About Van Andel Institute

VAI is an independent biomedical research organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their research encompasses five central themes: epigenetics, neurodegenerative science, metabolism and nutrition, cell biology, and structural biology. Postdoctoral fellows are a crucial part of VAI’s efforts to improve the health and enhance the lives of current and future generations. All VAI postdocs receive:

• Mentorship from world-renowned principal investigators.
• Access to state-of-the-art research spaces and an extensive suite of Core Technologies and Services.
• Support from a dedicated Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, which provides a comprehensive professional development program.

Postdoc Preview (Sept. 15–17, 2022)

Postdoc Preview is a three-day competitive program that provides selected applicants the opportunity to visit VAI to learn about their postdoc training opportunities, meet one-on-one with internationally recognized faculty and explore their extensive scientific resources.

• VAI will provide transportation, lodging and meals for selected applicants. We also are pleased to offer family care grants for those caring for children or other family members.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be current graduate students at U.S. institutions who anticipate beginning a postdoc by January 2024. Individuals who identify as members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
• Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. ET on July 1.
• More information and the application may be found here.

Cancer Epigenetics Training program (funded by a National Cancer Institute T32 award)

• Offers cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research training in structural and functional aspects of epigenetics, complemented by state-of-the-art Core Technologies and Services, unique professional development activities, and integration with established translational research programs and partnerships led by VAI investigators.
• Prepares postdocs to become independent research leaders in the field of cancer epigenetics.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be near completion of a Ph.D., M.D. or other appropriate terminal degree Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Individuals who identify as members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
• More information and the application can be found here.

Inspire Fellowship

• Supports postdocs who identify as members of underrepresented racial or ethnic groups as they finish preparing to be independent research leaders in academia or industry.
• Provides $50,000 per year toward the Inspire Fellow’s salary, which starts at $57,200. Support is renewable for up to two additional years (so three years total).
• Inspire Fellows form a cohort that meets for monthly professional development events.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be within 12 months of completing a Ph.D., M.D. or other appropriate terminal degree. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who identify as members of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group as defined by NIH.
• Application opens on Aug. 1 and closes on Oct. 31.

More information and the application can be found here.

The Harvard-MIT Center for Regulatory Science is seeking a fellow with training or expertise in the neurosciences. The fellow will work with faculty at Harvard Medical School, Harvard-Affiliated Hospitals or MIT, and benefit from interactions and collaborations with FDA scientists on a project-specific basis.

Potential areas of interest include the following topics, among others:

• Use of biomarkers for development of novel neurological indications and requirements for clinical validation 
• Creating a regulatory framework for wearables and other digital technologies for use in diagnostics, monitoring of treatment outcomes, and disease maintenance among patients with neurological conditions
• Development of more patient-centric and patient-rated outcome measures that can be used as approvable endpoints in the development of CNS agents
• More flexible approaches to trial designs to expedite development of therapeutics for neurological diseases

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

Individuals with doctoral degrees (MD, PhD, PharmD, JD, or equivalent) and training or experience in clinical neurology or psychiatry, basic neuroscience, or in a relevant field such as pharmacoepidemiology, epidemiology, or health policy

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND REQUIREMENTS

Please include the following in the initial application:

• Curriculum vitae 
• Cover letter with up to five faculty members with whom the applicant would be interested in working
• Research statement describing the applicant’s research interests, including a description of the relevance to regulatory science
• Writing sample or up to three relevant publications

If selected to submit a full application, candidates will be interviewed and asked to provide:

• 3 letters of reference
• Project description (3 pages maximum) that includes justification for the work, specific research objectives, proposed methods, and the project’s broader relevance and implications for regulatory science
• The project description may be developed jointly with the mentor following identification of a faculty mentor after submission of the initial application

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Host Institution: Harvard Medical School

Appointing Department: Harvard Program in Therapeutic Science

Research Laboratory: TBD

Location: Boston, MA

Category: Scientist

Other responsibilities: no administrative or teaching obligations

Duration of fellowship: 2 years

EEO STATEMENT

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive considerations for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

CONTACT

Florence Bourgeois, MD, MPH | Florence_Bourgeois@hms.harvard.edu

Co-Director, Harvard-MIT Center for Regulatory Science  Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Tim Greten, Senior Investigator of the Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch in the NCI’s Center for Cancer Research, is looking for a person who is interested in doing her/his post-doc in a fun and well-funded group. They have a lot of high-risk/high reward projects and their group uses novel and state of the art technologies. Please reach out to Dr. Greten (tim.greten@nih.gov) for more details.

More information about his group can be found on their webpage.

Requirements

Candidates must have a Ph.D. or M.D. degree and less than five years of postdoctoral experience. Foreign applicants will need to qualify for a J-1 visa or have permanent US residency status. Proficiency in oral and written English is required. Applicants with a strong background in immunology, cancer cell biology or molecular biology, cellular cancer biology are encouraged to apply. Interested candidates should send a curriculum vitae, statement of research background and interest, and names and contact information for three references.