Postdoctoral Scholar

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Job Title:

Post Doctoral Scholar – Comprehensive Cancer Center | Palliative Medicine

Department:

CCC | Palliative Medicine

The Ohio State University College of Medicine and the Wexner Medical Center has a unique opportunity for individuals wishing to pursue post-doctoral training in supportive care research! Join our NEW Center for Research Excellence in Supportive Care (CREST) at the James Cancer Center / Solove Research Institute and the Section for Pain and Palliative Care Research (SPARC) in the Division of Palliative Medicine. CREST will create an interdisciplinary, inclusive environment for researchers from across The Ohio State University whose research focuses on improving the quality of life of patients with cancer and their care partners. CREST was founded by the OSUCCC – James, and is led by Jessica Merlin, MD, PhD.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our team. We are a growing group of five faculty, and one post-doc focused on various areas of supportive care research. Content areas include aging and cognitive impairment, management of pain and other symptoms, substance use, and medical cannabis in people with serious illness, particularly cancer. Methodologic strengths include qualitative methods, prospective cohort studies, clinical trials including single site pilots and large-scale multi-site clinical trials, and implementation science including implementation trials. An existing cancer focus is preferred, and if not, a desire to expand to the cancer space is highly desirable but not required.

Job Requirements

Doctoral / Professional degree required. Applicants may be physicians, other doctoral-level clinicians (e.g., PsyD, DPT), clinical PhDs (e.g., clinical psychologists), or non-clinical PhDs.

Additional Information:

We are seeking individuals who are passionate about building and growing their own research programs and enjoy working collaboratively with like-minded scientists. Competitive salaries, moving stipends, and research funds are available.

OSU is a strong research institution. Fellows will have the opportunity to interact with post-doctoral scholars and faculty across the Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, and University including the Colleges of Nursing and Public Health.

Palliative Medicine Division Overview
Our mission: Provide interdisciplinary expert care to patients and their families/caregivers who are navigating serious illness. 

Our vision:  Lead the way for person-centered care with each patient through clinical, educational, and research innovation.

Clinical: The Palliative Medicine team cares for seriously ill patients throughout their illness trajectory. The division is comprised of 16 board certified physicians, 15 advance practice nurses, 1 clinical psychologist, 4 physician fellows, 4 pharmacists, and 3 social workers. We have had over 11,000 inpatient and 6,000 outpatient encounters in the past academic year. Our five service lines cover University Hospital, Ross Heart Hospital, OSU East, and the James Cancer Hospital, and provide both inpatient and ambulatory care. Our areas of expertise include palliative care in cancer, heart failure, advanced lung disease, transplant, intensive care, neurologic conditions, geriatrics, and advanced liver disease. 

Education: We educate trainees and practicing clinicians on primary palliative care principles from multiple disciplines and subspecialities.  Our program has five ACGME-accredited Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship positions including Adult, combined Adult/Pediatric, and combined Oncology/Palliative Medicine track. 

Research innovation and activities are described above.  

The Ohio State University College of Medicine

The College of Medicine is nationally recognized as a top institution in both education and research, as reflected by the recently published 2016 U.S. News & World Report, “Best Graduate Schools Rankings”. The OSU-COM ranks 12th in the country among public universities. The COM carries a long-standing tradition of facilitating a broad range of educational programs for medical, undergraduate, and graduate students, and fosters outstanding training programs for residents, fellows, and postdoctoral trainees. The OSU-COM incorporates 19 clinical departments, 17 centers, programs and institutes, and 7 basic science departments with a focus on biomedical informatics, immunology, microbiology, cell physiology, and pharmacology. In 2023, research funding for the OSU-COM reached a record ~$421 million.  Of that amount, the NIH awarded the College of Medicine more than $237 million in grants, contracts and subcontracts. 

The Wexner Medical Center
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center consists of The Ohio State University Health System, the College of Medicine, the Health Sciences Library and the Faculty Group Practice. The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is committed to providing world-class care. At the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, we're proud to be celebrating our 33rd consecutive year ranked in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list. This year, the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center has 9 nationally ranked specialties out of 15 and four selected as high performing. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center as the top hospital in Columbus. The Wexner Medical Center is rated as high performing in 17 out of 22 common procedures and conditions, including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, arrhythmia, COPD, colon cancer surgery, diabetes, gynecological cancer surgery, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, lung cancer surgery, pacemaker implantation, pneumonia, prostate cancer, spinal fusion, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The Wexner Medical Center also recently ranked No. 4 on Forbes’ list of best U.S. employers for diversity.

Our new hospital tower, scheduled to open in 2026, is the largest single facilities project ever undertaken at Ohio State. It’s designed to enhance a unified Ohio State Wexner Medical Center campus providing world-class patient care, leading-edge research and outstanding clinical training.

• 820 large, private rooms to elevate patient-centered care, nearly doubling the number of beds we have today

• Enhanced connections between the new inpatient hospital and the OSUCCC – James

• More than half an acre of terrace space and a quarter acre of green space for a small park

• 148 additional beds for patients of the OSUCCC – James

• 51 neonatal intensive care unit bassinets

• State-of-the-art diagnostic, treatment and inpatient service areas; imaging; operating rooms; and critical care and medical/surgical beds

Department of Internal Medicine (DOIM)

The Department of Internal Medicine (DOIM) is the largest department in the OSU College of Medicine, and is comprised of 14 divisions including Palliative Medicine and spanning primary care and specialty care. The mission of the Department of Internal Medicine is to improve the lives of people through innovation in research, education and patient care. By working as a team, the DOIM shapes the future of medicine by creating, disseminating and applying new knowledge to meet the needs of each individual.  DOIM provides infrastructure and support for research in terms of scientific excellence, aligned cores and institutes, administrative and financial oversight, and trainee and faculty career development. 

