Postdoctoral Research Associate – Psychological & Brain Sciences

Position Summary

This position is for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Dr. Emily Willroth in the Well-being and Emotion across the Lifespan Lab (the “WELL” lab) in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. The Postdoctoral Research Associate would contribute to grant-funded research on well-being and cognitive decline in healthy older adults, as well as older adults with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The role would primarily involve secondary analysis of existing data, with the option to participate in new data collection. The start date for this position is between July 1 and September 1 of 2022.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Data Analysis: Access, clean, and analyze data from multiple large-scale longitudinal studies.
• Writing: Write manuscripts and contribute to grant proposals.
• Professional Development Activities: Attend conferences and workshops, develop new skills, develop program of research.
• Presentation of Research: Meet with the PI and members of the lab regularly to discuss research progress and address any issues that arise.
• Mentoring: Mentor advanced undergraduate and graduate researchers on research projects related to area(s) of expertise.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in psychology or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to complete projects, as evidenced by quantity and quality of publications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in psychosocial well-being and/or cognitive decline and dementia risk.
• Experience working with multiple longitudinal datasets and secondary data analysis.
• Experience with integrated data analysis.
• Fluency in the use of R for data cleaning and statistical analyses.
• Knowledge of and experience with implementing open science practices (e.g., open data, open materials, preregistration).
• Advanced statistical skills (e.g., cross-lag panel modeling, multilevel and/or structural equation modeling).
• Knowledge of, or ability to acquire understanding of, theories of well-being and psychosocial contributors to cognitive decline and dementia risk.
• Skilled at data management, statistical analysis, and scientific writing, and an interest in mentoring junior lab members in these areas.
• Excellent professionalism and trustworthiness, including communicativeness, the ability to deliver on agreed-upon tasks, and respect for research participants and scientific integrity.

Salary Range

Base pay is commensurate with experience.

Applicant Special Instructions

Please submit a CV, cover letter, and contact information for three references. In your cover letter, please include the following:

• Your motivation for applying for this position and future career goals.
• Your research interests.
• A description of how you meet each of the criteria listed under the minimum and preferred education/experience sections.

When you are ready to apply, creating an account only takes a minute. Your account creates a candidate home page which we will use to communicate with you and allows you to apply for jobs and view your application statuses. The first page of the application offers two “Quick Apply” options. Quick Apply allows you to either use a previous application or create a new application using a resume to populate the work experience and education sections of your job application. If using a resume to populate your application, check to ensure the application fields populated accurately. You may skip the “Quick Apply” page by clicking “Next” at the bottom of the page. Documents may be uploaded in the My Experience section of the application. You also have the option to apply with a LinkedIn feature, which allows you to apply by using your LinkedIn profile to populate some of the job application fields.

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email [email protected]  or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.

Pre-Employment Screening
All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.

EEO/AA Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity and especially encourages applications by those from underrepresented groups. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.

Diversity Statement
Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.