Post Doctoral Associate (CARRS)

Postdoctoral Associate Position, Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep (CARRS)

The Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep (https://www.carrs.pitt.edu/) invites applications for a postdoctoral position focused on research investigating the role of sleep-circadian rhythms and reward processing in adolescent substance use risk. There will be ample opportunity to present findings at scientific conferences and publish findings as first and co-author from multiple available datasets, including the CARRS human cohort, ABCD study, and other protocols led by CARRS investigators. The postdoc will also participate in training and professional development seminars, including the Department of Psychiatry's Career and Research Development Seminar (CARDS) series and a postdoctoral seminar in Translational Sleep and Circadian Science at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Science.

CARRS includes a multidisciplinary team of investigators focused on human and animal research (https://www.carrs.pitt.edu/people). This postdoctoral position focuses on the human subjects arm of the center. Available mentors for this postdoctoral role include Drs. Buysse, Clark, Coffman, Franzen, Hasler, Levenson, Soehner, and Wallace.  

About the University of Pittsburgh: The University of Pittsburgh is a state-related research university that was established in 1787, making it one of the oldest institutions in the nation. The university is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), which consists of 63 doctorate-granting research universities in North America. The university comprises of 23,466 full time undergraduates and 7,280 full-time graduate/doctoral students.

About the Department of Psychiatry: The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, is part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). The department comprises of over 200 faculty members who are who are clinicians, investigators and educators trained in clinical medicine, psychology, social work, and multiple fields of basic science. The department is one of the largest recipients of NIH research funds among departments of psychiatry. The department promotes the career development of clinician educators and scientists, provides the highest quality behavioral health care to patients and their families, and creates the future of psychiatry through basic, translational clinical research.

Start Date: Anytime before September 1, 2026

Duration: One year, with potential for renewal

Location: Western Psychiatric Hospital, with hybrid options available.

Compensation: Stipend is based on years of experience and University of Pittsburgh guidelines.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit the following materials to this position posting the University of Pittsburgh Careers Website :

• CV, with contact information for 3 professional references
• Cover Letter (2 pages max; specify requested research supervisor(s) and rationale)
• Writing sample (e.g., a published paper)

Qualifications:

Requirements are: PhD in psychology, neuroscience, biostatistics, bioinformatics, public health, biomedical engineering, or a related discipline. Ideal candidates would possess a background an interest in mental health research; outstanding written and oral communication skills; English fluency; a high degree of professionalism; evidence of successful scientific writing in the form of peer-reviewed manuscripts and/or grant applications; and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and reference managers. Background in one or more of the following research domains would be beneficial: pediatric mental health research or sleep-circadian research; analyzing sleep-circadian data; computational methods; neuroimaging; or advanced statistical data analysis.