Postdoctoral Fellowship (NHGRI Immersive Simulation)

How can we use the unique capabilities of immersive technologies to improve health research and healthcare? This is question the Immersive Simulation Program aims to answer by building, evaluating, and studying the next generation of immersive research tools and health interventions.

We are now seeking a postdoctoral fellow with substantive research expertise in immersive or related technologies, including studies with human research participants to develop, implement, and evaluate methods and research tools, analyze multimodal data, and communicate findings through manuscripts and presentations. Potential research areas include:

1. Methods and pipelines for generating and evaluating purpose-built virtual environments, experimental stimuli, and virtual agents
2. Analysis and integration of multimodal data (e.g., behavioral, physiological, eye tracking, wearable-based) to inform and assess research and clinical implementation of immersive technology
3. Theoretical and empirical work to establish best practices and models for the development and implementation of immersive technology in healthcare
4. Experimental research to expand understanding of media technology influences, human-computer interaction, and the psychology of immersive experience

Fellows will have flexibility to develop research aligned with their interests while contributing to our ongoing projects. We offer individualized mentorship from Dr. Susan Persky and professional development support that is aligned with your research interests and career goals, as well as opportunities to participate in basic and translational research in medical XR research, including clinical trial work conducted at the NIH Clinical Center.

Prospective fellows can expect access to scientific communities, seminars, training programs, research infrastructure, and interdisciplinary expertise across NHGRI and NIH. Stipend and benefits consistent with NIH postdoctoral appointment policies.

Prospective candidates should have a doctoral degree in computer science, human-computer interaction, biomedical engineering, cognitive science, psychology, communication, and/or a related field, received within the last 5 years. Candidates should have demonstrated experience applying computational and/or AI/ML methods in research, including model development, adaptation, and evaluation, as well asstrong data science and quantitative analysis skills, including experience preparing, analyzing, and interpreting complex datasets and proficiency in scientific programming (e.g., Python or R).

Candidates should also have experience conducting human subjects research, excellent written and oral communication skills, and preferably, experience working with Extended reality (XR) development using game engines such as Unity or Unreal, 3D content creation, and/or development of embodied conversational agents. Experience with physiological, sensor, wearable, or other multimodal behavioral data, including time-series analysis or integration of data streams, is also welcome. Familiarity with XR-relevant theory (e.g., presence, embodiment) is a plus.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply. NIH welcomes foreign nationals with the exception of individuals from this list.

Selection for this position will be based solely on merit, with no discrimination for non-merit reasons such as race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, age, or membership or non-membership in an employee organization. The NIH encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.