A research assistant is needed to support a project in statistical methodology, supervised by Dr. Shakhawat Hossain and Dr. Zeinab Mashreghi from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. While research assistant positions are typically held by University of Winnipeg undergraduate students, this opportunity is open to senior undergraduate and graduate students from other universities. The role involves working under supervision toward defined research objectives, with opportunities for meaningful contributions to an academic publication.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a motivated research assistant to work on a project focused on statistical modeling in infectious disease epidemiology. The successful applicant will contribute to developing and evaluating non-penalty shrinkage methods for covariate selection in Individual-Level Models of infectious disease transmission. The work involves simulation studies, data analysis, and literature review. While research assistants are typically from the University of Winnipeg, in this case, applicants from other Canadian universities are welcome to apply.

Duties:

• Conduct a thorough literature review on shrinkage methods and Individual-Level Modeling of infectious diseases

• Contribute to the development of theoretical aspects of non-penalty shrinkage methods

• Implement statistical methods using R and perform simulation studies to evaluate model performance

• Analyze real-world infectious disease datasets using the developed methods

• Assist in preparing research findings for submission to a peer-reviewed journal

• Write and format reports and manuscripts using LaTeX

• Participate in regular meetings to discuss progress and collaborate with the research team

Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in a statistics program (undergraduate students in their fourth year, or graduate students)

• Strong background in statistical theory and methods

• Experience with R programming, data analysis, and simulation

• Interest in infectious disease modeling and high-dimensional data analysis

• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and attend regular in-person meetings at the University of Winnipeg

• Good communication skills and attention to detail

• Familiarity with LaTeX or experience contributing to academic publications is an asset

Condition(s) of Employment:

• Must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

The period of work will be from August 11, 2025 and the estimated total hours of work will be 400.

Note: The work described in this posting will be conducted in-person during this time.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognizes that a diverse staff and faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research environments, and is essential to academic and institutional excellence. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and encourage women, racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons to confidentially self-identify at time of application.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to ensuring employment opportunities are accessible for all applicants. If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact human_resources@uwinnipeg.ca.

The personal information of applicants is collected under the authority of the University of Winnipeg Act and 36(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All personal information collected via the recruitment process is used to assess the applicant’s suitability, eligibility, and qualifications for employment, and to otherwise support recruitment activities. This information will be provided to participating members of the recruitment process. Questions regarding the collection of your personal information may be directed to the Director, HR Services, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9 or human_resources@uwinnipeg.ca.