Harvard University
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1 week ago
Postdoctoral Fellow in Social and Behavioral Sciences, Cognitive Health, and Gut Microbiome Harvard University in United States
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Epidemiology
Funding
NIH grant-funded postdoctoral fellowship with a salary range of $70,000-$75,000 based on qualifications. The fellow will work on a funded research project and be mentored toward independent research careers.
Deadline
Jan 31, 2027
Country
United States
University
Harvard University

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About this position
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow in Social and Behavioral Sciences to join an NIH grant-funded project focused on whether optimism and other positive psychosocial factors are linked to better cognitive health among older adults, and on the biobehavioral mechanisms behind these associations.
The research emphasizes psychology, social epidemiology, public health, aging, cognitive health, physical activity, and the gut microbiome. The fellow will contribute to primary data collection and secondary analyses in large cohorts, including large-scale mobile data collection and work with large epidemiologic datasets such as the Nurses’ Health Study cohorts.
Methodological work includes longitudinal designs, moderation and mediation, causal inference, systematic review methods, data visualization, descriptive analyses, time series analyses, latent modeling, multilevel modeling, and statistical programming in R and SAS. The fellow will collaborate with faculty mentors Dr. Laura Kubzansky (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) and Dr. Fran Grodstein (Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University).
Applicants should hold a doctoral-level degree in psychology, health and human development, social epidemiology, or a related field, and must have successfully defended the dissertation. Strong experience with large-scale epidemiologic data, advanced statistics, and peer-reviewed publication is required. Interest in biological data such as microbiome or inflammation and in aging research is preferred.
The position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. The salary range is $70,000-$75,000 depending on qualifications. Application materials requested include a CV, cover letter, representative publication, and three references. The posting indicates a Winter 2027 start date, with flexibility.
Funding details
NIH grant-funded postdoctoral fellowship with a salary range of $70,000-$75,000 based on qualifications. The fellow will work on a funded research project and be mentored toward independent research careers.
What's required
Doctoral-level degree in psychology, health and human development, social epidemiology, or a related field; proof of successfully defending the dissertation; experience managing and programming large-scale epidemiologic datasets; proficiency with advanced statistics; knowledge of the interface between mental and physical health; publication record with significant peer-reviewed contributions beyond thesis papers; strong planning, analytical, organizational, communication, and decision-making skills. Additional preferred experience includes biological data such as microbiome or inflammation and aging research.
How to apply
Prepare a CV, cover letter, representative publication, and a list of three references. Submit through the Harvard application portal linked in the posting.
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