Job Posting Title:
Postdoctoral Fellow (Harden)
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Hiring Department:
Population Research Center
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Position Open To:
All Applicants
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Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
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FLSA Status:
Exempt
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Earliest Start Date:
Immediately
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Position Duration:
Expected to Continue Until Dec 31, 2026
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Location:
UT MAIN CAMPUS
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Job Details:
General Notes
The Department of Psychology and Population Research Center (PRC) are seeking a postdoctoral scholar in psychiatric or behavioral genetics, or a related discipline, to work on two projects led by Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden and her colleagues. The first is a NIH-funded epigenetic study of the social determinants of health. The second is a genomic study of externalizing spectrum disorders, conducted in collaboration with and jointly mentored by Dr. Travis Mallard (Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School). Both are interdisciplinary projects integrating theory and methods from developmental psychology and quantitative genomics / epigenomics. The postdoctoral scholar will also join the PRC’s postdoctoral training program, which has associated professional development, mentoring, and capacity-building activities.
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Purpose
The postdoctoral fellowship is a full-time position that entails project-related research and activities. This position is for 12 months and includes the possibility of renewing for a second 12-months, conditional on performance and availability of funding. Start date is flexible between now and December 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Responsibilities
Perform statistical analyses of genetic and epigenetic data sets and provide interpretations of results from these analyses for reports, manuscripts, and internal research briefs.
Ensure reproducibility of analyses through principled programming, structured documentation, and version control workflows.
Assist in obtaining and maintaining data use agreements and ethics approvals.
Maintain and disseminate scientific resources using best practices for reproducible and open science.
Prepare and lead manuscripts for publication related to study aims.
Mentor Ph.D. students and/or research assistants in data analysis, manuscript preparation, and other research activities.
Continue developing an independent line of research inquiry.
Participate in seminars and meetings for the Population Research Center and with mentors and key collaborators.
Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Doctoral degree in psychology, genetics, biology, economics, or related discipline. Ph.D. to be received no more than 3 years prior to start date.
- Substantive research interest and a publication record supporting analytic and theoretical expertise in psychiatric, behavioral, or social science genomics/epigenomics.
Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrated expertise with genomic/epigenomic data analysis, including GWAS, Genomic SEM, EWAS, bioannotation, and/or polygenic scoring analyses
- Experience with R and Bash programming in high-performance computing environments
- Familiarity with study-related genomic or epigenomic data sets (e.g., UK Biobank, All of Us, ABCD, FFCWS cohorts)
- Effective time-management, attention to detail, and independent problem-solving capabilities
- Experience with version control/workflow management tools
- Commitment to open and reproducible science
- Ability to lead and work effectively in interdisciplinary teams
- Strong written and oral communication skills
Salary Range
- $65,000+, depending on experience and qualifications
Working Conditions
- Typical office environment
Required Materials
- Resume/CV
- 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
- Letter of interest
Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.
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Employment Eligibility:
Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.
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Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
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Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
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Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
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Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
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Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
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E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:
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Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.
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