Epidemiologist

**Grade***: P1

**Contractual Arrangement***: Fixed-term appointment

**Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days)**

**Job Posting***: Aug 3, 2023, 12:42:45 PM

**Closing Date***: Aug 25, 2023, 4:59:00 PM

**Primary Location***: France-Lyon

**Organization***: Cancer Surveillance

**Schedule***: Full-time

**PURPOSE** **OF** **POSITION**

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization. The objective of the IARC is to promote international collaboration in cancer research.

The goals of the Cancer Surveillance Branch (CSU) are:
1. To ensure that locally recorded high-quality cancer data are available to governments in countries in transition, to inform priorities for national cancer control.

2. To serve as a reference to the global cancer community in the provision of national cancer indicators.

3. To describe and interpret the changing magnitude and transitional nature of cancer risk profiles worldwide.

To advocate the health, social, and economic benefits of preventive interventions, through a systematic quantification of their impact.

The Cancer Surveillance Branch (CSU) has recently received a mandate from its Member States to quantify the health impact of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of health system and national strategies to mitigate disruptions and impact on the burden of cancer. This is part of IARC's mandate as a reference source in the provision of evidence to support cancer prevention through global cancer data.

Building on several collaborative projects within CSU, the aim is to better understand the impact of crises on the burden of cancer, and provide, data-driven, policy options that health systems can adopt to mitigate and recover from such crises. The incumbent will develop modeling frameworks using existing global statistics and related research activities at IARC to build policy scenarios that minimize impact of delays and disruptions during and after crises in health systems. The incumbent will be expected to contribute to the development of tools for inclusion in IARC’s Global Cancer Observatory (GCO) based on quantification of the public health, societal and economic impact of specific cancer control strategies, often with a special emphasis placed on cancer prevention and low
- and middle-income countries. Cooperative work with internal and external technical partners is an integral part of this role; the incumbent will work closely with CSU supervisors as well as national and academic partners.

The position reports to the Deputy Head of CSU. The incumbent undertakes research activities linked to better understanding on the role of cancer policies and resilient health system on the global cancer burden. The incumbent will interact with different groups at IARC, WHO and other international and national research institutions to co-develop health impact assessment related to different options of cancer prevention and control programmes.

**DESCRIPTION** **OF** **DUTIES**

1) Conduct research to better understand the impact of crises, health policies and resilient health system on cancer burden, including:
a) Synthesize the impact of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer burden including cancer prognosis.

b) Develop modeling frameworks to quantify the impact of policies and their up-scale to reduce the burden of cancer and build-back better after crises

c) Quantification of the impact of cost-effective cancer policies on the current and future cancer burden.

2) On the basis of research undertaken, support the integration of relevant results into a Cancer Impact Tool under development within the GCO;
3) Prepare and disseminate scientific manuscripts;
4) Contribute to resource mobilisation with a view to attracting research funding from direct or competitive sources;
5) Liaison with partners and collaborators, internally and externally to enable the research plans of the Branch;
6) Perform other related duties as may be assigned by the Supervisor or Branch Head.

**WHO** **COMPETENCIES**
- Producing results
- Moving forward in a changing environment
- Fostering integration and teamwork
- Technical Expertise
- Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

**REQUIRED** **QUALIFIC**A**TIONS**

**EDUC**A**TION**

**Essential**: PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology or related field.

**Desirable**: Training in a statistical or mathematical modeling.

**PROFESSIONAL** **EXPERIENCE**

**Essential**:At least one-year professional experience in health research part of which in cancer research.

**Desirable**: Experience in international research project or/and population-data analysis

**USE** **OF** **LANGUAGE** **SKILLS**

Expert knowledge of English is essential.

Working knowledge of French or another official language of the United Nations would be an asset.

**FUNCTIONAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE**

**Essential**:

- Good knowledge of epidemiology and statistics in particular