Postdoctoral Associate - Psychiatry - Child Division - Posner Lab

Postdoctoral Associate - Psychiatry - Child Division - Posner Lab

The Postdoctoral Associate will conduct independent research activities under the guidance of a faculty mentor in preparation for a full-time academic or research career. The individual will work primarily on the Duke Predictive Model of Adolescent Mental Health (Duke-PMA) study, a multi-site NIH-funded project that leverages artificial intelligence to predict risks of adolescent mental illness and to improve early detection and prevention strategies in primary care settings.

This study aims to enhance, deploy, and rigorously validate the Duke Predictive Model of Adolescent Mental Health (Duke-PMA), a neural network-based tool designed to identify youth at high risk for psychiatric illness using low-cost, accessible clinical and behavioral measures. The overarching objective is to address the urgent need for accurate, individualized mental health prediction tools-particularly in rural and under-served communities where access to psychiatric services is limited.

Minimum Requirements:

• PhD or equivalent doctorate (e.g., ScD, MD, DVM) in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computer science, or a related field.
• Research background in clinical, computational, or developmental sciences relevant to mental health.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team.
• Commitment to publishing research and pursuing a career in academic or translational research.
• Experience with statistical modeling, machine learning, or related quantitative methods preferred but not required.

Position Description:

• Engage in substantially full-time research or scholarship under the guidance of a faculty mentor, focusing on areas related to adolescent mental health and predictive modeling.
• Design, conduct, and analyze experiments and studies related to the Duke-PMA project, which integrates psychosocial, neurobiological, and clinical data to develop and validate predictive models of psychiatric risk.
• Prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and present findings at national and international conferences.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of investigators, data scientists, clinicians, and community partners involved in the Duke-PMA study.
• Contribute to the preparation of grant applications, progress reports, and other project-related documents.
• Maintain accurate and complete records of research activities in accordance with Duke University standards.
• Adhere to University standards regarding use of human subjects, data security, and responsible conduct of research.
• Participate in mentoring activities with graduate and undergraduate students, as appropriate.

Choose Duke:

The Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, founded in 1943, is one of 26 departments in the Duke University School of Medicine (SOM). The department is comprised of more than 500 faculty, staff, and trainees. Our goal is to help people with behavioral health challenges live their best life. We pursue this goal through a three-fold mission of superior specialty and integrated patient care for all, ground-breaking research, and exceptional training and education.

Duke University is consistently ranked among the top universities worldwide and is renowned for its cutting-edge research across disciplines. Beyond the engaging work, you'll also benefit from Duke's competitive benefits package, including health insurance plans, generous paid time off, retirement programs with employer contributions, tuition assistance for employees and their children, and more.

Screening of Applications: Screening continues until position is filled.