Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Position

Submitted: 01/21/2025
Submitted By: Kyle Wiley
Department: Sociology & Anthropology
Institution: The University of Texas at El Paso
Job type: Postdoc
Apply by: 03/15/2025
Application Email: kwiley@utep.edu
Application URL:

University of Texas at El Paso
Job Title: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Position
Department: Sociology & Anthropology

Dr. Kyle Wiley’s newly created lab at the University of Texas at El Paso is searching for a postdoctoral fellow to contribute to biosocial research projects focused on health disparities and the impact of social, political, and traumatic stressors and the social determinants of health on maternal & child health at the U.S.-Mexico Border. Research in the lab focuses on how these stressors impact health in the peripartum, with a particular focus on mental and cardiovascular health and infant development. Ongoing projects in the lab are focused on cardiovascular health during pregnancy. A particular focus in the lab is linking biological mechanisms related to stress, immune function, and placental biology to these stressors and health outcomes. Researchers with a background in human biomarker quantification and/or health disparities among Latinos in the U.S. or Latin America are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants without a lab background will also be considered. A full job description is copied below:

Position Description: A 12-month postdoctoral position, with opportunity for a one-year extension, is available in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The postdoctoral fellow will work with a faculty member that was recruited as part of the UTEP FIRST program (https://www.utep.edu/utep-first/). The UTEP FIRST program aims to catapult scientific discovery in Hispanic Health Disparities Research [HHDR] driven by a comprehensive and highly-supported faculty cohort model embedded in a nascent institutional culture of inclusive excellence that provides thoughtful and deliberate processes for defining, framing, reframing, and improving organizational culture and behaviors informed by metrics and knowledge about proven and emerging practices. The postdoctoral fellow will work with Dr. Wiley in developing research programs related to health disparities and ongoing research activities in his lab. The fellow will work under general supervision from Dr. Wiley with moderate latitude for independent research by assisting in the development, implementation, and monitoring of specialized research projects. There will also be opportunities for the fellow to work on publishing manuscripts in progress and prepare grant/fellowship applications.

Successful candidates should have a strong research background (social science, health science, and/or community-engaged research) with an interest in health disparities research or related fields. The candidate will be guided by an interdisciplinary approach to foster organizational cultures and structures that promote faculty and student success at UTEP and health outcomes for communities served.

The position will provide the postdoctoral fellow with resources and a supportive mentoring community. The applicant will work with UTEP FIRST faculty in data collection, research program development and grant writing. Successful candidates will be interested in incorporating critical thinking and other experiential learning approaches in a university environment. The postdoctoral fellow will begin with a 1-year appointment, with reappointment in successive years contingent on satisfactory progress.

Statement of Duties and Responsibilities:
· Conduct research related to health disparities.
· Identifies, and promotes research with faculty in the Colleges of Science, Business, Health Science, and Liberal Arts.
· Attends professional conferences and workshops related to the field of study to disseminate research results and promote successful research practices.
· Conducts research in a multidisciplinary and/or team science context and engages in professional development activities, including grant writing coaching provided by the UTEP FIRST program.
· Trains users on the operation and data management of research equipment.
· May participate in proposal writing and coordination for external research funds.
· Participate and/or coordinate stakeholder engagement for community engaged research
· Develops creative solutions, and demonstrates enthusiasm, for interdisciplinary research.
· Knowledge of all Microsoft Office software and able to learn and use institutional software systems.
· Demonstrates strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
· Complies with all State and University policies.
· Other duties may be assigned.

Required Qualifications: Candidates must have earned a doctorate in biological anthropology, public health, health psychology, or a related field by their start date (expected June 2025). Experience with or potential to apply their work to health disparities research. They must also be able to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and health disparities backgrounds.

Additional Preferred Qualifications: Expertise in human biomarker quantification is preferred.

Appointment Date and Salary: The anticipated appointment date for the positions is June 2025
Salaries are competitive and based on NIH guidelines for postdoctoral positions.

Application Procedure: Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Preferential consideration may be given to applications received by March 31, 2025. Candidates are welcome to contact Dr. Kyle Wiley for informational interviews. Only electronic submissions of application materials will be accepted. Selected candidates will be asked to submit as separate documents (1) a letter of application; (2) a curriculum vita; (3) a writing sample or other evidence of research proficiency; and (4) a list of at least two professional references including names, addresses and telephone numbers. Please submit all the documents to kwiley@utep.edu and complete an online application at www.utep.edu/employment.

About UTEP: UTEP celebrated its centennial year in 2014 and is the second oldest academic institution in The University of Texas System. UTEP is the only national research university with a Mexican American majority student body and is second among all continental US colleges and universities in awarding bachelor’s degrees to Hispanics. The University enrolls 23,000 students and employs more than 3,000 faculty and staff. The University’s rapidly growing research portfolio in the sciences, engineering, health fields, and other areas brings in more than $83 million per year, ranking UTEP fourth in federal research expenditures among the public universities in Texas. With a 2013 and 2014 ranking by Washington Monthly magazine as one of the top 10 universities in the nation – and #1 for promoting social mobility among its graduates – UTEP is well on its way to becoming the first national research university with a 21st-century student demographic. For more information about UTEP, please visit our website: www.utep.edu.