Postdoctoral Fellow (Rutgers University)

The Aging & Brain Health Alliance at Rutgers University-Newark is now seeking two Postdoctoral Fellows interested in applying a broad range of techniques and methodologies to the study of aging and Alzheimer’s disease prevention in older urban African Americans. The two positions are in cognitive neuropsychology and gerontology/epidemiology.

For the cognitive neuropsychology position, we are interested in candidates with a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, or experimental psychology, and a strong background in behavioral studies of human cognition, especially in the elderly or in those with neurological disorders. For the gerontology/epideminology position, we are interested in candidates with a PhD in gerontology, public health, or epidemiology, and strong quantitative skills, as well as empirical research training, in biological, psychosocial, sociodemographic, genetic, and cognitive health influences on aging.

Both opportunities include collaboration on new data collection and/or secondary data analysis from the Pathways to Healthy Aging in African Americans longitudinal cohort study (NIH/NIA R01AG053961), as well as the Exercise to Improve Brain Health in Older African Americans randomized controlled trial (NIH/NIA R01AG078211).

The primary responsibilities of these positions include data management (merging datasets, longitudinal data management, creating variables) and data analysis (advanced multivariate and longitudinal analyses such as latent class analysis, mixed effects models, structural equation modeling, linear and logistic regression). Both positions offer the opportunity to build and develop skills related to research, including trainings in professional career development and the disciplines of neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and gerontology.

These postdoctoral fellows should expect to begin serving as a leader within their research teams (e.g., managing projects, mentoring research assistants), developing manuscripts and conference presentations, as well as their own line of research in efforts to secure a future independent faculty position.

We have an extensive program of community engagement in the Greater Newark area through which we recruit older African Americans into both longitudinal cohort studies and non-pharmacological intervention clinical trials. We also have a large (over 50 people) interdisciplinary team, with over a dozen affiliated faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, staff and students from neuroscience, psychology, public health, epidemiology, toxicology, biostatistics, kinesiology and movement, and other fields.

For additional details, lecture videos, an overview of our current lab members and faculty affiliates, as well as downloadable publications, press coverage, and research summaries, please visit our website here. An overview of our current research and community engagement programs can be watched here.

Interested applicants should possess strong quantitative and biostatistics skills for the analysis of multi-modal, experimental data, including the use of relevant software (SAS, SPSS, R, Stata). Applicants may have a Ph.D. in any related field, but must have the skills required as identified in the list above. Applicant should also have strong English-language writing skills, including experience writing and submitting first-authored academic journal articles and, potentially, research grants.

Salary is commensurate with years of postdoctoral experience per the National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Service Research Awards (NRSA) and comparable to other Rutgers University postdoctoral neuroscience positions.