Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Anthropology

Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Anthropology

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Anthropology at The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar to investigate the relationship between oral health, race/ethnicity, and the human oral microbiome using the CDC National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This NIH-funded position will focus on understanding how oral microbial communities mediate differences in oral and systemic health using an evolutionary health framework. There will be a specific emphasis on applying advanced bioinformatics and statistical approaches to large, population-level datasets in this research. The successful candidate will join the microARCH team led by Dr. Laura Weyrich. MicroARCH is situated within the Department of Anthropology and the One Health Microbiome Center and collaborates with an international, interdisciplinary team across anthropology, microbiology, and dental health.

Responsibilities:

Analyze oral microbiome data from NHANES and related datasets to identify patterns linked to oral health outcomes and health disparities.
Apply and develop bioinformatic pipelines, statistical models, and computational tools to assess associations between microbial composition, oral health status, race/ethnicity, and broader measures of health.
Contribute to manuscripts, conference presentations, and grant applications in this research area.
Collaborate across a team of faculty, postdocs, and students in anthropology, microbiology, and public health.
Engage with broader discussions on the ethical and social dimensions of oral microbiome research, particularly in the context of health inequalities.

Required Qualifications:
A Ph.D. in Anthropology, Microbiology, Epidemiology, Public Health, Biostatistics, Computational Biology, or a related field at the time of appointment.
Demonstrated expertise in bioinformatics, statistics, microbiome data analysis, and/or computational methods.
Experience working with large population-level datasets (e.g., NHANES data sets or other large-scale equivalent).
A strong record of peer-reviewed publications and scientific communication.
Commitment to research that integrates biological, social, and ethical perspectives on oral health.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience analyzing oral microbiome datasets (16S, shotgun metagenomics, or metatranscriptomics).
Advanced programming and data science skills in R, Python, or other relevant languages.
Familiarity with frameworks for studying race, racism, and health disparities.
Experience developing reproducible pipelines and working in high-performance computing environments.

The College of the Liberal Arts is committed to offering professional growth and promotional opportunities for non-tenure-line faculty appointments. Information on faculty ranks and progression can be found at

Interested candidates must submit an online application at Penn State's Job Posting Board , and should upload the following application materials: a cover letter describing research background, experience in bioinformatics/statistics and/or with complex survey data (e.g., with sampling weights), and interest in the position, an up-to-date curriculum vitae, a two-page research statement outlining their broad research interests and how these connect to their long-term career goals, and contact information for three references. System limitations allow for a total of 5 documents (5mb per document) as part of your application. Please combine materials to meet the 5-document limit.

For information on the position, please contact Tina Rader at [email protected] .

Visit our website at for more information about Penn State's Department of Anthropology.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university's teaching, research, and service mission.

Apply online at

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS:
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