Postdoctoral Scientist

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The VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies (IDAS) is seeking an enthusiastic Post-Doctoral Fellow to join a dynamic, multidisciplinary research team led by Dr. Caitlin

E. Martin. This role focuses on NIH-funded translational science projects exploring how biological, neurofunctional, and psychosocial factors impact substance use disorder (SUD) recovery, with specific emphasis on opioid use disorder treatments, sleep comorbidities, and perinatal health. The fellow will lead data management and quantitative/qualitative analysis, manage regulatory compliance, publish research findings, and mentor student trainees. Qualified candidates must hold a PhD in a related scientific discipline, possess strong data management and statistical software skills (e.g., STATA, SPSS), and have at least one first-author publication.

Experience with NIH-funded clinical research and REDCap is preferred.

Please note:

Only applicants who do not require current or future employment sponsorship will be considered.

VP Research MBU

Inst for Drug Alcohol Stud

At the VCU Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, our mission is to foster transformative research, discovery, and innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University through excellence in service.

We partner with faculty in all schools and departments as they seek funding, plan studies, establish collaborations, calculate budgets, submit grant applications, negotiate industry contracts, and secure patents and licensing agreements.

Our commitment to supporting and elevating the research community at VCU has resulted in record levels of sponsored research and has placed VCU among the nation’s premier public research universities.

Through our passion for discovery and willingness to take on challenges, we continue to advance the work that matters most and position the university as a national leader in research, innovation, creativity, and scholarship.

About the VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies (IDAS)

The Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies (IDAS) at Virginia Commonwealth University is a premier hub for scientific discovery, dedicated to advancing multidisciplinary research and training on the neuroscience of addictions and related neurobehavioral disorders. Located in the heart of Richmond, IDAS bridges the gap between the laboratory and clinical practice, utilizing cutting-edge brain-imaging technology and collaborative clinical studies to understand how addiction impacts the brain and to develop life-changing treatments.

As a vital part of a nationally renowned public research institution, we foster an "UNcommon" environment where diverse perspectives drive innovation in public health. We invite dedicated professionals to join our team in addressing one of society’s most pressing challenges through rigorous science, compassionate education, and a commitment to community well-being.

Position Primary Purpose and General Duties:
There is an open post-doctoral scientist position for an enthusiastic and highly motivated individual with the VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies.

The VCU Institute for Alcohol and Alcohol Studies conducts research across the translational science spectrum related to substance use disorders (SUD), from population-level epidemiologic studies to mechanistic neuroimaging studies. Addiction is a chronic, treatable medical condition with biopsychosocial complexity, and the science that informs interventions targeting addiction warrants a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach. Many IDAS studies are focused on informing the development and implementation of innovative, better treatment options for individuals seeking SUD recovery.

Working primarily with Caitlin

E. Martin, MD, the post-doctoral scientist will work on IDAS research-related activities that focus on elucidating the roles biological factors, such as biological sex, neurofunctional and psychosocial contexts play in the recovery of people with opioid and other substance use disorders. Projects are largely focused on employing translational science strategies to identify evidence-based avenues to improve the quality of substance use disorder treatments, such as for opioid use disorder (OUD) medication treatments with buprenorphine.

Most studies are NIH funded and include a broad range of methodological approaches, including randomized clinical trials, cohort studies, analyses of nationally representative datasets, qualitative and community-engaged studies.

The current research focus for this open position is dependent on funding streams and may change. However, examples of research focus will on our studies of treatments for comorbid insomnia in buprenorphine-maintained patients with OUD, as well as our community-engagement focused projects aiming to advance the quality of evidence-based SUD treatments for pregnant and postpartum women and their families impacted by SUD.

Current studies are…