The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute

“The James” is the patient-care component of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Consistently ranked by US News and World Report as one of the top hospitals in the nation for cancer care, The James is a transformational facility that fosters the collaboration and integration of cancer research and clinical cancer care. The James is the largest cancer hospital in the Midwest and the third largest in the nation.

Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC)

The OSUCCC is a network of interdisciplinary, cancer-related research programs that comprise more than 250 investigators from 17 colleges at the university and includes The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. These researchers are dedicated to reducing the morbidity and mortality of cancer through basic, clinical, and translational research and are organized into 5 distinct programs at our matrix cancer center: Cancer Control, Leukemia Research, Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics, Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention (MCC), and Translational Therapeutics.

OSU has been designated by the NCI as a CCC since 1976. For the third consecutive time, the National Cancer Institute in 2020 rated Ohio State’s cancer program as “exceptional” – the highest rating provided – following a review of the OSUCCC-James’ application for redesignation as a CCC. This NCI CCC core grant finances the center’s administration and funds numerous shared resources that facilitate collaboration among CCC researchers. These shared resources include: Analytical Cytometry, Behavioral Measurement, Biomedical Informatics, Biospecimen Resource, Biostatistics, Clinical Trials Office, Clinical Treatment Unit/Clinical Trials Processing Lab, Comparative Pathology and Mouse Phenotyping, Genetically Engineered Mouse Modeling, Genomics, Leukemia Tissue Bank, Medicinal Chemistry, Microscopy, Nutrient and Phytochemical Analytics, Pharmacoanalytical, Proteomics, and Small Animal Imaging, Solid Tumor Translational Sciences, Target Validation, and Veterinary Clinical Research Support. These facilities all house state-of-the-art equipment and are fully staffed and managed by experts in each relevant discipline. Of note, in 2020, the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology was launched, a bench to bedside research initiative focused on harnessing the body’s immune system to fight cancer. The James also provides its members with high-quality, timely pre and post-award grants management and regulatory support. Dr. Merlin is an active member of the OSUCCC’s Cancer Control Program and has unrestricted access to all the resources available through the OSUCCC. The OSUCCC operates on a model of supporting researchers not specific projects, and therefore also provides this high level of support to Dr. Merlin on her non-cancer-related studies.

The University
Ohio State is a top-20 public university and is the land grant university in the United States with over 68,000 students located on the main campus in Columbus, Ohio. Its 15 colleges offer more than 200 undergraduate majors, 114 doctoral degree and 9 professional degree programs. Its workforce counts almost 50,000 employees. Within the university, the College of Medicine consists of 19 departments and more than 20 core research laboratories for shared use. The Medical Center campus occupies an approximately 4-square block area in the southwest corner of the University campus. The physical proximity of the research programs provide excellent opportunities for shared resources and faculty collaboration.

Recruiting, supporting, and retaining faculty of the highest caliber is a core component of this commitment. The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) has established Dual Careers and Faculty Relocation (DCFR) to focus on supporting new and prospective faculty and their loved ones. Service offerings include dual careers partner consultations, identifying potential employers and/or employment opportunities, consultation and resources related to relocation, as well as identifying opportunities to engage on campus and in the surrounding community. While employment opportunities are not guaranteed, resources and consultation are provided to support the partners of new and prospective faculty as they are considering or transitioning to The Ohio State University.

In addition to being responsive to dual-career opportunities, we strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies. Ohio State is an NSF ADVANCE institution and a member of the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC).  Notably, eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions. 

Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives, and individuals transform themselves and their world. Positions are available in countless fields and specialties. Become a Buckeye and contribute to an incredible legacy that serves to guide our future and shape a better tomorrow.

Columbus, Ohio
Located in Ohio’s capital city, Ohio State’s Columbus campus is near the center of a rapidly growing and diverse metropolitan area with a population of over 1.5 million. The area offers a wide range of affordable housing, many cultural and recreational opportunities, excellent schools, and a strong economy based on government as well as service, transportation, and technology industries. Additional information about the Columbus area is available here. In addition to its Columbus campus, Ohio State has four regional campuses including Ohio State Lima, Ohio State Mansfield, Ohio State Marion, and Ohio State Newark, in addition to Ohio State ATI in Wooster.

How to Apply
To be considered, please submit your application electronically via Workday  Application materials must include cover letter and Curriculum Vitae.

Location:

Olentangy River Rd, 3650 (2520)

Position Type:

Term (Fixed Term)

Scheduled Hours:

40

Shift:

First Shift

Thank you for your interest in positions at The Ohio State University and Wexner Medical Center. Once you have applied, the most updated information on the status of your application can be found by visiting the Candidate Home section of this site. Please view your submitted applications by logging in and reviewing your status. For answers to additional questions please review the frequently asked questions.

The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability. 

As required by Ohio Revised Code section 3345.0216, Ohio State will: educate students by means of free, open and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth; equip students with the opportunity to develop intellectual skills to reach their own, informed conclusions; not require, favor, disfavor or prohibit speech or lawful assembly; create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth and tolerates differences in opinion; treat all faculty, staff and students as individuals, hold them to equal standards and provide equality of opportunity with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.