Senior Research Scientist, Disease Modeling (11-Month LTE)

Gates Foundation•Seattle, WA

About The Position

IDM is building a nutrition modeling program aimed at transforming fragmented evidence on micronutrient deficiencies into decision-grade insights for the Foundation's Nutrition; Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition & Health (MNCNH); and Tuberculosis/Discovery & Translational Science (TB/DTS) programs. We are seeking a nutrition epidemiologist to join the PDD team for an 11-month limited term engagement to help establish and lead a flagship project within this emerging strategy. Senior Research Scientist will bring deep expertise in micronutrient and vitamin deficiency epidemiology and will work at the intersection of nutrition science, infectious disease, and quantitative modeling. The role is particularly focused on characterizing the burden and etiology of micronutrient deficiency in high-priority settings — with anemia (iron and/or folate deficiency) and vitamin A deficiency in sub-Saharan Africa as an initial use case — and on linking nutritional status to outcomes across a range of infectious diseases including TB, malaria, HIV, maternal/neonatal disorders, and vaccine-preventable infections. This work will directly inform Foundation programmatic strategy and contribute to a cross-portfolio modeling backbone that integrates nutrition into IDM's existing disease modeling infrastructure. This is an 11-month limited-term position intended to be based in Seattle, WA with foundation benefits. Relocation will not be provided.

Requirements

PhD in nutritional epidemiology, epidemiology, global health, biostatistics, or a closely related field
Demonstrated expertise in micronutrient and vitamin deficiency epidemiology, including familiarity with the biological mechanisms linking nutritional status to health outcomes
Strong quantitative and statistical modeling skills, with proficiency in R and/or Python
Experience working with complex, multi-source datasets including biomarker data, dietary surveys, and population health surveillance, with a strong preference for demonstrated familiarity in applying or contributing to datasets such as BRINDA (Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia), DHS (Demographic & Health Surveys), etc.
Track record of peer-reviewed publication as well as clear scientific communication to non-technical audiences
Ability to work independently and manage a focused research project within a defined timeline
Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located. The Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. This includes direct company sponsorship and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (eg: H-1B, O-1, L-1, E, OPT, STEM-OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).

Nice To Haves

Experience working in or modeling nutritional outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa
Familiarity with GBD methodology, DALY attribution, or burden of disease frameworks and their limitations in nutrition contexts
Experience linking nutritional epidemiology to infectious disease outcomes (e.g., TB, anemia, maternal and child health)
Background working at the intersection of nutrition and microbiome, immunology, or maternal health
Experience collaborating across disciplinary teams including computational modelers and global health program staff

Responsibilities

Lead a flagship analysis characterizing the burden, etiology, and geographic distribution of micronutrient and vitamin deficiency in priority geographies, identifying population-level hotspots where nutritional deficiency overlaps with high infectious disease burden — with an emphasis on settings where standard attribution approaches (e.g., GBD DALY estimates) may over- or under-estimate true impact
Integrate multi-source data — including biomarker-based surveillance (e.g., BRINDA, DHS, national micronutrient surveys, tissue & biobanks such as CHAMPS), dietary survey data, infectious disease prevalence data, and routine health system data — into a unified statistical framework that captures the complexity of nutritional deficiency across populations and life-course states
Apply a mechanistic understanding of how micronutrient status shapes host immunity, disease susceptibility, and intervention performance to contextualize epidemiological findings across pathogens (TB, malaria, HIV, diarrheal diseases, maternal and neonatal disorders, and vaccine-preventable infections such as measles)
Develop analytical frameworks to evaluate synergistic effects of multiple micronutrient deficiencies and their interaction with infectious disease, inflammatory state, and the performance of interventions such as fortification, supplementation, vaccines, and disease prophylaxis
Collaborate with IDM modelers to translate statistical findings into inputs for dynamic and transmission modeling frameworks. Partner with Foundation program teams (Nutrition PST, MNCNH, TB/DTS) and external collaborators to ensure analyses are aligned with real-world programmatic decisions
Communicate findings clearly to diverse audiences including scientists, program officers, and Foundation leadership; contribute to peer-reviewed publications and internal strategy documents