Postdoc Opportunity in Health Disparities!

University of Wisconsin - Madison
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Center for Women's Health and Health Disparities Research
Mentored Post-doctoral Training Program in Health Disparities Research (T32 Program)
Application Deadline: April 1, 2013

Program Background: Mentored post-doctoral training program in health disparities research funded through the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Training Grant (T32). This post-doctoral program provides year-long support for training in interdisciplinary research that addresses disparities in health status and health outcomes among minority mothers, infants, children and their families. The Center for Women's Health and Health Disparities (CWHDR) Research T32 Program began under the direction of Dr. Gloria E. Sarto in the spring of 2007. The program has been renewed for an additional 5 years.

Goal of Award: To provide training at the postdoctoral level in interdisciplinary research that addresses disparities in health status and health outcomes among minority populations as well as to recruit underrepresented minorities into academic research careers. The HDRS Training Program provides interdisciplinary and multifaceted opportunities for research that includes not only biomedical and behavioral sciences, but also investigation into quality of care, including cost, access and satisfaction with services; the causes of and barriers to reducing health disparities; attitudes towards health, language spoken, educational level, community profile and socioeconomic status; identification of assessment measures for outcomes, quality and appropriateness of health care services. Attracting minorities from various disciplines such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, sociologists, social workers, and nutritionists, into academic research careers will help in this endeavor.

To address not only the broad array of research areas outlined above but also the interdisciplinary nature of the possible candidates, the faculty is interdisciplinary and consists of physician scientists, perinatal researchers, sociologists, nurse scientists, nutritional scientists, epidemiologists and economists. To promote interdisciplinary research and disciplinary cross training, we provide two mentors for each Scholar, balancing the biomedical/basic science and behavioral/demography and epidemiology approaches to address health disparities. Benefits include a full NIH stipend, tuition, fees and travel funds. The CWHDR currently funds a total of 5 positions.


Eligibility Requirements:

· Postdoctoral scholars must have received, as of the beginning date of the NRSA appointment, a Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., or comparable doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Eligible doctoral degrees include, but are not limited to, the following: D.M.D., D.C., D.O., D.V.M., O.D., D.P.M., Sc.D., Eng.D., Dr. P.H., D.N.Sc., D.P.T., Pharm.D., N.D. (Doctor of Naturopathy), D.S.W., Psy.D, as well as a doctoral degree in nursing research.

· Scholar agrees to devote full-time effort in research related activities for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 3 years to this T32 training program.

· Scholars must be interested in research that involves health disparities or health in underserved populations.

· No individual may receive more than 3 years of aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the postdoctoral level, including any combination of Kirschstein-NRSA support from institutional research training grants and individual fellowships.

· An NRSA appointment may not be held concurrently with another federally sponsored fellowship, traineeship, or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA.

· Scholar will be a US citizen or non-citizen national, or has been lawfully admitted for permanent resident status and possesses an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-551) or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident.

Find more information about the Center for Women's Health and Health Disparities Research T32 Program and how to apply at obgyn.wisc.edu/CWHDR/


Direct Questions to: Julia Brasileiro or Doris Franklin at (608) 262-7573 or CWHDR@obgyn

Reproductive studies postdocs at Cambridge!

Fantastic postdoc opportunities at Cambridge in the social study of reproduction. Applications are invited from individuals who have expertise in the social study of reproduction, reproductive technologies, the history of reproduction, reproductive health, or reproductive biomedicine. Applicants must have received a PhD in Sociology, Social Anthropology or a related discipline by 1 October 2012.

Postdoc in Cardiovascular Science at Wake Forest

The Section on Comparative Medicine of the Department of Pathology of Wake Forest School of Medicine and the Wake Forest Primate Center are pleased to announce a fellowship in Cardiovascular Science and Atherosclerosis. This fellowship will provide two years of support and represents a joint collaboration between Merck’s Cardiovascular-Atherosclerosis Program and the Comparative Reproduction and Behavior and Comparative Atherosclerosis Laboratories at the Wake Forest University Primate Center and Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Appropriate backgrounds may include for example, Anatomy, Anthropology, Nutrition, Zoology, Biology, or other relevant biomedical sciences. Skills in data management and analysis and manuscript preparation are essential. Experience with microscopic anatomy is desired but not necessary. The Fellow will be involved in the characterization of nonhuman primate models of atherosclerosis. Preparation for the research will involve participation in select graduate courses focusing on the pathobiology of atherosclerosis, along with mentoring in the quantification of pathobiological characteristics of atherosclerosis. There will be unlimited opportunity for publication of new information concerning the characterization of the nonhuman primate model and other aspects of using nonhuman primates to evaluate promising cardiovascular therapies. Opportunity exists for spending some time at the MERCK Research Laboratories and perhaps at other sites where NHP atherosclerosis research is ongoing.

