Assistant Professor of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences

The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences (DPPHS) in the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine is one of the nation's premier institutions of population health and public health sciences, with a base of over 110 core faculty members and over 800 students, as well as over $50M in external funding for research. The department is building on current strengths to promote the transdisciplinary research and training needed to address today's many pressing population health issues, including tobacco and substance use, pollution and climate change, health disparities with attention to race, sex, age, socioeconomic status and other relevant factors, and the risk factors that drive obesity, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and other chronic diseases. The Department's scholars recognize that these challenges are overlapping and interconnected in ways that demand coordinated and integrated evidence-based solutions that utilize big data and state-of-the-art analytic methods to identify novel risk factors and associated precision public health and policy approaches to improve human health. To do so, the DPPHS conducts research that leverages its location in one of the largest and most diverse populations in the urban United States-Los Angeles County-as well as its collaborations with partners across the United States and globally. The Department is a national leader in transdisciplinary research, education, and training in population and public health sciences.

The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the University of Southern California invites applications for a tenure-track position at the level of Assistant Professor in the area of health behavior data analytics as applied to large, complex data sets that address the development and prevention of multiple health risk behaviors. We seek an accomplished scientist with a PhD or equivalent degree in Public Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, or a related discipline, whose research program focuses on digital environments and their influence on health behavior. The successful candidate will have expertise in computational social science and the study of social media and digital platform ecosystems, including platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and/or emerging digital environments, and will examine how these platforms shape health behaviors through mechanisms such as influencer marketing, digital advertising, and other commercial determinants of health, incorporating theoretical principles of health communication. Particular emphasis will be placed on research that investigates tobacco, nicotine, cannabis, or related substance use products, especially in relation to youth and young adult populations.

The ideal candidate will also have experience evaluating the behavioral and perceptual impact of digital health content, including the use of experimental or quasi-experimental designs to assess how exposure to online messaging influences attitudes, risk perceptions, and health behaviors. In addition, the candidate should demonstrate experience working with large-scale digital and behavioral data sources, including social media data and longitudinal survey data, and should be proficient in advanced analytic approaches such as social network analysis, computer vision, natural language processing, or machine learning methods, as applied to psychosocial health behavior issues. The successful applicant will be expected to establish or maintain an active NIH- or equivalent-funded research program, demonstrate strong peer-reviewed publication productivity, and show evidence of leadership or leadership potential in national organizations or conferences.

The faculty appointment will be in the Division of Health Behavior Research (HBR), which includes faculty from diverse disciplines including Psychology, Public Health, Sociology, Statistics, and Communication, reflecting the Department's highly collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to public health research. HBR faculty investigates a wide range of health risk behaviors, including tobacco and substance use, health communication, obesity and physical activity, diet, cancer survivorship, and HIV/STD risk. The Division is well known for its work across the translational spectrum, from efficacy trials to dissemination and policy-relevant research.

The Department and the Division of Health Behavior Research have active teaching and training programs at the undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels, providing opportunities for teaching, mentoring, and building a research program supported by doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. The recruitment package is highly competitive and includes housing assistance, protected time to develop research and teaching, and access to trainees supported by NIH T32 training.

The annual base salary range for this position is $130,000-$150,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market as external market and organizational considerations.rograms.

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a research statement, a brief summary of research accomplishments and future goals, and contact information for three references to: Ricky Bluthenthal at ricky.bluthenthal@med.usc.edu

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be part of a world-class research university and a member of the Trojan Family. USC values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. Women and men, and members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.