Postdoctoral Fellowship in Child Neurodevelopment

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral fellowship position at The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Chan Medical School. The post-doc will work directly with two Principal Investigators, Drs. Sarabeth Broder-Fingert and Sohye Kim, as well as other prominent faculty within the Shriver Center including CANDI Co-Directors, Drs. Jean Frazier and David Kennedy.

This post-doc will work on projects related to NIH-funded efforts and will support investigations using EEG, MRI, fNIRS, and developmental assessments (ADOS) in the study of infant and early childhood development.

Dr. Broder-Fingert is currently Deputy Director of the Shriver Center and Vice Chair for Research in Pediatrics. Dr. Broder-Fingert is the PI of several studies assessment innovations in early autism diagnosis and treatment. Studies include novel treatments for very young children with concerns for autism, health equity initiatives in improve access to services, and studies assessing novel technology for use in autism diagnosis.

Dr. Kim is the PI of the Baby Brain Study which is a longitudinal study of brain development in the first year of life using infant MRI and mother-infant fNIRS hyperscanning. The study involves close interactions with mothers and infants from delivery to 12 months and will enroll at-risk mother-infant dyads (e.g., mothers with perinatal depression, infants who are at risk for autism). Sensitivity (or past experience) in interacting with vulnerable populations (e.g., pregnant/postpartum women and infants) and at-risk families is critical. The study will provide in-depth experience in innovative infant neuroimaging methods and will offer opportunities to develop novel analytic methods for fNIRS hyperscanning/infant MRI to establish best practices in the field of infant neuroimaging.

Strong applicants will have experience with autism assessment, particular preference will be given to individuals who are research reliable in the ADOS. In addition, preference will be given to applicants with experience in early childhood neuroimaging. A successful applicant must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Appointments will be made for one year, with a second year re-appointment expected based on review of the fellow's progress. Fellowships will be available for start dates as early as January 1, 2024 although there is flexibility. The current stipend for first year fellows is commensurate with the standard National Institutes of Health rate and includes eligibility for benefits.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest, CV, and list of three references to: Sarabeth Broder-Fingert sarabeth.broderfingert1@umassmed.edu and Sohye Kim at sohye.kim@umassmed.edu.