Employment Opportunities

Northwestern University’s Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs; www.cbits.northwestern.edu) is seeking applicants for our NIMH T32 postdoctoral fellowship, “Multidisciplinary Training Program in Digital Mental Health” beginning July 2022. This fellowship focuses on mental health, and brings together a cohort of fellows in psychological science (psychology, psychiatry, and behavioral science) and human-computer interaction (HCI; computer science, communication, engineering, design, and human factors). The program provides fellows with research training and mentorship in both mental health and HCI research with the aim of preparing the next generation of digital mental health researchers. The program is co-led by Drs. David Mohr PhD, Darren Gergle, PhD, Madhu Reddy PhD, Emily Lattie, PhD, and. Drs. Mohr and Lattie are experts in the use of technology and psychological approaches for the treatment of mental health conditions. Drs. Reddy and Gergle are leaders in HCI as applied to medical settings with expertise in qualitative and quantitative methods. 

CBITs provides a unique scientific home for interdisciplinary scholars working in psychology, HCI, computer science, biostatistics, implementation science, and health disparities. The mission of the center is to design, evaluate, and sustainably implement digital mental health solutions in the context of real world care settings. 

Fellows work in a variety of complementary lines of research focused on digital mental health. This work will include collaborations with specialists in HCI, mental health, implementation science, social influences, and mental health disparities. The successful candidate will take a leadership role, overseeing individual research projects in multidisciplinary teams. Mentorship is available from experienced researchers who have federal and foundation funding including Drs. Mohr, Reddy, Lattie, and Gergle, as well as a variety of other faculty in both clinical science and HCI (see https://www.preventivemedicine.northwestern.edu/education/postdoctoral/digital-mental-health/mentors.html). 

The primary objective of this fellowship is to prepare the individual for an academically oriented career in fields relevant to technology and mental health. The fellow will have access to data for publications. The successful candidate will have a strong record of peer-reviewed publications and experience in digital mental health research. 

CBITs is dedicated to training fellows that will enhance diversity and equal opportunity in higher education and digital mental health research. As our healthcare and academic institutions serve increasingly diverse constituencies, it is vital to understand the ways in which differences in gender, class, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and other identities can both divide us and offer us better ways of thinking and working. The CBITs faculty encourage applications from diverse applicants and are committed to training fellows to work in an increasingly diverse society by promoting equity and justice for all individuals, actively working to eliminate barriers and obstacles created by institutional discrimination. 

To comply with NIMH rules, fellows must be US citizens or have permanent resident status. We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Appointments are for one year, renewable to two and will begin July 2023. To apply, please complete this form and include your CV, a letter of interest, a statement of your research interests and goals, three letters of recommendation, and 1-2 reprints or preprints of scientific publications. Letters of recommendation may be emailed by the recommender directly to cbits@northwestern.edu. If you have any questions, feel free to contact to David Mohr, PhD, or Emily Lattie, PhD, care of Sarah Hill (sarah.hill1@northwestern.edu), Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Department of Preventive Medicine, 750 N. Lake Shore Drive., 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611. Review of applications will begin in December, 2022.

The Department of Preventive Medicine (Nutrition Division) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM, Military Nutrition Division) are seeking a Postdoctoral level Visiting Scholar to conduct mentored research on a project to identify predictors of physical and cognitive resilience of direct relevance to service member health and performance and the general population. The position is based at Northwestern (Chicago, IL) where the candidate will spend most of his/her time analyzing phenotypic and genetic data from the UK Biobank, a cohort of about 500,000 men and women. The mentoring and training will be under the direction of Dr. Marilyn Cornelis, Assistant Professor. Dr. Harris Lieberman (USARIEM, Natick, MA) is the PI of the core project and will serve as an off-site mentor. The candidate will also work with research team members at other sites on various aspects of the project that will address biomarkers of nutritional status and health using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and US Army Special Forces Soldiers. Major emphasis will be placed on leading original analyses, writing manuscripts and career development. This position is anticipated to be for 1 year, with potential extension conditional on funding and performance.

The position is open to citizens or lawful permanent residents of the US. Applicants must have a PhD/DrPH/ScD/MD or equivalent at time of appointment. Strong knowledge of nutrition and genetic epidemiology is required. The candidate should have a record of original first-authored manuscripts in one or more of these areas, strong analytical research skills and experience with cluster computing and statistical software such as SAS and R for both data management and analysis.

Application Instructions

Please contact Marilyn Cornelis marilyn.cornelis@northwestern.edu with the following items

1. Cover letter describing previous achievements, research interests, career goals, and why the candidate is suitable for this position (maximum 2 pages)
2. CV and the names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers for at least two academic references.

The Exercise and Health Lab led by Dr. Siobhan Phillips in the Division of Behavioral Medicine in The Department of Preventive Medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is seeking applications from strong candidates for a new postdoctoral fellowship position in physical activity promotion.

This is a full-time position for an individual interested in understanding physical activity and sedentary behaviors, developing and implementing physical activity promotion and sedentary behavior reduction interventions in cancer prevention and control, and disseminating and implementing this research into practice. The funded fellow will actively participate in ongoing NIH funded studies focused on optimizing digital physical activity promotion in cancer survivors. Opportunities exist to contribute to project development, grant writing, study implementation and management, data analyses and manuscript writing (first- and co-author), and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students and staff. The fellow will receive guidance in the development of independent research interests and grant proposals. The fellow will be able to take full advantage of training, education, and mentorship opportunities offered through Northwestern University. The candidate is expected to work in a highly collaborative fast paced environment.

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Kinesiology, exercise science, psychology, public health or other behavioral/social sciences discipline or be enrolled in an accredited doctoral degree program and fulfill all degree requirements prior to program entry.
• Strong data analysis skills
• Prior experience conducting clinical or community based research related to physical activity promotion or sedentary behavior reduction, using digital health tools for data collection or intervention delivery and/or working with cancer survivors
• Strong work ethic and commitment to becoming an independent scientist
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and fluency in spoken and written English

Appointment

This is a two-year full-time research based postdoctoral fellowship opportunity. Award of the second year is contingent upon performance in year one of the fellowship. Applications are now being accepted and will be reviewed until the position is filled. Stipends are at the NIH-level for postdoctoral trainees and fellows.

Application Procedure

To apply, please submit a cover letter, CV, list of 3 references and a brief (1-2 page) statement of research interests, experience, career goals and interest in the position to Dr. Siobhan Phillips (smphillips@northwestern.edu).