Postdoctoral Associate - Psychiatry - Behavioral Med - Dorfman

School of Medicine

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Postdoctoral Associate

General Summary

The Cancer Symptom Management and Support Program is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate for a position beginning in July 2025. The Cancer Symptom Management and Support Program focuses on conducting clinical research and providing behavioral medicine services to address the psychological, social, behavioral, and symptom management needs of cancer patients and their families.  This program is a division of the Duke Pain Prevention and Treatment Research Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and part of the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program within the Duke Cancer Supportive Care and Survivorship Center.  Program faculty have expertise in developing and evaluating interventions focused on emotional distress, symptom management, adherence, sexual health, and comorbid chronic health conditions. A range of modalities for delivering interventions are being evaluated including in person, telephone, and mobile health technology-based strategies.

Occupational Summary

The Cancer Symptom Management and Support Program is seeking a motivated and independent candidate with primary interests in the management of cancer treatment-related symptoms and late effects, sexual and reproductive health (e.g., onco-fertility), and/or adolescent and young adult oncology.  This position is expected to be one year with extensions contingent on continued funding, performance, and needs of the program. Salary and benefits are commensurate with NIH standards.

The candidate must have a doctoral degree (PhD) in clinical psychology with prior research and clinical experience in psycho-oncology.  A candidate may also be appointed to the Postdoctoral Associate 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.

The Postdoctoral Associate will conduct research activities under the guidance of Cancer Symptom Management and Support Program faculty mentors in preparation for pursuing an academic, research, or clinical career. The successful candidate will focus on investigating the management of cancer treatment-related symptoms and late effects, sexual and reproductive health, and/or adolescent and young adult oncology. They must have the ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team setting, and should be comfortable working with individuals with cancer across the disease and treatment trajectory. The appointment involves 50% research/scholarship and 50% clinical practice, program development, and program evaluation within the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Perform a variety of technical duties involved in conducting behavioral medicine research studies;
• Assist with development of study intervention protocols and materials;
• Deliver study intervention protocols to study participants;
• Compile, analyze, document, and draw tentative conclusions from research results and report/write results of research studies for publication;
• Review methods manuals, scientific journals, and other literature for information applicable to research and write scholarly reviews of relevant literatures;
• Contribute to the preparation of grant proposals;
• Present findings at local and national scientific meetings;
• Write and submit manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals;
• Mentor students or interns at various levels.
• Deliver symptom management and evidence-based psychological treatments to cancer patients and caregivers through the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program
• Assist with clinical program development and sustainability
• Assist with clinical program evaluation
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of clinical providers in the clinical care of patients

The Postdoctoral Associate is expected to assist with publishing the results of the research or scholarship that they are contributing to during the period of the appointment. The Cancer Symptom Management and Support Program faculty will actively support the Postdoctoral Associate’s professional growth through individual development and mentoring plans, clinical supervision and training in evidence-based psychological treatments, and professional skills workshops offered through the program (e.g., grant writing seminar, writing group), Duke University, and external workshops.  The Postdoctoral Associate will have opportunities to attend training in areas in which they do have expertise.

Please note, the above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description. The intent of this job description is to be representative of the level and the types of duties/responsibilities that will be required of this position, and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total specific duties and responsibilities.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

See job description for education requirements.

Experience

See job description for requirements.

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