POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

Position Description:

This position provides an opportunity to join an existing team conducting clinical research assessing the impact of dietary patterns, diet quality and lifestyle for people with multiple sclerosis. The Postdoctoral Research Scholar will work primarily with Drs. Terry Wahls and Linda Snetselaar. Additional nutrition scientist collaborators will include Dr. Tyler Titcomb. The scholar will analyze data from existing projects, develop manuscripts to submit to leading journals, develop grant proposals, and take an active role in current and future research.

The lab is conducting two year randomized, controlled trial investigating ketogenic diet, modified Paleolithic diet and usual diet (with Dietary Guidelines for Americans information) diets in the setting of multiple sclerosis, which will include biomarkers and brain imaging at baseline and after a two-year dietary intervention. Future studies include analyses of metabolomics and microbiome data and longitudinal quality of life data from a study comparing low saturated fat and modified Paleolithic diet in the setting of multiple sclerosis.

The scholar's candidate's specific project-related responsibilities will be developed in consultation with Drs. Wahls and Snetselaar and may include project management, data collection, development of research hypotheses, analytic strategies and scholar-initiated analyses and projects related to the lab's core projects.

The successful candidate will be involved in studying the impact of diet and lifestyle factors on clinical outcomes in multiple sclerosis and other chronic disease states in human subjects. She/he will have access to existing data, collaborators in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, and Liberal Arts and Sciences. The successful candidate is expected to qualify for training grants and fellowships and to further our understanding of the relationship between diet and various lifestyle factors and brain health.

The Postdoc Scholar position is a one-year full-time appointment. Reappointment for additional years is possible depending on the fellow's performance as it relates to their initiative, support of the lab, their publication record, and available funding.

The ideal candidate will hold a PhD (about to complete PhD will also be considered). RD degree is highly desired.

Experience in conducting human clinical trials and a willingness to acquire new complementary skills during the appointment.

Applicants should be passionate about conducting scientific research as it relates the core focus of the lab, which is improving our understanding of multiple sclerosis and the relationships between dietary patterns, diet quality and various lifestyle factors such as (but not limited to) activity level, stress level, and sleep quality, brain health and cognitive function.

The selected candidate must be able to contribute effectively to the success of the research lab and develop and propose relevant research questions related to the core mission of the lab. Excellent attention to detail and the ability to work independently are essential to success in this position, as are good communication and organizational skills.

The selected candidate is expected to have experience conducting human clinical trials, excellent interpersonal skills, writing skills and the ability to effectively work with other members of the laboratory, the public and study participants.

In addition, it is expected that the candidate will design, propose and then execute and interpret approved experiments that support the mission of the lab.

Experience with one or more of these areas is desired: quality of life assessments, biochemical and nutrient biomarkers, clinical functional outcome data, conducting basic neurological motor and cognitive assessments, or brain structural assessments. Experience related to other lifestyle factors such as sleep, activity level, and stress level are also desired. Also of potential benefit is experience conducting survey-based studies.

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