The Harvard Medical School Curriculum Fellows Program (HMS CFP) is seeking applications for a Biomedical Informatics Curriculum Fellow (CF) for the Department of Biomedical Informatics. This postdoctoral program targets early-career scientist-educators, emphasizing curriculum development, teaching, and educational programming in the biological and biomedical sciences.

The Biomedical Informatics Curriculum Fellow collaborates with a diverse cohort of Curriculum Fellows, leveraging individual expertise while closely engaging with Harvard Medical School faculty and administration to craft, implement, and assess evidence-based graduate training. Fellows benefit from mentorship and career guidance, nurturing their growth as educators and facilitating success across various education-focused careers. Further details are available on the HMS CFP website.

The primary role of the Biomedical Informatics Curriculum Fellow will be to support the Master of Medical Sciences in Biomedical Informatics (MMSc-BMI) program housed in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School. This program includes a rigorous combination of core coursework and a year-long full-time thesis research project. As part of the team leading this master’s program, the curriculum fellow will ensure that the program’s offerings provide opportunities for students to develop skills in data science in the context of medicine and biological science to improve human health.

The CF will report directly to and receive mentorship from Dr. Aparna Nathan (Associate Director of the MMSc-BMI program) and Dr. Aimee Hollander (the Curriculum Fellows Program Director). The MMSc-BMI program will work with the successful candidate to identify a faculty mentor in their scientific area of expertise.

The primary responsibilities of the Biomedical Informatics Curriculum Fellow are expected to include:

  • Work with the MMSc-BMI Program leadership and faculty to expand the Master’s curriculum and keep it current, including maintenance and updates of the curriculum map
  • Provide instructional support to teaching faculty, including developing or identifying course-related content
  • Co-teach the MMSc-BMI biomedical informatics research skills courses BMI 717 and BMI 718
  • Contribute to the assessment and evaluation of MMSc-BMI courses and provide recommendations
  • Develop, implement, and support paracurricular activities, including events, workshops, and career development initiatives as needed
  • Participate in the admission process
  • Develop and facilitate a teaching fellow (TF) training workshop each term
  • Lead writing of manuscripts about educational research conducted as part of the role
  • Pursue additional opportunities to improve Biomedical Informatics education, including collaborations with other departments and affiliates as needed
  • Participate in weekly MMSc-BMI team meetings
  • Participate in strategic planning initiatives as needed

Additionally, the Biomedical Informatics Curriculum Fellow will also have specific responsibilities to the CFP:

  • Take required courses including Teaching 100 and Teaching 101
  • Participate in weekly CFP group meetings and pedagogical journal clubs.
  • Present at university-wide workshops on curricular and pedagogical topics.
  • Assist in developing and teaching the curriculum for the NIH-mandated Responsible Conduct of Science (RCOS) course.
  • Assist with the organization of the Graduate Science Education Series (GSES)

Basic Qualifications

Candidates are expected to have a Doctorate-level degree in a Biomedical Informatics-related field (e.g., computational biology, computer science, biostatistics, etc.), along with experience teaching at the graduate or undergraduate level. Candidates who are currently finishing their doctoral work but have not yet graduated are encouraged to apply.

Qualified candidates will be evaluated based upon their:

  • Demonstrated quantitative expertise and experience with biomedical data
  • Proficiency in either R or Python, preferably both
  • Familiarity with practices related to collaborative and reproducible scientific work
  • Ability to work collaboratively with multiple faculty and administrative partners to develop new courses and educational/training opportunities
  • Ability to apply pedagogical best practices, including evidence-based teaching methods and technological innovations to the classroom
  • Ability to make recommendation to faculty on the application of evidence-based teaching practices to existing courses
  • Ability to work independently to identify and implement optimal solutions to diverse problems
  • Organizational, written and oral communication skills
  • Demonstrated interest or experience with teaching and/or curriculum development in higher education settings
  • Ability to support collaborations across departments in a fast-paced academic environment

Apply

Applications should be submitted via ARIeS, Harvard's Academic Recruiting Information eSystem.

Applications received by February 1st, 2025 will receive a full review. Applicants who apply after the deadline must email cfp@hms.harvard.edu to alert the hiring team you’ve applied.

The ideal start date for this Curriculum Fellow is approximately April 28, 2025, however there is flexibility to start later. This is a full-time position and the candidate will be expected to work in person on the HMS campus in Boston, MA 3-4 days per week. The CF appointment is renewable annually for a maximum of three years and is non-tenure-track.

Below are the required application materials needed to apply:

  • A cover letter that addresses your interest in and qualifications for the position. Please highlight your experience in teaching, curriculum development and biomedical informatics research in your cover letter.
  • A curriculum vitae.
  • A teaching statement. The teaching statement is an opportunity to describe your philosophy of teaching in the context of your own experiences. A discussion of diversity, equity and inclusion is an important component of the teaching statement. Submissions will be evaluated according to the guidelines found on our website.
  • The names and contact information of three professional references.

We are committed to cultivating an inclusive workplace culture of faculty, staff, and students with diverse backgrounds, styles, abilities, and motivations. We appreciate and leverage the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals.

Harvard Medical School Mission and Community Values

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Questions

For questions, please email cfp@hms.harvard.edu.