Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow

Posting Details

Job Code/Title PD - Post Doctoral Position Number P00001 Working Title Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow Department Surgery Organizational Overview

At VCU, we Make it Real through learning, research, creativity, service and discovery — the hallmarks of the VCU experience. A premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers for diversity, VCU is a great place to work. It’s a place of opportunity, where your success is supported and your career can thrive. VCU offers employees a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay, and an opportunity to do mission-driven work.

Recruitment Pool All Applicants Anticipated Hiring Range Commensurate Starting at $53,760 Campus MCV Campus Position Type Post Doc Hours/Week 40 Normal work days Rotating with Nights/Weekends Normal work hours Rotating with Nights/Weekends Job Category Research Does this position provide patient or clinical services to the VCU Health System? No Does this position require a pre-placement medical assessment? No Is any portion of this position grant-funded? Yes - Continuation of this position depends on funding of the grant. Sensitive Position Yes- A pre-employment fingerprint background check will be required. Resource Critical No Description of the Job
Overview : Dr. Thomson, Director of Research at the Injury and Violence Prevention Program ( IVPP ) at VCU, is accepting applications for a postdoctoral researcher. This position is supported by a 5-year R01 funded by the National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH ).

Description of the project: This project aims to understand biological markers for callous-unemotional (CU) traits in youth with conduct disorder, and if these biomarkers contribute to the stability of CU traits over time. This study will explore sex differences in these associations.

The successful candidates will have the opportunity to be involved in ongoing research activities on the topics of injury and violence prevention, childhood psychopathology, and personality disorders. This includes evaluation research of interventions for firearm-related violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, youth violence, and substance use. In addition to intervention evaluation and development, Dr. Thomson’s lab is involved in understanding the biopsychosocial mechanisms of violence, conduct disorder, callous-unemotional traits, and personality disorders (with particular emphasis on psychopathy and borderline personality disorder). The successful candidates will be involved in the development of innovative treatment approaches, such as the use of virtual reality for intervention. The candidates should have a strong interest in pursuing independent research within these areas or closely related (e.g., suicide prevention, sex differences in violence, trauma). For more information about IVPP and our research, visit https://www.vcuhealth.org/services/injury-and-violence-prevention

Duties: The candidate will be responsible for conducting day to day research activities. This will include recruitment of patients as participants, conducting baseline and follow-up assessments, implementing and developing innovative participant retention strategies, treatment fidelity data collection, data entry and cleaning, coding data, database development, analyzing data, literature reviews, manuscript preparation and submission to peer-reviewed academic journals, IRB protocol compliance and maintenance, disseminating research at local and national conferences, and developing grant proposals. This position requires working in rotation on the weekends and some evenings. The candidate should be comfortable working independently in the hospital setting. The candidate will be responsible for recording, cleaning, and analyzing psychophysiology data ( ECG, respiration, skin conductance, facial EMG ) as well as conducting semi-structured interviews.

This position requires working in rotation on the weekends and some evenings. Required Qualifications
- Requires a Ph.D. in psychology or closely related field, and two years of relevant experience.
- Proficient in administering and coding psychophysiology.
- Proficient in AcqKnowledge/ BIOPAC software.
- Proficient quantitative data analysis skills including the ability to use statistical packages ( SPSS ) and proficiency in navigating and maintaining databases are required (e.g., REDCap).
- Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills.
- Evidence of excellent organizational skills.
- Knowledge and research interest in callous unemotional traits and conduct disorder. Preferred Qualifications
- Publication history in the field of conduct disorder (including callous-unemotional traits), psychopathy, violence/aggression, and developmental psychopathology.
- Demonstrated success of independent research.
- Experience conducting semi-structured clinical interviews and neurocognitive assessments (e.g., WASI ).
- Those with experience/interest in clinical psychology and intervention research are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Experience measuring and analyzing pre-ejection period ( PEP ), skin conductance, respiratory sinus arrythmia, and facial EMG . Job Open Date 07/13/2021 Remove from posting on or before Open Until Filled Yes Special Instructions to Applicants Additional Information Quick Link https://www.vcujobs.com/postings/107853 Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Optional & Required Documents
Required Documents Optional Documents

1. Cover Letter/Letter of Application
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. Reference Letter - 1
4. Reference Letter - 2
5. Reference Letter - 3