Contact Dr. Tom Clarkson if you are interested in this position.

Grad & Postdoc opportunities at Max Planck!

Several funded opportunities for prospective PhD students and postdocs are available at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig.

PhD opportunity:
The Leipzig School of Human Origins, a joint Ph.D. program of the University of Leipzig and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology invites applications to its PhD program. 
Deadline: January 31, 2012

The Research Group on Plant Foods and Hominin Dietary Ecology in the Department of Human Evolution is seeking one or more Ph.D. students to study plant microfossils and/or plant biomarkers as a record of plant foods in human prehistory. The project may involve developing novel methods for recovering evidence of plant food consumption, or collecting dental calculus and other samples for analysis of plant microremains. Other projects focusing on the role of plant foods throughout hominin evolution may also be considered.Postdoc opportunities at Max Planck:

Applicants should hold a Master's degree or equivalent in biology, anthropology, evolutionary ecology, or a related field. A good basic knowledge of the hominin fossil and archaeological record, and of common analytical methods, including statistics, is important. The fellowship is limited to 3 years. The student will receive a fellowship according to the funding guidelines of the Max Planck Society. The working environment of the institute is English-speaking. Accepted students will be a part of the International Max Planck Research School . Candidates should apply directly through the IMPRS website by 31 January 2011. For further information, contact Amanda Henry (amanda_henryeva.mpg.de).



I. Post-Doctoral Position in Biological Anthropology (deadline December 15, 2011)
The Research Group on "Plant Foods and Hominin Dietary Ecology" in the Department of Human Evolution of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig (Germany) invites applications for a post-doctoral researcher in biological anthropology. The research group is committed to exploring the relationships between the plant component of hominin diets and aspects of their biology, behavior, and evolution.
The position is a research-only post, with no teaching obligations. The initial contract, which is two years and may be extended, will begin March 2012 at the earliest. The project will provide substantial support in a highly stimulating environment. We offer a salary according to German public service regulations (TVöD-Bund). The successful candidate will work on aspects of plant foods in the dietary ecology of later hominins and modern humans, and will be expected to assist in current projects and to bring novel research foci to the group.

We are particularly interested in candidates with a strong background in one or more of the following: analysis of residues using mass spectrometry; human or primate dietary ecology; plant microfossil research; but will consider any suitably qualified candidate in a related field. The selected candidate must have a PhD and ideally will have post-doctoral experience with a strong track record of research.

Applications should be sent by email as a single PDF including: a cover letter, curriculum vitae, reprints of selected publications, short statement of research interests (2pg maximum), and the names of three referees, to Amanda Henry (amanda_henryeva.mpg.de). Reviews of applications will begin December 15, 2011 and will proceed until the position is filled.



II. Post-Doctoral Position in Zooarchaeology (deadline December 31, 2011)
The position is a research post with a specialization in zooarchaeology. In addition to zooarchaeological analysis of archaeological assemblages, we will consider favorably researchers developing novel or interesting methods addressing faunal topics including bone surface modification analysis, bone tool analysis, burned bone analysis, combined isotopic and faunal analysis, seasonality, migration, and taphonomic studies. Experimental programs are welcome, and the department is prepared to invest in equipment to support a research program. While the focus of the Department is on the archaeological record through to the expansion of modern humans, we will also consider favorably researchers specialized in Upper Paleolithic or LSA subsistence and prepared to start a program of comparison to earlier assemblages.

The selected candidate will have a Ph.D. and a significant track record of research. The initial length of the appointment is two years but the contract is extendable. For further information please contact Dr. Shannon McPherron (mcpherro@eva.mpg.de).


