Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Public Health Sciences

The Department of Public Health Sciences and the Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy (ILPPP) at the University of Virginia School of Medicine are seeking applicants for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in public health, with an emphasis on behavioral health and law. The successful candidate will work under the direction of Dr. Heather Zelle on a variety of behavioral health systems and policy research projects, on topics such as emergency mental health services, mandatory outpatient treatment, criminal justice diversion, and prevention of firearm suicide and violence. The fellow will engage in all aspects of research, implementation, and writing bearing on reforms in the relevant focus area(s). The fellow will work with faculty in coordinating research and collaborating with national and state stakeholder organizations to further policy and practice reform. Other duties may be assigned to tailor the post-doctoral training experience to the candidate's career goals, such as teaching, mentoring/advising graduate and undergraduate students, serving on department and university-wide committees, etc.

Postdoctoral employment is temporary and is normally limited to an individual who has been awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate within the previous five years and who will be involved in full-time research or scholarship at the University. Employment as a Postdoctoral Research Associate is viewed as training and is preparatory for a full-time academic or research career, is supervised by a senior scholar, and allows the appointee to publish the results of his/her research or scholarship during the training period.

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in psychology, psychiatry, or related field (e.g., doctorate in social work)
• Completed graduate training in law and/or psychology/psychiatry

Preferred Qualifications

• Psychology/psychiatry education/training that included coursework in statistics and data analysis.
• Law education/training that included coursework in health law, mental health law, criminal justice, or other relevant courses.
• Experience working with and consulting state agencies, local governments, and/or private health care facilities.
• Experience in designing and coordinating a research project.
• Experience working in mental health care, including emergency mental health care (e.g., civil commitment), and/or criminal justice settings.
• Experience supervising research assistants.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers.

The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.

This is an exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits.

This is a restricted position, which is dependent on funding and is contingent upon funding availability. The initial appointment is for 1 year and continuance of this position is contingent upon the availability of the gift funds.

This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and must be performed fully on-site.

To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.

Application review will begin after September 24, 2025.

Background checks and pre-employment health screenings will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

How to Apply .

Please apply online, by searching for requisition number R0076613. Complete an application with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter/Statement of Interest
• Writing Sample

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Internal applicants: Apply through your Workday profile by searching "Find Jobs."

Reference checks will be completed by UVA's third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.

For questions about the application process, please contact Jessica Russo, Senior Recruiter, sxv9zv@virginia.edu.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.