Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Mass General Brigham • Belmont, MA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical and Translational Pain Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital seeks a postdoctoral fellow to lead a longitudinal, multimodal neuroimaging study of adolescents and young adults with pelvic pain. The study combines structural MRI, resting-state and task-based fMRI, quantitative sensory testing, and detailed clinical and psychosocial assessments across multiple time points. The fellow will lead day-to-day study operations, including protocol execution, data acquisition, image processing, and participation in data analysis and manuscript preparation. The role typically carries dual affiliations with McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

This position is intended for an early-career scientist seeking to develop an independent research program at the intersection of pain, neurodevelopment, and women's health. The fellow will work with Principal Investigators Drs. Laura Payne and Christine Sieberg, Co-Investigator Dr. Edina Szabo, and clinicians and imaging scientists across the Mass General Brigham system. The position supports development toward independent funding, such as F32 or K-series awards, and a faculty career.

The laboratory studies how chronic pain develops, persists, and can be treated, with a particular focus on under-recognized pain conditions affecting girls and women. Trainees receive mentorship and are encouraged to develop their own research questions within the laboratory's broader scientific mission.

The appointment is full-time, initially for one year, with renewal for up to three additional years contingent on performance and funding. The position is onsite at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, and is scheduled for 40 hours per week. The start date is February 1, 2027, and is flexible. The fellow reports to Laura Payne, PhD, M-Principal Investigator and Director of the Clinical and Translational Pain Research Laboratory.

Requirements

• PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, cognitive neuroscience, medical imaging, or a related field, completed or expected before the start date.
• Hands-on experience with human MRI data acquisition and analysis, including structural, resting-state, or task-based paradigms.
• Proficiency in at least one major neuroimaging software package and in a programming or statistical language such as Python, R, or MATLAB.
• Experience with, or working knowledge of, longitudinal data analysis.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity, including peer-reviewed publications commensurate with career stage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage a complex project, and collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Availability for a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, to accommodate adolescent participants' schedules.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with pediatric, adolescent, or developmental neuroimaging.
• Research experience in chronic pain, women's health, or a related clinical population.
• Familiarity with analysis of high-motion or developmental datasets.
• Experience with machine learning or predictive modeling approaches in neuroimaging.
• A strong peer-reviewed publication record, including at least one first-author research paper using MRI functional or structural analysis techniques.
• Prior experience with human subjects research, IRB processes, and research involving minors.
• Interest in clinical and psychosocial aspects of pain and in translational research.
• Commitment to inclusive, equitable, and trauma-informed research practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the longitudinal imaging study and coordinate neuroimaging data collection, quality control, and data management.
• Oversee study timelines, participant retention across follow-up visits, and scanner scheduling with the research coordinator and McLean Imaging Center.
• Supervise and train research assistants, graduate students, and undergraduate trainees involved in recruitment, assessment, and scanning.
• Assist with progress reports and contribute to grant renewals and new proposals.
• Work with clinical collaborators to identify and recruit participants and matched pain-free controls.
• Implement and oversee developmentally appropriate clinical, psychological, and sensory assessments, including assessment of pain characteristics, menstrual and pubertal history, mood, anxiety, trauma exposure, sleep, and functioning.
• Ensure sensitive, trauma-informed, and developmentally appropriate interactions with participants and families.
• Oversee acquisition of high-quality structural, resting-state, and task-based fMRI data in coordination with Dr. Szabo.
• Implement strategies to minimize and monitor head motion, including real-time monitoring and standardized quality control.
• Develop and maintain reproducible preprocessing and analysis pipelines with version-controlled code.
• Assist with analyses of functional connectivity, task-evoked activation, brain structure, and relationships with clinical trajectories.
• Apply longitudinal modeling approaches that account for developmental change, repeated measures, and attrition.
• Contribute to multivariate and predictive modeling to identify neural markers of pain persistence and resolution.
• Lead first-author manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication and contribute to collaborative papers.
• Present findings at national and international scientific meetings.
• Contribute to open science practices, including preregistration, data sharing, and code sharing consistent with funder requirements.
• Develop an independent research question within the broader study and pursue external funding to support it.

Benefits

• Close, individualized mentorship from the Principal Investigators, with regular one-on-one meetings.
• Opportunities to collaborate with imaging scientists, clinicians, and statisticians across McLean Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.
• Support for developing and submitting fellowship and career development grant applications.
• Access to seminars, courses, journal clubs, and postdoctoral programming across the Harvard-affiliated community.
• Funding to attend scientific conferences and present research.
• Exposure to clinical aspects of pain care and psychological treatment, where of interest.
• Comprehensive benefits, career advancement opportunities, differentials, premiums, and bonuses as applicable, and recognition programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree