The interdisciplinary research programs of Drs. Oana Zeleznik and Rulla Tamimi are seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to join a growing, well-funded research program. Our research aims to advance precision prevention, early detection, and improved health outcomes by integrating epidemiologic methods with multi-omics and advanced computational approaches to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer and other chronic diseases.
Our research program leverages large prospective cohorts, population-based biobanks, multi-omics platforms, and multidisciplinary collaborations to identify molecular mechanisms and biomarkers of disease risk, early detection, progression, and survival. Current projects investigate cancer, sensory disorders, and other age-related chronic diseases, with applications spanning ovarian, breast, and lung cancer, tinnitus, glaucoma, and related conditions.
The Research Associate will work closely with Drs. Zeleznik and Tamimi and an interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, biostatisticians, clinicians, and computational scientists to design and conduct innovative research integrating epidemiologic and multi-omics data. The successful candidate will contribute to ongoing NIH-, Department of Defense-, foundation-, and industry-funded research, lead peer-reviewed publications and competitive grant applications, mentor students and research staff, and help expand a growing collaborative research program.
The Department of Population Health Sciences is the flagship population health research department at Weill Cornell Medicine, bringing together investigators across epidemiology, biostatistics, health data science, informatics, health policy, healthcare delivery science, and comparative effectiveness research and collaborating closely with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP). The Division of Epidemiology provides a highly collaborative environment dedicated to advancing innovative population-based research and training the next generation of epidemiologic scientists. Researchers benefit from extensive collaborations across Weill Cornell Medicine and NYP, as well as access to exceptional computational infrastructure, large prospective cohorts, population-based biobanks, electronic health records, and multi-omics datasets that support cutting-edge translational and population health research.
The successful candidate will collaborate closely with an interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, biostatisticians, clinicians, and computational scientists. Responsibilities include:
- Designing and conducting innovative research integrating epidemiologic and multi-omics data.
- Developing and applying computational, statistical, and machine learning methods for high-dimensional biomedical data.
- Leading and contributing to peer-reviewed publications and competitive grant applications.
- Mentoring students, postdoctoral fellows, and research staff.
- Contributing to the continued growth of a collaborative, innovative, and externally funded research program.
Applicants should hold a Ph.D. and have postdoctoral experience demonstrating expertise in the analysis and integration of high-dimensional biological data, such as metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics. Experience working with large population-based cohorts or biobanks is highly desirable. Expertise in machine learning, artificial intelligence, deep learning, or other advanced computational methods for biomedical data analysis is encouraged.
This position offers an outstanding opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge population health research while developing an independent research trajectory within a highly collaborative academic environment. The successful candidate will have opportunities to lead high-impact publications, contribute to competitive grant applications, pursue independent funding, and participate in multidisciplinary, team-science initiatives supported by federal agencies, private foundations, and industry collaborators.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter stating specific reasons for their interest and a brief statement of career goals, curriculum vitae, and names of three professional references. Application materials should be submitted to Oana Zeleznik at ozeleznik@med.cornell.edu. Review of applications will begin on September 16, 2026, and will continue on a rolling basis.
Applicants may also include, if they wish, a brief statement describing their contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion through research, mentorship, service, or education. This statement is optional and applicants are not expected to disclose any aspect of their identity.
Appointment Term: One year, with possible reappointment based on performance and funding availability.
Location of Appointment: The Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Population Health Sciences is located at 425 E. 61st St., New York, NY 10065. Hybrid arrangements may be considered on an individual basis.
Benefits: A summary of employee benefits can be found on the WCM Human Resources website.
Visa Options: Candidates applying for this position could be eligible for a J-1 Exchange visitor visa and the H-1B temporary worker visa.
Salary: The starting salary will be commensurate with years of experience and ranges from $110,000-$130,000.
Weill Cornell Medicine provides the above salary range in compliance with the New York City law on Salary Transparency in Job Advertisements. The salary range listed is for full‐time employment not including bonuses, clinical incentive compensation, or benefits. Actual salaries depend on a variety of factors including but not limited to internal equity, specialty, training, and hospital/community needs.
The above salary range for New York City based roles represents WCM’s good faith and reasonable estimate of possible compensation at the time of posting.
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