Postdoctoral Fellow

massgeneralbrigham; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

Mass General Brigham is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to work in the Cognitive-Motor Behavior Lab at the Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions. The role focuses on clinical and rehabilitation research in multiple sclerosis, including project management, study design, data analysis, and dissemination.

Initial work includes a trial of pharmacological and rehabilitation interventions in MS. The fellow will gain training in rehabilitation trial designs, mixed methods, hybrid trials,

Qualifications

• PhD in a health or rehabilitation field.
• Clinical training in a health or rehabilitation specialty (e.g., physical therapy) or well-aligned expertise without a clinical degree (e.g., kinesiology, human movement science).
• Interest in pursuing a career in rehabilitation research in MS.
• Ability and willingness to commit to a minimum of 2 years to the postdoctoral fellowship.

Responsibilities

• Mentor-directed research activities (50%) Dalfampridine combined with physical therapy for improving mobility impairment in people with MS
• Sensorimotor mechanisms of fatigue in MS
• Visual attention and postural stability during distracted walking
• Examination of longitudinal rehabilitation outcome data in people with progressive MS
• Identifying barriers to accessing rehabilitation by people with progressive MS
• Other lab projects
• Postdoctoral fellow directed research activities (30%) Development of an independent project related to MS rehabilitation and aligned with the focus of the Cognitive-Motor Behavior Lab
• Professional development (10%) Participation in weekly lab meetings
• Supervisory responsibility and mentorship of doctoral and masters students
• Conference attendance and participation
• Attendance at weekly doctoral seminar

Skills

Critical thinking

Biostatistics

Movement analysis

Cognitive assessment

Publication record

Communication skills

Collaboration

Problem solving

Education

PhD in health/rehabilitation

Clinical training in PT or related

Tools

Movement analysis systems

Cognitive assessment tools

Job description

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

Postdoctoral Fellow

The Cognitive-Motor Behavior Lab at the Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions (Principal Investigator: Dr. Prudence Plummer) is seeking a postdoctoral scholar (40 hours per week) to work on clinical and rehabilitation research in multiple sclerosis (MS). The position is funded by a National MS Society Mentor-Based Postdoctoral Training Grant.

The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for aspects of project management across several types of projects, new project design and development, data analysis, and dissemination activities. Initially, the postdoctoral fellow will play a crucial role in managing an ongoing clinical trial of combined pharmacological and rehabilitation interventions in people with MS and other studies investigating mechanisms of fatigue, visual attention during postural control tasks, and intervention-related clinical outcomes under different models of care. Information about the lab and projects can be found here: https://www.mghihp.edu/research/labs-facilities/cognitive-motor-behavior-lab.

The Mass General Brigham community is an outstanding environment for training in clinical and rehabilitation research. The successful fellow will receive training in developing scientific concepts and related analytical designs with a focus on rehabilitation clinical trials, mixed, methods, hybrid trials, and implementation science to prepare the postdoctoral fellow to contribute significantly to the field of rehabilitation research in MS.

Qualifications

Principal duties and responsibilities

• Mentor-directed research activities (50%) Dalfampridine combined with physical therapy for improving mobility impairment in people with MS
• Sensorimotor mechanisms of fatigue in MS
• Visual attention and postural stability during distracted walking
• Examination of longitudinal rehabilitation outcome data in people with progressive MS
• Identifying barriers to accessing rehabilitation by people with progressive MS
• Other lab projects
• Postdoctoral fellow directed research activities (30%) Development of an independent project related to MS rehabilitation and aligned with the focus of the Cognitive-Motor Behavior Lab
• Professional development (10%) Participation in weekly lab meetings
• Supervisory responsibility and mentorship of doctoral and masters students
• Conference attendance and participation
• Attendance at weekly doctoral seminar

Selected courses, training workshops, seminars (10%), may include:

• Responsible Conduct of Research
• Statistical methods
• Implementation Science workshops
• Design and conduct of clinical trials
• Grant writing courses and workshops
• Navigating NIH pathway to independence

Education, experience, qualifications

• PhD in a health or rehabilitation field.
• Clinical training in a health or rehabilitation specialty (e.g., physical therapy) or well-aligned expertise without a clinical degree (e.g., kinesiology, human movement science).
• Interest in pursuing a career in rehabilitation research in MS.
• Ability and willingness to commit to a minimum of 2 years to the postdoctoral fellowship.

Skills required

• Excellent critical thinking and appraisal skills
• Ability to learn quickly with sufficient resources and training, analytical thinker
• Strong background in statistics, biostatistics
• Experience with movement analysis systems and/or cognitive assessment
• First author of one or more peer-reviewed scientific publications or preprint
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Ability to collaborate with other lab members and scientists

Additional Job Details (if applicable)

The compensation range for this role is between $$71,750 - $81,179. Candidate experience is thoughtfully considered throughout the recruitment process, and those with significant experience may be considered for compensation above the starting range listed, as consistent with organizational guidelines and internal equity

Years of experience

• 0 $71,750 - $73,544
• 1 $73,544 - $75,382
• 2 $75,382 - $77,267
• 3 $77,267 - $79,199
• 4+ $79,199 - $81,179

Remote Type

Onsite

Work Location

Two Constitution Wharf

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Employee Type

Regular

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

EEO Statement

1700 The MGH Institute of Health Professions, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gend