Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Job Title Postdoctoral Research Scientist Grade 20 Salary $73,045-$87,987 The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a full‑time Postdoctoral Research Scientist position. The Center for Behavioral Health and Youth Justice at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow interested in a career conducting research on understanding and addressing mental health and substance use problems among youth and young adults involved with the justice system. The fellow will work directly under the mentorship of Dr. Katherine Elkington for an interactive, in‑person fellowship, with opportunities for external mentorship from researchers from the broader Columbia University Irving Medical Center and from within the NIDA Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network. The fellow will primarily work on two NIDA‑funded initiatives: Project Court REACH (UG1DA05700) – focused on developing and testing implementation strategies to support the roll‑out of 10 novel opioid courts across New York State ( and e‑ConnectYA (R33DA065192), which focuses on implementing a systematic program to identify overdose, suicide and behavioral health risk, and refer and link recently incarcerated young adults with treatment. Both projects fall under the NIDA‑funded JCOIN initiative, which is consortium‑focused on increasing access to evidence‑based treatments for individuals with opioid use disorder who are within the justice system. The successful candidate will collaborate with leading researchers, contribute to cutting‑edge projects, and have opportunities for publication, mentorship, grant writing, and contributions to the design and development of future studies within this consortium. Beyond JCOIN activities, integration into other projects will be based on the fellow's interests and training needs. There are currently multiple NIH‑funded studies, including clinical trials for interventions to improve identification of behavioral health risk, including suicide, in justice‑involved youth and increase referral and initiation of treatment and care. There are also both qualitative and quantitative data from multiple NIH‑funded studies focused on identification and prevention of health and behavioral health problems and linkage to treatment for justice‑involved youth and young adults available for secondary analysis. Duties and Responsibilities Conduct advanced grant‑funded research (e.g., ensure fidelity of intervention implementation and stakeholder/community partner engagement, develop data reports, supervise intervention implementation, collaborate with a project coordinator on project‑related tasks, assist in training and supervising data collection staff, assist with dissemination of research results) Work with project director on study start‑up and development activities related to adapting e‑Connect for a new young adult population. Oversee systematic literature reviews of epidemiologic and treatment studies on topics relevant to the current study (opioid and co‑occurring drug use, court participants, linkage to treatment). Serve as primary author or co‑author for journal articles and chapters for publication. Write or assist with writing grant progress reports and new grant applications. Attend professional conferences for continuing education and to present study results. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of researchers: epidemiologists, addiction psychiatrists/psychologists, lawyers, biostatisticians, and public health experts. Foster a collaborative and inclusive research environment. Provide mentorship and guidance to junior researchers, graduate students, and interns working on the project. Minimum Qualifications A Ph.D. in psychology, public health, criminology, or a related field (degree must be attained by the position start date). At least 1 year of experience working as part of a multidisciplinary research team. Demonstrated record of publications At least 1 year of training in human subjects' research protocols and ethical conduct of research. Preferred Qualifications Prior record of grant funding and/or at least 1 year of partnerships with the criminal/juvenile justice system a plus. Demonstrated strong analytical and problem‑solving skills and experience using statistical techniques and software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, STATA, MPlus, R). Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, for presenting research findings and collaborating effectively with team members and stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team. Demonstrated attention to detail and a commitment to rigorous research methodologies. Work Location 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032 To Apply Submit an application through our website at Please note only applications submitted through our website will be considered. The Mission of the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. RFMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities. To this end, RFMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring that RFMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees' unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. RFMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The Research Foundation is a private not‑for‑profit corporation and is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. Excellent Benefits Package. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer – Disabled/Veteran, 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) compliant. #J-18808-Ljbffr New York State Psychiatry Institute