Postdoctoral Associate, Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Boston University

HEY! Lab Postdoctoral Research Associate, BUSPH

The Department of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health has a long history and national reputation of applying social and behavioral sciences to enhance the health and wellbeing of communities and promote health equity. A Postdoctoral Research Associate position is available within the Healthy and Empowered Youth Lab (the HEY! Lab) on the team of Dr. Kimberly Nelson, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Possible projects the postdoc will work on include the following:

QuaranTeen Health. This project focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent sexual health. Dr. Nelson and collaborators launched the longitudinal QuaranTeen Health survey in 2022 and have recruited more than 1,700 US adolescents to participate in multiannual surveys across 3.5 years. The surveys aim to identify 1) the immediate impact of the COVID-19 impact on adolescent sexual health, 2) longitudinal trends in sexual health behaviors as the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health policies evolve over time, and 3) the ways in which these trends vary by assigned sex at birth, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and ethnicity. The team has collected more than two years’ worth of qualitative and quantitative longitudinal data that are ready for analysis and dissemination and will continue to collect new data through 2026.

YESS (Youth Expectations about Sex Survey). Rough sexual behaviors (i.e., sex that involves slapping, hard spanking, punching, choking, and/or other physically aggressive acts) appear to be increasingly common among adolescents and young adults (ages 15–29; AYA) in the United States (US). YESS will assess the prevalence and diversity of rough sexual behaviors among AYA, explore which factors influence whether and how AYA engage in rough sex (e.g., partners, peers, media), and examine how engaging in rough sex relates to the mental and sexual health of AYA. As such, the aims of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study are to: (1) use a nationally representative survey of 800 adolescents (15–17 years old) and 1,000 young adults (18–29 years old) to determine the prevalence and correlates of partnered sexual behaviors among AYA in the US; (2) conduct follow-up in-depth interviews with a diverse subsample of AYA from Aim 1 (N = 150) to assess how partnered behaviors are understood, experienced, and related to health by AYA; and (3) examine whether partnered sexual behavior experiences, expectations, and consequences vary for demographic subgroups (i.e., by age, sex assigned at birth, gender identity, sexual orientation identity, racial/ethnic identity). A Youth Advisory Board will be involved at all stages of the project. This study is about to be launched and the postdoctoral fellow will be involved in all aspects of it.

About the HEY! Lab. Drs. Kimberly Nelson and Allegra Gordon co-direct the HEY! Lab. Drs. Lynsie Ranker and Gabe Murchison are core faculty members. Members of the HEY! Lab conduct research on adolescent and young adult health, particularly sexual health, access to health care, eating disorders, body image, and substance use. You can view the HEY! Lab’s list of publications here.

The HEY! Lab Postdoctoral Research Associate will participate in the following activities:

·       Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses of longitudinal and cross-sectional data about adolescent sexual health.

·       Interview adolescent and young adult survey participants about their sexual health and sexual behaviors

·       Coordinate a team of research assistants, including student research assistants

·       Collaborate with researchers across disciplines

·       Prepare manuscripts and present at conferences

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will participate in regular Nelson Lab team meetings. The associate will also regularly engage with faculty members from other universities and collaborators at the Center for Innovative Public Health Research (CiPHR). This is structured as a two-year position with the potential for more as needed.

Requirements:

• ·       PhD/doctorate in public health, psychology, or related field.
• ·       Demonstrable expertise in quantitative statistical research. 
• ·       Strong publication record.

Preferred qualifications:

• ·       Demonstrable expertise in qualitative research and qualitative coding.
• ·       Fluent in both English and Spanish.
• ·       Interest in sexual health research.
• ·       Experience working with adolescents.

Applications may be submitted at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/28119.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.