Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Job Description:

I. Position Summary:

The Aging Research in Cardiology Program at the Hebrew SeniorLife Marcus Institute for Aging Research offers a two-year postdoctoral fellowship opportunity.

Our mission is to advance the cardiovascular care of frail older adults through innovative research and multidisciplinary collaboration. We aim to deepen the understanding of unique challenges faced by frail older adults, developing evidence-based strategies to enhance treatment outcomes and preserve quality of life. Under the mentorship and supervision of Harvard Medical School faculty, the fellow will develop their career skills and expertise in conducting database research (e.g., analysis of existing cohort study or real-world datasets, such as administrative claims or electronic health records) or patient-oriented research (e.g., primary data collection or interventional studies) on older adults with cardiovascular disease.

The main research areas are as follows:

• Cardiovascular epidemiology in older adults
• Utilization of cardiovascular drugs and medical devices in older adults
• Comparative effectiveness and safety of cardiovascular drugs and devices in older adults

An MD, PhD or equivalent degree in medicine, clinical disciplines, or public health is required. Prior experience in clinical geriatrics, gerontology, or aging research is strongly desired.

II. Core Competencies:

A successful candidate is expected to have several of the following competencies:

• Knowledge and skills: Fundamental knowledge in common cardiovascular diseases (e.g., atrial fibrillation, heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke) is expected.
• Creativity: Be inquisitive and open-minded to new ideas and trends in other related fields in order to develop novel ideas and hypotheses that can be tested in the aging research in cardiology.
• Critical and analytic thinking: Has abilities to critically appraise literature and interpret research data, with attention to the details.
• Responsibility: Has ownership and responsibilities of the ongoing projects as PI or co-investigator.
• Leadership: Has abilities to identify and address areas of inefficiencies in the research process and train other team members (e.g., research assistants, research associates, data scientists, and researchers) to maximize the team performance and productivity.
• Project management: Prioritize tasks to meet study deadlines.
• Computer skills: Has fundamental knowledge and experience with a statistical software (Stata, R, or SAS).
• Writing skills: Writes clearly for scientific papers or grant applications.
• Communication: Has ability to speak and write in English to communicate research procedures and results.
• Teamwork and collaboration: Works effectively within a team, group and across the organization and accomplishes tasks and desired results while behaving constructively as opposed to separately and competitively.

III. Position Responsibilities:

Under the mentorship and supervision of Dr. Ko and other Harvard Medical School faculty, the postdoctoral fellow will be involved in the following research activities:

Database research involves analysis of existing datasets from cohort studies and real-world databases, including administrative claims and electronic health records. This includes writing research protocols, conducting the analysis, interpreting the results, and preparing manuscripts within the major research areas outlined above.

Patient-oriented research involves designing and conducting a prospective cohort study or a clinical trial or participating in the ongoing patient-oriented research studies. This includes patient enrollment, data collection, and intervention design and implementation.

Throughout the fellowship, the fellow will participate in career development activities, such as Advanced Aging Research Seminar Series offered by the Hebrew SeniorLife Marcus Institute. It is expected that the fellow will seek independent funding opportunities, such as NIH career development awards or equivalent foundation award, during the two-year fellowship award period.

The above covers the most significant responsibilities of the position. It does not, however, exclude other duties, which would be in conformity with the level of the position. The candidate is expected to complete special projects as assigned.

IV. Qualifications:

• MD or PhD or equivalent in medicine, epidemiology, gerontology, and other related health sciences
• Commitment to pursue an academic research-oriented career in frailty research
• Track record in aging research, evidenced by peer-reviewed original publications
• Fundamental knowledge in and experience with a statistical software (Stata, R, or SAS)
• Self-motivated and goal-driven individual who can work independently and in a team
• Superb organization and multi-tasking skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

V. Physical Requirements:

• Requirements on file with Occupational Health

Remote Type

On-site

Hebrew SeniorLife is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.