Postdoctoral Fellow

LOCATION: Susquehanna Imaging / Autism Development Medical Institute

DEPARTMENT: Bioethics Grants

WORK SCHEDULE: Days

WORK TYPE: Full Time (1.0 FTE)

JOB SUMMARY:

Postdoctoral Research Position to Study Public Understanding of Genetics/Genomics

Professors Michelle Meyer and Christopher Chabris are seeking an outstanding researcher for a position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Geisinger Health System. The position is fully funded by a three-year grant to Professor Meyer to investigate the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of social/behavioral genetics as well as certain kinds of clinical genetic information (i.e., polygenic scores). ELSI research should be understood broadly. Within the context of the grant, it includes (but is not limited to): how people understand genetic information, especially personalized information; how they view themselves, others, or human traits, behaviors and outcomes in light of this information; how they behave in response to this information; and how people understand and respond to scientific knowledge about the relationships between genes, behavior, health, and disease.

The postdoc will primarily carry out collaborative behavioral science research aimed at investigating these and related questions and will be encouraged to propose studies within the broad scope of the grant. The postdoc will report to Professors Meyer and Chabris. They will join the interdisciplinary Meyer-Chabris Lab and the broader growing community of social scientists at Geisinger (e.g., its Behavioral Insights Team). They will collaborate with other researchers across disciplines inside and outside of Geisinger, and will be based in either Lewisburg or Danville, Pennsylvania (with remote work a possibility for exceptional candidates). The postdoc will assist in planning and carrying out web-based surveys, field studies, and archival research, and in analyzing general patterns of responses as well as individual differences. They will be expected to employ a combination of approaches, from the identification and analysis of existing real-world data sets, to the design and analysis of field or lab intervention studies. We are particularly interested in candidates with strong statistical and/or computational skills. Other duties include contribution to ongoing research projects, preparation of talks and participation in seminars, and drafting reports, grant applications, and papers for publication. There will also be opportunities to collaborate on relevant bioethics, law, and policy articles.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

Potential to work independently and complete complex assignments. 

Demonstrated teamwork skills. 

Development of skills in scientific written, oral, and electronic communications related to requirements of the position such as manuscript writing and scientific presentations in meetings.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Scientific publications.

Experience in interdisciplinary research, working in collaborative teams, and managing research assistants.

Experience with programming (e.g., Python).

Experience with informative visualization techniques and software.

Coursework or degree in genetics.

Experience with qualitative research methods (e.g., focus groups, semi-structured interviews, coding free response data).

Interest experience.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

Ph. D. (completed by start of employment) in social, cognitive, or health psychology, another social science, public health, communications, genetics, or any other relevant scientific discipline.

Interest in research on human genetics and its applications.

Training in behavioral science research methods, including experimentation and multivariate data analysis.

Experience with statistical software (preferably R, others acceptable).

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Work is typically performed in a research laboratory environment.

The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements considered necessary to successfully perform the job.

Duration: This is a one-year position with the expectation of renewal for one or more additional years conditional on performance.

Start date: ASAP (but somewhat flexible).

To apply: Please send a brief cover letter, C.V., and two representative publications or manuscripts in a single email to meyerchabrispostdoc@gmail.com. Please include names, titles, and contact information for two references. Questions about the position may also be sent to the same address. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Geisinger Health System is a large, integrated health services organization that, through its 12 hospital campuses, serves more than 3 million residents throughout 45 counties in central, south-central and northeastern Pennsylvania, and in southern New Jersey. As an aspiring learning health care system, Geisinger strives to integrate research into all aspects of medicine and healthcare delivery. Research at Geisinger benefits from the system’s 25 years of electronic health records, its clinical data warehouse, and its rapidly growing biobank (more than 250,000 patient-participants consented for whole exome genetic sequencing, with over 92,000 exomes sequenced to date). Geisinger’s main campus in Danville, PA, is located within a three-hour drive of New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC.

Professor Meyer: http://www.michellenmeyer.com

Professor Chabris: http://www.chabris.com

Research at Geisinger Health System: https://www.geisinger.edu/research

OUR PURPOSE & VALUES: Everything we do is about caring for our patients, our members, our students, our Geisinger family and our communities. KINDNESS: We strive to treat everyone as we would hope to be treated ourselves. EXCELLENCE: We treasure colleagues who humbly strive for excellence. LEARNING: We share our knowledge with the best and brightest to better prepare the caregivers for tomorrow. INNOVATION: We constantly seek new and better ways to care for our patients, our members, our community, and the nation.

ABOUT GEISINGER: Geisinger is a physician-led health system comprised of approximately 30,000 employees, including nearly 1,600 employed physicians, 13 hospital campuses, two research centers, and a 583,000-member health plan Geisinger is nationally recognized for innovative practices and quality care. Geisinger serves more than 3 million people in central, south-central and northeast Pennsylvania and also in southern New Jersey with the addition of National Malcolm Baldridge Award recipient AtlantiCare, A member of Geisinger. In 2017, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine became the newest member of the Geisinger Family.

We offer healthcare benefits for full time and part time positions from day one, including vision, dental and domestic partners. * Perhaps just as important, from senior management on down, we encourage an atmosphere of collaboration, cooperation and collegiality. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

** Does not qualify for J-1 waiver.  We are an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer Women and Minorities are Encouraged to Apply.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or their protected veteran status.

*Domestic partner benefits not applicable at Geisinger Holy Spirit.