Postdoctoral Associate in Equine Osteoarthritis Pain Research

Postdoctoral Associate in Equine Osteoarthritis Pain Research University of Florida · J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering / Orthopaedic Biomedical Engineering Laboratory Florida, United States About This Opportunity The University of Florida's OrthoBME Laboratory seeks a postdoctoral associate to help lead an NIH-funded observational study of osteoarthritis pain in privately owned horses, using field measurements and psychometric validation to identify pain measures that can translate to human OA research. Applications close on 28 October 2026 at 11:55 PM Eastern Time. This NIH-funded postdoctoral project uses naturally occurring fetlock osteoarthritis in privately owned horses as a translational model for chronic joint pain. The study addresses a key problem shared by equine and human osteoarthritis: structural joint damage often correlates poorly with symptom severity. After enrollment through the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, the research team travels to farms and ranches in the Gainesville–Ocala area to measure neural processing, autonomic nervous-system function, activity, gait mechanics and other physiological outcomes. The postdoc will coordinate study timelines, lead day-to-day science, mentor graduate students, support training and calibration of study personnel, and maintain protocol standardization and data quality. A major analytical component uses psychometric statistics to test the reliability and validity of candidate pain measures and compare them with ongoing human osteoarthritis studies. The fellow may also lead quantitative sensory testing adapted from human protocols to horses, with training provided, while developing independent research directions and contributing to manuscripts and grant proposals. equine osteoarthritis chronic pain quantitative sensory testing psychometrics gait mechanics large-animal research translational pain research Level Postdoc Attendance Field-based Time Commitment Full-time Reference Code 541548 Field Equine Osteoarthritis Pain and Translational Biomechanics Specialization Biomedical Engineering Organization Type University Funding & Compensation Amount USD 62,000-70,000 Funding Type Salary Funding Status Paid Education PhD in a field such as veterinary sciences, biomedical sciences, engineering or neuroscience; other fields may be considered when the applicant has complementary skills. Experience Experience with manuscript preparation and submission is required, along with comfort working with large animals and the ability and willingness to mentor and manage graduate students. Grant writing and prior formal mentoring are desirable; experience with large animals, pain research, sensory testing, behavioral assessment or biomechanics is useful but not required. Technical Skills Quantitative sensory testing Psychometric statistical analysis Gait-mechanics assessment Behavioral pain assessment Large-animal research Physiological measurement General Skills Team management Graduate-student mentoring Professional communication Protocol standardization Research coordination #J-18808-Ljbffr Laplace Expert Ltd