer researchers to design studies, develop statistical analysis plans, and interpret findings; (3) Provide expert data science consultation for grant applications, ensuring methodological rigor and enhancing the competitiveness of proposals; and (4) Support clinical trials, basic science research, population-based and implementation studies, and translational research by offering high-quality biostatistical analysis and interpretation.
• Develop workshops or training materials in close coordination with Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) and CBDS based on Knight landscape analysis and educational portfolio to make sure Knight investigator needs are being met. 

Research Program

• Maintain a robust cancer research program, with extramural funding, as principal investigator or co-investigator;
• Participate in educational activities, such as supervising students, postdocs, and staff or teaching courses at the graduate level; and
• Participate in service activities within DOS, KCI, and the university, as well as within their scientific discipline

Required Qualifications

Education & experience:

• PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent degree, Associate Level professorship or higher and board-certified (as appropriate) in their related field;
• Ten or more years of experience as an independent principal investigator and/or collaborative investigator who leads key research activities (such as cores within multi-component grants) with a track record in quantitative oncology scientific research that demonstrates scholarship, leadership, and an ability to obtain external, peer-reviewed cancer-related research funding;
• Successful experience in a multidisciplinary setting;
• Excellent communication and conflict resolution skills; and,
• Demonstrated experience in multi/transdisciplinary program development in an academic medical center.

Additional Details

Apply online. Please be sure to upload a Cover Letter and Resume/CV.

We offer a variety of benefits on top of joining a thriving organization:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage at no or low cost to employees
  • Covered 100% for full-time employees and 88% for dependents
• Several retirement plans to choose from with contributions from OHSU
• 25 days a year of paid time off
• 8 days of sick time off
• Commuter subsidies
• Tuition reimbursement
• Access to group life insurance, disability insurance and other supplemental benefits
• Annual Merit Increase
• Growth/Development Opportunities
• Employee discounts to local and major businesses

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