III. Post- Doctoral Position in Physical Anthropology (deadline December 31, 2011)
The position is a research post. We expect the successful candidate to work closely with Professor Jean-Jacques Hublin on the analysis of the Middle to Late Pleistocene cranio-dental fossil record. The selected candidate will have a Ph.D. and a significant track record of research.

The initial length of the appointment is two years but the contract is extendable. For further information please contact Professor Jean-Jacques Hublin (hublin@eva.mpg.de).

IV. Post-Doctoral Position in Paleontology (deadline February 28, 2012)
This position is a research post. We expect the successful candidate to conduct research on the Plio-Pleistocene African hominin fossil record. The selected candidate will have a Ph.D. and a significant track record of research. The initial length of the appointment is two years but the contract is extendable. For further information please contact Professor Jean-Jacques Hublin (hublin@eva.mpg.de).
 
Note: Please check here for specific application information as in some cases you will need to mail hard copies of materials.
ETA: Sorry for the wonky formatting. Cut and paste can be a cruel mistress.

Postdoctoral Scholar at University of Georgia

Applications are invited for a 1-year postdoctoral scholar position at the University of Georgia to undertake research at the intersections of Science, Technology and Society (STS), participatory community research and strategic communication. The work will be relevant to the NSF-funded Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research (CWT LTER) project. Renewal for a second year may be possible contingent on satisfactory performance. Coweeta LTER researchers have initiated the Coweeta Listening Project (CLP) to address the long-standing difficulties of ecological scientific knowledge production being carried out in undemocratic ways in the hopes of accelerating the evolution from Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) to Long-Term Socioecological Research (LTSER). In order to contribute to this project, candidates should be qualified to carry out research related to the public understanding of science and linkages between scientific expertise and public participation in scientific knowledge production.Candidates should be comfortable working within community-based participatory methodologies. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in an appropriate field, including science and technology studies, geography, anthropology, sociology, political science, or other related fields.

Interested candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, a cover letter with a statement of research interests, a writing sample or representative publication, and three references electronically to Dr.Nik Heynen (cwtlistn@uga.edu), Director, Coweeta Listening Project (CLP), University of Georgia, Department of Geography, GG Building, 210 Field St., Room 204, Athens, GA 30602  by November 15th , 2011 or full consideration.

Hey, jobs!

The 2011-2012 Bioanthropology job market is shaping up to be pretty decent. There are many places to look for jobs and you *should* look in multiple places because not all jobs are cross-listed. Here are my recommendations:

The Anthropology job wiki. A perennial favorite of the BANDIT blog, not only does the wiki provide a handy digest of the current market, but you can find out from other users about information requests, interview invitations, job offers and rejections. It can be a little painful to follow the wiki because of that, but considering the frustrating silence so common to so many search committees, it can be a relief.

The job postings page on the AAPA website. This is pretty good and often includes postdoc opportunities.

For the biological anthropologist with training and teaching experience in anatomy, the classifiedsat the American Association of Anatomists might point you to an interesting opportunity.

The career center on the American Anthropological Association website lists several bioanthropology jobs.

Through the University of Wisconsin, you can access Primate Jobs to look for, you know, primate jobs.

If you're willing to do a little more digging (tip: if you want a job you should be willing to do a little more digging!) search anthropology, biology, and psychology postings at the Chronicle of Higher Education.

I'll also continue to post individual job listings that BANDIT readers forward to me. Good luck to all searchers!

American Association of Anatomists Early Career Awards

I recently renewed my membership in the American Association of Anatomists in preparation for an upcoming anatomy education workshop at AAPA and have found a nice little enclave of biological anthropologists there. Perusing the AAA website I found a number of great awards and grants for scholars and educators at many stages of their careers. Here are a few that stand out for early stage people, including postdocs:

Postdoctoral Fellowship

R.R. Bensley Award in Cell Biology
This award, first given in 1979, recognizes a cell biologist who has made a distinguished contribution to the advancement of anatomy through discovery, ingenuity, and publications in the field of cell biology. The successful candidate will be an independent cell biologist whose publications have had substantial impact on his/her field.

