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Job Summary
Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Longitudinal Neuroimaging of Pelvic Pain in Adolescents and Young Adults
Clinical and Translational Pain Research Laboratory, McLean Hospital (Mass General Brigham / Harvard Medical School)
Position Summary
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 integrates structural MRI as well as resting-state and tasked-based fMRI, quantitative sensory testing, and detailed clinical and psychosocial assessment across multiple time-points. The fellow will take a central role in the day-to-day operational aspects of the study including protocol execution, data acquisition, image processing, and eventual participation in data analysis, and manuscript preparation. A post-doctoral fellow typically holds dual affiliations at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
This is an ideal position for an early-career scientist who wants to build an independent research program at the intersection of pain, neurodevelopment, and women's health. The fellow will work closely with both Principal Investigators - Drs. Laura Payne and Christine Sieberg, who are pain researchers and Co-Investigator Dr. Edina Szabo (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center), along with a collaborative network of clinicians and imaging scientists across the Mass General Brigham system. The position is designed to support the fellow's development toward independent funding (e.g., F32, K-series) and a faculty career.
About the Laboratory
Dr. Payne’s and Dr. Sieberg’s studies evaluate how chronic pain develops, persists, and can be treated, with a particular focus on under-recognized pain conditions affecting girls and women. The lab has a strong mentorship culture, and trainees are encouraged to develop their own lines of inquiry within the lab's broader scientific mission.
Key Responsibilities
Study Leadership and Management
• Serve as the lead scientist for the longitudinal imaging study, coordinating all aspects of neuroimaging data collection, quality control, and data management
• Oversee study timelines, participant retention across follow-up visits, and scanner scheduling in partnership 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
Participant Recruitment and Assessment
• Work with clinical collaborators to identify and recruit participants and matched pain-free controls
• Implement and oversee a developmentally appropriate battery of clinical, psychological, and sensory assessments (quantitative sensory testing), including 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, particularly given the intimate nature of the clinical conditions studied
Neuroimaging Acquisition and Analysis
• 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 motion monitoring and standardized quality control
• Develop and…