Research Scientist - Boosting Mind Body Mechanism

Location: Commerce Place 

Work Days: Variable hybrid hours, onsite when needed  

Category: Research  

Department: Boosting Mind Body Mechanism  

Job Type: Full time  

Work Shift: Day / Evening 

Hours/Week: 40.00 

Union: No 

Union Name: Non Union

CHA has a vibrant academic community with strong education, training and research programs. We are proud to have 700 providers on the faculty at Harvard or Tufts University School of Medicine.

The Research Scientist will be responsible for developing his/her own independent research career and assisting with the day-to-day management of multiple research projects with minimal supervisory input.

Health Equity Research Lab Area Responsibilities:

• Develop, write and apply for research grant proposals for NIH, AHRQ, PCORI, and/or private foundation grants as Principal Investigator.

• Advance scientific understanding around specific topic areas through peer-reviewed published research manuscripts by authoring publications.

• Collaborate with other Lab staff on the development of research proposals and manuscripts.

• Participate in other ongoing projects of the Lab, contribute to dissemination efforts pertaining to those projects, and help develop proposals for new research projects for the Lab.

• Disseminate findings at national and international academic conferences.

• Mentoring and Supervising students and researchers

Center for Mindfulness & Compassion Area Responsibilities:

As a Research Scientist specializing in functional MRI, you will play a critical role in our research efforts aimed at understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of mindfulness, compassion and IFS-based interventions on clinical populations. Using advanced neuroimaging techniques, you will lead the development and implementation of fMRI protocols, data analysis, and interpretation to provide valuable insights into the impact of mindfulness, compassion and IFS on brain function.

• Develop and refine neuroimaging protocols (fMRI, EEG, etc.), experimental tasks, and data acquisition procedures tailored to the study of clinical populations. Lead fMRI data acquisition sessions, ensuring high data quality and adherence to ethical and safety standards.

• Establish and maintain a robust data management system, including data preprocessing and quality control and perform advanced neuroimaging data analysis using software packages (e.g., FSL, SPM, CONN toolbox, or similar).

• Ensure all research activities adhere to ethical guidelines and regulatory requirements for human research subjects.

• Advance scientific understanding around specific topic areas through peer-reviewed published research manuscripts by authoring publications.

• Collaborate with other CMC staff, clinicians, and scientists on the development of research proposals and manuscripts.

• Participate in other ongoing projects of the Lab, contribute to dissemination efforts pertaining to those projects, and help develop proposals for new research projects for the Lab.

• Disseminate findings at national and international academic conferences.

• Mentoring and Supervising students and researchers

Health Equity Research Lab Area Requirements:

• Education/Training: A PhD in health services research, public health, epidemiology, public policy, economics, social sciences, or related disciplines

• A strong foundation in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods and a broad understanding of health policy issues;

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to translate research findings for a policy audience;

• The ability to work well in teams.

Center for Mindfulness & Compassion Area Requirements:

• A Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Psychology, Cognitive Science, or a related field with a strong emphasis on fMRI research.

• At least 3 years of postdoctoral or mentored investigator research experience.

• Proven expertise in designing and conducting fMRI experiments, data analysis, and statistical modeling.

• Proficiency in neuroimaging software packages (e.g., FSL, SPM) and programming languages (e.g., MATLAB, Python).

• Experience in working with clinical populations is highly desirable, i.e., individuals with trauma, childhood maltreatment, adolescents, or substance use disorder.

• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals related to neuroimaging research.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and lead research projects.

• Ability to meet criteria for an Instructor or Assistant Professor level appointment at Harvard Medical School.

 
In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.