C.J. Herrick Award in Neuroanatomy
Established in 1962, this award recognizes investigators who have made important contributions to the field of comparative neuroanatomy and have demonstrated remarkable promise of future accomplishments. The area of comparative neuroanatomy is defined broadly; previous awardees are outstanding scientists who have made contributions to areas of neuroscience, including neurochemistry, development, neurocytology, neuroendocrinology, neurophysiology, and molecular neurobiology.

H.W. Mossman Award in Developmental Biology
This award was established in 2001 to recognize investigators in the early stages of their careers who have made important contributions to the field of developmental biology, as broadly defined, and have demonstrated remarkable promise of future accomplishments.

AAA Morphological Sciences Award
This award was established in 2008 to recognize investigators in the early stages of their careers who have made important contributions to biomedical science through research in the morphological sciences, as broadly defined, and have demonstrated remarkable promise of future accomplishments.

Postdoctoral opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania

Announcing Postdoctoral Fellowships for Academic Diversity at the University of Pennsylvania:

1) Dr. Eduardo Fernandez-Duque (eduardof@sas.upenn.edu) is looking for postdoctoral fellows interested in joining the Owl Monkey Project, a multidisciplinary research program with an emphasis on understanding the evolution of monogamy and alloparental care. Over the years we have examined those central research questions with a multitude of approaches and data on genetics, endocrinology, demography, behavior, chronobiology and energetics taking advantage of a long-term study of wild owl monkeys in the Argentinean Chaco.
We are now looking for fellows who may be interested in developing a proposal for new lines of research or expanding existing ones that could be submitted for the Postdoctoral Fellowships for Academic Diversity recently announced by the University of Pennsylvania (see information below). The submission of the proposal needs to be done directly and independently by the applicant, but anyone interested in developing a proposal that would further develop our project can contact Dr. Eduardo Fernandez-Duque (eduardof@sas.upenn.edu) for further information

2) We are looking for postdoctoral fellows interested in a collaborative research project that combines anthropology, cellular/molecular biology, and circadian/sleep medicine to study a wide range of sleep-wakefulness phenotypes. This research will leverage cellular and animal models. Our long-term goal is to explore the architecture and genetics of diurnal and nocturnal sleep. We will use a primate model with unusual patterns of activity: the owl monkey (genus Aotus). Although diurnality is a signature feature among most primates, different species of the genus Aotus show full nocturnality or a mixture of diurnality and nocturnality (like humans). The project will initially take advantage of a long-term study of wild owl monkeys in the Argentinean Chaco, as well as captive populations in the US. During the first phase of the project, the applicant will have access to infrastructure and logistic support for field work in Argentina through Fernandez-Duque’s research and for cellular and molecular studies through Hogenesch’s lab. The applicant will also have access to resources and opportunities offered by the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology . Subsequently the research team will seek additional extramural funding.

Postdoctoral Fellowships for Academic Diversity at the University of Pennsylvania
Application deadline: August 1, 2011
http://www.upenn.edu/research/research_site/postdoc_diversity.html

Program Description:
The University of Pennsylvania (PENN) is dedicated to worldwide academic excellence and is enriched by individuals, who, through their different races and ethnicities, nationalities, gender identities, abilities, economic status, and sexual orientation, contribute to an intellectually challenging and inclusive educational setting. The Academic Diversity Fellowship Program seeks to attract promising scholars and educators from different backgrounds, races, ethnic groups, and other diverse groups whose life experience, research experience and employment background will contribute significantly to our academic excellence.

Eligibility:
The fellowships are available for postdoctoral training in all areas of study at the University and seek to attract graduate students from PENN and other institutions who have completed, or will complete their requirements for Ph.D. by their start date. In addition postdoctoral scholars from other institutions who have completed their dissertation within the last three years are eligible. Persons with professional degrees (such as M.D., D.M.D., V.M.D., J.D.) who are within a year of completing their post-degree professional training from Penn and other institutions will also be considered. Postoctoral research fellows who are already at Penn are not eligible. Candidates must be US citizens or permanent residents. Postdocs, residents and fellows who currently have a position at Penn are ineligible for this program.

Awards:
The three year fellowships will begin as early as January 2, 2012.

