POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE-Population Health Sciences

Occupational Summary

The Postdoctoral Fellow will focus on didactic training and real-world regulatory issues related to measuring health and functioning within patient-centered research settings. The Fellow will:

• Receive one-on-one training by a Duke faculty mentor with expertise in clinical outcomes assessments (patient-reported, observer-reported, clinician-reported, and performance outcomes), patient preference assessment, regulatory science, and/or stakeholder engagement
• Conduct independent research activities under the guidance of an industry mentor and a Duke faculty mentor
• Complete a tailored program with a core set of competencies, including:
  • Designing, selecting or evaluating clinical outcomes assessments (COAs)
  • Integrating COAs in clinical trials
  • Survey methods for valuing outcomes and assessing preferences
  • Patient-focused drug and device development
• Transition to a career in industry when the postdoctoral fellowship is finished

Work Performed

The term of the appointment is two years. Eighty percent of time in Year 1 is spent training in Durham, NC with the Postdoctoral Appointee functioning under the supervision of a Duke faculty mentor, while the remaining 20% is spent receiving mentoring from an industry partner. In Year 2, 80% of the Fellow’s time is spent training with an industry partner, and Duke faculty will provide mentoring for the remaining 20%.

Year 1 is focused on strengthening skills via didactic training and participation in ongoing studies involving COAs. During this time, fellows may attend graduate-level courses offered through Duke's Department of Population Health Science's graduate program or other ad hoc courses offered throughout Duke. The Fellow will participate in a mentored research project on health outcomes measurement.

Year 2 is focused on real-world, experiential patient-centered research. The Fellow will continue to conduct a mentored project that is both related to patient-centered research and can contribute to regulatory decision making and policy making, under the guidance of an industry mentor and a Duke faculty mentor. At the end of the two years, the postdoctoral fellow is ready to transition to work in patient-centered research in an industry setting.

General Expectations:

The appointment involves substantially full-time research or scholarship, and may include guest lecturing responsibilities. The appointment is generally preparatory for a full time academic or research career. The Appointee is expected to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship during the period of the appointment.

The Postdoctoral Appointee should hold a PhD or equivalent doctorate (e.g. ScD, MD) in public health, psychometrics, education measurement, biostatistics, medical sociology/anthropology, nursing, medicine, or related fields. Candidates would also need to move to the Durham, NC area for the first year of the program. Candidates with non-US degrees may be required to provide proof of degree equivalency.

1. A candidate may also be appointed to a postdoctoral position if the candidate has completed all of the requirements for a degree but the degree has not been formally conferred: in this case, the candidate may present evidence of completion of the degree requirements, together with a statement documenting the date on which the degree is to be conferred. If the degree is not conferred by this projected date, the postdoctoral appointment may be terminated.

2. Note for international candidates: Generally, immigration classifications (e.g., H-1B, J-1, etc.) require that the requisite degree be conferred before a petition can be filed or a visa document issued to sponsor the individual.

The Fellow agrees to conform to standards of responsible conduct in research and comply with good scholarly and research practices. They will maintain records of research activity, which remains the property of Duke University upon termination.

The Fellow will maintain open and timely communication with the faculty and industry mentor regarding all facets of their research activities. The Fellow is encouraged to consult the AAMC Compact between Postdoctoral Appointees and their Mentors for suggested guidelines for the Postdoctoral Appointee-mentor relationship. Additionally, the Fellow will promptly disclose, to their mentor, the possession and desire to distribute materials, reagents, software, copyrightable and potentially patentable discoveries derived from the Postdoctoral Appointee's research.

Required Qualifications at this Level

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

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Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.