U.S. Health Equity Postdoctoral Research Fellow

U.S. Health Equity Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School invites early‑career researchers to join a two‑year postdoctoral fellowship dedicated to advancing health equity in the United States. Fellows will design and execute an original research project that innovates toward a more efficient and equitable U.S. health‑care system, focusing on low‑income settings in the U.S. and abroad.

• Develop and conduct an original research project in health equity, informed by a biosocial, interdisciplinary perspective.
• Collaborate with field partners in low‑income communities to collect and analyze data on access to care, health‑system resilience, and community‑based interventions.
• Work with primary and co‑mentors—faculty from Global Health and Social Medicine and a relevant Harvard University department—to integrate biological and social science insights into the project.
• Engage with department seminars, workshops, and career‑development activities to prepare for the next phase of a research career.

Fellows receive a competitive stipend, research funding, and professional‑development support. Travel for fieldwork and participation in all department activities are covered.

Boston, Massachusetts with travel to research sites as needed.

• Ecology of poverty and development
• Health impacts of the climate crisis
• History of medicine
• Intersection of culture, coloniality, and well‑being in North American Indigenous communities
• Medical anthropology
• Mental health: epidemiology, interventions, implementation science
• Political economy of health
• Tuberculosis: epidemiology, clinical trials, co‑infection, social stigma, community interventions

• Doctoral degree in a field linked to social medicine or global health (e.g., anthropology, history, sociology, economics, ecology, epidemiology, implementation science, bioethics)
• Ph.D. completed within three years prior to the fellowship start date
• Experience working in low‑income communities
• Knowledge of U.S. health‑care systems

Applicants should be intellectually curious, early‑career researchers who have organized independent work, collaborated with local partners in low‑income settings, and are prepared to engage with department faculty and activities.

Fellows are salaried and eligible for benefits. Postdoctoral salary is determined by years post‑Ph.D.; additional details can be found at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non‑discrimination. The University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any characteristic protected by law.