Stipends and Allowances:
Fellows receive a stipend of $43,000 in year 1 with $2,000 increments in years 2 and 3, as well as annual allowances for travel ($2,000) and research ($5,000), and one-time relocation expenses of $5,000. The University also provides a medical, vision, dental and life insurance benefits package. Successful candidates will receive highly mentored scholarly and research training as well as courses and workshops to enhance their research success skills and prepare them for a faculty position in a major university.

Selection Process:
A committee appointed by the Senior Vice Provost for Research will review and select the candidates for the Postdoctoral Fellowships for Academic Diversity.

Application Procedure:
Required application materials include:
(1) A completed fellowship application form,
(2) A curriculum vitae including current and pending publications
(3) A personal statement, no longer than three pages, which addresses the following:
• reviews your previous research accomplishments
• outlines your future research goals and proposed research
• describes your commitment to pursuing an academic career
• includes academic, employment or other life experiences that would bring new perspectives to the University community and your chosen field
4) Three letters of reference from people acquainted with the applicant’s work. One reference letter should be from the applicant's thesis advisor or faculty mentor. Reference letters must be submitted electronically on letterhead stationary. Email subject line should be applicant's name followed by the words reference letter, e.g. Jane Smith_ Reference letter.

All materials must be submitted electronically by August 1, 2011.
Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.
If you have any questions please contact Josie Rook, Executive Director, Office of the Vice Provost for Research at pdfellow@exchange.upenn.edu

Cornell postdoc in Maternal and Child Nutrition

The Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University seeks to fill an NIH-funded Postdoctoral Fellowship in Maternal and Child Nutrition. The successful applicant will have a PhD, MD or equivalent degree and a record of accomplishment in a related science (nutritional, biological, chemical or social), public health, epidemiology or medicine, and will be committed to a career of research in Maternal and Child Nutrition.

Postdoc in anthro/demography/evo biology

Just got word about a great postdoc opportunity at Durham University (UK):

This position will form the first part of a team working on 'Family matters: Intergenerational influences on fertility', an interdisciplinary research project funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant to Dr Rebecca Sear, combining evolutionary biology, anthropology and demography.

The appointment will begin this project by using existing large-scale demographic surveys to investigate the impact of kin on fertility outcomes in the developing world. The object of this post is to undertake statistical analysis of these large-scale datasets to determine correlations between kin availability and fertility outcomes at the individual level; and at the population level to determine whether kin influence varies systematically between populations according to factors such as economic development, marriage and residence patterns, and levels of mortality or fertility. The post holder will work closely with two additional team members who will be appointed over the year subsequent to this appointment.

The post would suit candidates interested in interdisciplinary work, who are trained in evolutionary biology, evolutionary anthropology, or in a quantitative social science.

Supporting future faculty - Mizzou postdoctoral program

A few weeks ago I wrote about the disparity between graduate trainees' job expectations and the realities of a shrinking academic job market. Drawing from a Chronicle of Higher Ed essay , I made some suggestions that could help reconcile that gap. The University of Missouri has recently launched a postdoctoral program that I think provides a useful template for the student-->professional transition. The university is funding postdoctoral positions for five of its own recent PhDs to develop courses in five areas identified by the Mizzou Advantage as core strengths of the university:
•Food for the Future
•Media of the Future
•One Health, One Medicine: The Convergence of Human and Animal Health
•Sustainable Energy
•Understanding and Managing Disruptive and Transformational Technologies
•Educational Programs

The university benefits from having non-faculty in teaching positions, but the postdocs also benefit from participating directly in innovative course development (not just teaching established courses) at a higher wage and greater stability than would be likely as an adjunct. The hope is that opportunities like this might help get grad students to finish their degrees rather than languish in the hopes the job market will improve. Obviously, 5 postdoc slots are inadequate to the size of that task, but if the program is a success (i.e. the chancellor keeps funding it and the postdocs themselves are able to land decent jobs afterwards) then maybe postdoctoral career support will catch on.

BANDIT member Dr. Katie Hinde in American Journal of Primatology

Dr. Katie Hinde, currently a postdoc at the California National Primate Research Center and the University of California Davis has a paper out in AJP today. In addition to her impressive moves on the dance floor, Katie is doing some fabulous work on the role of lactation and milk composition in intergenerational programming of temperament in macaques. She's that cool.