Job Description

Scientific Advisor, GEMINI


GEMINI (www.geminimedicine.ca) is a unique big data platform in the Canadian healthcare landscape using advanced methods and analytics to extract and standardize data captured in hospital electronic health records. GEMINI currently holds data on all medical and ICU inpatients from 35+ ON hospitals, linking structured administrative data to detailed clinical data extracted from electronic health record systems. GEMINI data are stored on a high performance computing environment and are used by a large community of clinicians, scientists, and students for observational research, quality improvement, and artificial intelligence applications. GEMINI is a platform for Ontario hospitals to accelerate research and quality improvement, leading to excellent hospital care.


We are looking for a highly motivated Scientific Advisor to join our team. This is a full-time one-year position integrated within the GEMINI Research Team, working closely with a dynamic team of Data Scientists and Clinician-Researchers.





The Scientific Advisor will provide expertise to research projects in a broad range of clinical areas, often in tandem with a Data Scientist and Clinician-Researcher. The Scientific Advisor will provide end-to-end guidance throughout the research process, and will provide particular expertise in observational study design, applied biostatistics, and implementation of analyses in R or Python. The Scientific Advisor will lead specific writing projects including grants, research project proposals, statistical analysis plans, and manuscripts. The Scientific Advisor will support a variety of strategically important work streams.

Duties and Responsibilities

Research (65%)

Prepare research protocols, project proposals, and analysis plans.


Provide end-to-end guidance throughout the research process, offering particular expertise in observational study design and applied biostatistics.


Support external collaborators and internal staff in the planning and coordination of research projects and other strategic deliverables.


Advise the design and implementation of basic to advanced statistical and machine learning models using R or Python.


Guide external collaborators at ICES in the planning, coordination, and execution of research projects using the GEMINI-ICES linked datasets.


Serve as an expert in GEMINI data holdings.


Advise development and implementation of new indicators and derived variables for research purposes based on GEMINI's data elements to maximize research quality and efficiency.

Writing (20%)

Lead writing projects including grants, research project proposals, statistical analysis plans, manuscripts, early funding pitches, and other writing as needed.


Lead and assist in the development of manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals, consulting with Program Leads, Principal Investigators, the GEMINI team, and other research collaborators.


Design and draft internal and external documentation establishing best practices in research, effective use of GEMINI data, and documenting project-specific analysis considerations, etc.


Prepare and deliver public presentations as needed, for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Managerial (15%)

Provide guidance and direction to Data Scientists on research projects, and assist in setting project goals, checkpoints, and timelines.


Manage competing priorities from different internal and external collaborators.


Mentor junior team members and provide guidance in research design, technical areas, and stakeholder engagement.


Chair research meetings as directed or required between GEMINI staff and external collaborators.


Participate in meetings, including project steering committees, and perform knowledge translation activities with the research team and research collaborators.


Other tasks as needed, in consultation with the Scientific Lead.

Qualifications:

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Academic and Core Experience


Graduate degree (PhD preferred) in clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, outcomes and evaluations research, public health, or a related discipline.


At least 3 years of healthcare research experience or demonstrated equivalent combination of specialized education and relevant experience. Experience with health administrative data or electronic health record (EHR) data is required.


Strong record of leading large-scale academic writing including research grants, academic publications, and research proposals.


Skilled at synthesizing comments and feedbacks from subject matter experts into a single cohesive piece of academic writing.


Data and Analytical Expertise


Advanced knowledge in inferential statistics and data science, specifically working with large messy health datasets.


Strong working knowledge of methods in observational clinical research, and experience with multiple study design and analysis formats.


Expertise in observational study design and applied biostatistics.


Demonstrated ability to analyze and problem solve in the areas of data management and preprocessing, modeling and evaluation.


Experience or familiarity with research involving structured administrative data linked to detailed clinical data extracted from electronic health record systems


Proficiency in R, encompassing data processing, EDA, data visualization, statistical analyses, and machine learning. Includes knowledge of common R libraries.


Knowledge of reproducible code practices (Git) and experience performing detailed code review to identify and rectify mistakes in complex scripts.


Managerial Experience


Experience mentoring junior team members and providing clear, practical guidance in research design and technical areas.


Experience managing several competing priorities and deadlines.


Experience organizing and coordinating several stakeholders, both internal and external.


Strong interpersonal, critical thinking and communication skills.


Preferred


Experience with the CIHI Discharge Abstract Database and National Ambulatory Care Reporting System is an asset.


A detailed understanding of ICES data holdings is an asset.


Experience with using a high-performance computing environment is an asset.


Experience with GenAI tools is an asset (as an end-user).







Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process. When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.