City: West Lafayette

Job Summary

Applications are invited for the position of Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Dr. Bridgette Kelleher and Dr. Daniel Foti in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences. The candidate will be jointly supervised by Dr. Kelleher and Dr. Foti.

This position is through a NIH-funded project involving remote collection of laboratory-grade data from children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) to evaluate the progression of new or worsening structural and clinical features and identify risk factors for decline among severely affected children with CZS. Dr. Kelleher’s research uses telehealth-based methods to assess early development of children at risk for a variety of health outcomes, including autism. The candidate will support Dr. Kelleher in the design of the heart rate deceleration protocol for this project, assist with training staff to implement the protocol, and overseeing the data collection and processing. Dr. Foti’s research uses EEG methods to study the pathophysiology of psychiatric illnesses. The candidate will support Dr. Foti in the EEG Data collection, processing, and analysis for this project.

Job Responsibilities

The postdoctoral scholar will be an expert in psychophysiological methods, developmental science, and/or clinical science and be able to effectively lead and execute manuscript development pipelines. The scholar will also support open access of this study by administratively supporting an open science hub the Kelleher and Foti teams are developing to support cross-site collaboration across the study sites. The candidate will have sufficient expertise to independently draft manuscripts and analyze longitudinal data with support from the PIs. It is anticipated that 50% of the candidate’s time will be devoted to overseeing data collection and processing for the heart rate deceleration protocol, and 50% EEG data collection, processing, and analysis. They will also supervise a team of course-credit undergraduate research assistants to clean and process data collected throughout this award. Some flexibility may be possible in how the candidate’s time is divided. It is anticipated that across focal areas, approximately 1/3 of the candidate’s time will be spent on writing manuscripts. Additional mentorship and opportunities for grant writing and collaborative writing projects are also possible.

Qualifications

Ph.D. in psychological sciences, human development, speech and/or language, neuroscience, biostatistics or a closely related field

• Commitment to supporting an inclusive and diverse laboratory environment
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills and professionalism as a collegial team member
• Strong organizational and time management skills with emphasis on accuracy and attention to detail
• Strong experience with Microsoft Excel and Word
• Strong experience with data management and analysis (experience with longitudinal analyses preferred but not required), including independence with use of SAS, SPSS, and/or R software
• Ability to efficiently multitask and meet deadlines
• Skill in taking initiative, assuming responsibility and handling confidential information with discretion
• Valid US or Canadian driver’s license

Additional Information

The position is 40 hours per week with a duration of one year; long-term funding is possible pending additional funding. Application review begins immediately. Salary will follow NIM guidelines. Please submit a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position. The candidate will join Dr. Kelleher’s Neurodevelopmental Family Lab. This team includes over 30 members, including postdocs, graduate students, undergraduates, and staff who work together to facilitate research that optimizes outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families. Diversity and inclusion are central to our lab’s mission, and we encourage applications from candidates who will prioritize facilitating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our community. Additional information about the NDFL is available at nddfamilylab.weebly.com. Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.