Staff Physician (NIAAA)

The NIAA Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism conducts innovative clinical and translational research examining the relationship between chemosensation—including taste, smell, and chemesthesis—and metabolic regulation and brain function. Specifically, the Section investigates how individual differences and disruptions in sensory perception influence eating behavior, alcohol consumption, metabolic health, and neurological function in conditions such as obesity, alcohol use disorder, and neurodegenerative disease.

As such, our research program integrates comprehensive clinical phenotyping with neuroimaging, metabolic monitoring, molecular and genetic profiling, computational modeling, artificial intelligence, and virtual-reality-based approaches. See here for additional information.

This prospective Staff Clinician will direct evaluation, medical management, and ongoing clinical care of research participants enrolled in SenSMet and our collaborative NIH clinical research protocols. This physician will maintain an active clinical presence and work directly with participants throughout their involvement in research studies. Primary clinical responsibilities will include:

• Screening and evaluating prospective research participants for study eligibility
• Obtaining and reviewing comprehensive medical histories
• Performing physical examinations and other clinical assessments
• Reviewing laboratory, imaging, and other diagnostic findings
• Developing and documenting clinical management plans
• Monitoring participants’ health and safety throughout study participation
• Evaluating and managing adverse events and other clinical concerns
• Providing appropriate clinical follow-up
• Coordinating specialty consultations and referrals when needed
• Ensuring that participant care is safe, timely, coordinated, and consistent with NIH Clinical Center standards

This Staff Clinician will work closely with Dr. Joseph and a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, research coordinators, neuroscientists, imaging specialists, behavioral scientists, and data analysts. This individual will contribute medical expertise to protocol design, participant eligibility criteria, informed-consent materials, clinical standard operating procedures, safety-monitoring plans, regulatory submissions, and the interpretation of clinical findings.

In addition to direct patient care and protocol responsibilities, the Staff Clinician will also be expected to contribute actively to the Section’s scholarly activities, such as reviewing and synthesizing relevant scientific literature, contributing to the interpretation of clinical and research data, and the drafting and revising scientific manuscripts. This clinician can also expect to prepare abstracts, posters, and oral presentations and respond to coauthor and peer-review comments, such that they can confidently present our findings at scientific meetings and internal research conferences.

This Staff Clinician will have opportunities to lead or co-lead manuscripts and other scholarly products based on the individual’s interests, experience, and contributions. This individual may also serve as an associate investigator on clinical protocols and contribute to the clinical education and mentorship of fellows, trainees, and research staff.

Salary and benefits will be commensurate with education and experience and will be determined in accordance with applicable NIH policies and appointment authorities.

Candidates must possess an MD or DO degree and be board-certified and/or board-eligible, as well as professional licensed, in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Endocrinology, Neurology, Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, and/or another medical specialty relevant to the clinical and research responsibilities of this position.

Candidates must also be able to be credentialed at the NIH Clinical Center. The most successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to direct, participant-centered clinical care, excellent clinical judgment and medical documentation skills, and an interest in clinical and translational research. Candidates with an interest in writing and contributing to peer-reviewed manuscripts, abstracts, presentations, and other scholarly products are strongly encouraged to apply. Strong written and verbal communication skills are a must, as is the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary clinical research team.

Clinical experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable:

• Obesity or metabolic medicine
• Chemosensory disorders
• Alcohol use disorder or addiction
• Neurological or neurodegenerative conditions
• Clinical neuroscience
• Complex clinical and human phenotyping.

Prior experience with human-subjects research, clinical protocol implementation, Good Clinical Practice, and/or scientific research is preferred but not required. Physicians with strong clinical backgrounds who are motivated to develop or expand their clinical research and scientific-writing experience are still encouraged to apply.

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