"Postdoctoral Research Scholar 0-5 yrs Experience"

Overview

This position is open until filled with an initial application review to take place after December 8, 2025.

The salary for this position is $5,858.66 per month and is non-negotiable.

Research for Equity and Community Health (REACH). Our lab aims to reduce health disparities through community-based research, culturally tailored behavioral health interventions, and sustainment strategies for long-term community benefit. We target multiple levels of influence (e.g., individual, family, community) using theory- and evidence-based approaches to enhance effectiveness. Partnering with local organizations like churches, schools, and YMCAs, we reach individuals and families in trusted spaces. Our multidisciplinary team, with expertise in Psychology, Public Health, Latin American Studies, and Dissemination & Implementation Science, employs qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods to conduct impactful research at the intersection of health psychology and behavioral science (https://reachlab.sdsu.edu/).

Institute for Behavioral and Community Health Studies (IBACH). It is home to a dynamic, multidisciplinary team of researchers, research professionals, and trainees who collaborate with organizational partners to enhance the quality of life for diverse communities. Several research centers are affiliated with IBACH including the Center for Research on Sexuality and Sexual Health (SASH), the SDSU-UCSD CREATE, and the SDSU HealthLINK Center. The Fellow will have access to 32 investigators from different fields of study, including Epidemiology, Statistics, Health Promotion, Dissemination and Implementation Science and Psychology, as well as Research Staff. Through these connections, trainees have opportunities to network with faculty from diverse backgrounds (75% of IBACH PIs are URM faculty) and access to additional datasets and opportunities for publications, theses, and dissertations (www.ibachsd.org)

The Department of Psychology at San Diego State University offers bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology, as well as the APA-accredited Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in collaboration with UC San Diego. Faculty expertise spans clinical, health, developmental, social, and neuroscience research areas, supported by advanced facilities including an on-campus MRI center. The department combines rigorous academic training with applied experiences to prepare students for careers in research, healthcare, and public service.

Faith in Action (Fe en Accion) is a community health worker (CHW)-led health and exercise intervention implemented in collaboration with faith-based organizations. The current study is a hybrid type II trial testing the effectiveness, reach, implementation, and sustainment of enhanced versions of the intervention in comparison with a standard (control) version of the intervention. This study is enrolling church leaders and staff, promotoras, and church members at 32 churches throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties (1R01HL158538).

DESCRIPTION OF POSITION

The REACH Lab is seeking applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join its research group within the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH) and the Department of Psychology at San Diego State University (SDSU).

The fellow will contribute to the development, dissemination, and implementation of community-based interventions to prevent chronic diseases in marginalized communities. The fellow will primarily work on a hybrid type II effectiveness-implementation trial employing a clustered randomized controlled design to test the impact of proposed implementation strategies on organization-level change and individual behavior across 32 diverse faith-based organizations (FBOs) over a 12-month intervention and 6-month follow-up.

This position offers an excellent opportunity to engage in mentored research and gain experience in intervention development, clinical trial implementation, community-based intervention research, and manuscript and grant preparation. The fellow will acquire skills and knowledge in Dissemination and Implementation science and in translating evidence-based interventions among medically underserved populations. In addition to mentorship from Dr. Elva Arredondo, Professor and Licensed Clinical Psychologist, the fellow will have the opportunity to collaborate with other investigators in various departments conducting community intervention trials. The position is housed within the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), home to a multidisciplinary team of researchers with expertise in behavioral interventions, mental and physical health, and disease prevention. IBACH offers a strong culture of mentorship and extensive collaborations with community partners locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Responsibilities

Manuscript Writing 35%

• Utilize project data to lead and collaborate on manuscripts, with an emphasis on D&I papers

Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses 20%

• Support analysis of quantitative and qualitative data; review codebooks and final datasets to provide scrutiny of data quality
• Conduct both rapid qualitative and traditional qualitative analyses of interviews with church leaders, staff, and promotoras
• Conduct coincidence analysis to understand predictors of organizational-level outcomes (requires use of R software)

Mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students 20%

• Attend and co-lead lab manuscript meetings (weekly); create and deliver professional development seminars for staff & student team (approx. monthly/quarterly)
• Meet one-on-one with students to provide mentorship; review and provide feedback on their proposals, thesis drafts, presentations, abstracts, posters, and other research deliverables
• Review data access requests for student projects, prepare datasets, and support student analysis (review proposed syntax, provide input on methods, etc.)

Grant proposal development 20%

• Lead submission of research grant relevant to dissemination or implementation of health interventions
• Assist in writing grant proposals to scale up evidence-based interventions

Other Duties as Assigned 5%

Qualifications

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively (both written and verbal), including communication with staff, faculty, students, and research participants
• Ability to conduct qualitative and/or quantitative analyses
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships
• Knowledge of manuscript writing and grant proposal writing
• Ability to prepare conference presentations and make presentations to groups
• Ability to mentor undergraduate and postgraduate students and research staff
• Ability to understand and follow work procedures
• Ability to be well organized, meet deadlines, display detail orientation, and possess good judgment and common sense
• Ability to work with diverse populations including Latino communities
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of cross-cultural sensitivity

Minimum Required Education & Experience

• By the start of the fellowship, the candidate must have a doctoral degree in psychology or a related field.
• The candidate must have a strong research background in community-based research and prevention science.
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications in psychology, public health, and/or behavioral medicine.

Preferred Qualifications and Special Skills

• Experience in Dissemination and Implementation Science and community-based intervention research.
• Experience working with Latino communities
• Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including experience with R, NVIVO, SPSS and other analytical software.

To apply: Please submit application, cover Letter, resume and three references in iCIMS.