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Research Associate, Anesthesiology

Employer
University of Virginia
Location
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
View more categoriesView less categories
Employment Type
Full Time
Institution Type
Four-Year Institution

Job Details

The multidisciplinary pain research lab of Dr. Patrick Finan (Dept of Anesthesiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine) is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to start in Summer of 2027. Our lab’s goals are to drive innovations toward novel solutions for the treatment and self-management of chronic pain. To achieve those goals, we employ a variety of research methods that explicate the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of chronic pain. These include intensive longitudinal methods to assess behavioral and physiological correlates of pain in real time (e.g., sleep; emotions; opioid use; cannabis use); laboratory-based experimental methods to understand factors influencing pain perception (e.g., quantitative sensory testing; pharmacological challenge; EEG; fMRI); and clinical intervention methods that engage affect- and sleep-related mechanisms to ameliorate pain and mitigate problematic opioid use (e.g., mindfulness-based interventions; psychedelics; music).

The working environment at University of Virginia is highly collaborative, and our lab is currently developing collaborative projects with faculty in various UVA departments, including Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, and the Contemplative Sciences Center. Additionally, we have extensive ongoing collaborations with investigators outside of UVA and encourage trainees to integrate into this collegial research network

Minimum Qualifications

  • Candidates must have a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent degree prior to start date.

Preferred Qualifications

Independent quantitative analysis skills (e.g., longitudinal data analysis) are preferred. Additionally, candidates with a clinical background who can lead behavioral intervention delivery (e.g., meditation, psychoeducation, psychedelic-assisted therapy) will be considered. Training will be tailored to the goals and skillsets of the candidate, and aligned with the ongoing projects in the lab. The expectation is that the candidate will have an active role in project execution, data analysis, manuscript writing, and grant development.

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 Range

  • The anticipated hiring range is commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type & Work Location

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

About UVA and the Community

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

Application Timeline

Application review will begin after November 19, 2026.

Additional Requirements

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

How to Apply

Please apply online, by searching for requisition number R0088963.

Internal applicants may search and apply for jobs on the UVA Internal Careers website.

Complete an application with the following documents:

  • Resume
  • Cover Letter

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.

Reference Check Process

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. 

Contact

  • For questions about the application process, please contact Jon Freeman, jf2sw@virginia.edu.


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

Organization

In 1819, the University of Virginia established a new model for intellectual exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration in higher education. Two hundred years later, as a major research institution, we continue to challenge conventions, lead with ingenuity and advance knowledge for the common good.

What began as an innovative idea has become one of the nation’s leading public research universities, with over 21,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UVA also has over 3,000 full-time faculty offering more than 400 degrees.

Each of the University’s eleven schools has its own distinctive mission, working together to garner consistently high rankings—including #2 Best Value Public College (Princeton Review, 2016), #3 Public University in the Nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2016), and #3 Best Value Among Public Colleges (Kiplinger’s, 2016).  

As we invest in and strengthen our research capabilities, UVA seeks new faculty ready to uncover new insights, rewrite old rules and collaborate on intellectual discoveries.

RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS THAT CROSS DISCIPLINES

As an R1 institution, the University’s research centers, consortia and laboratories are on the leading edge of discovery and technology, offering collaborative spaces for students and faculty to solve global problems.

Our professors are recognized members of major national scholarly and professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our faculty’s engagement in interdisciplinary research is being facilitated by new research institutes specializing in everything from big data to brain functioning, and by cluster hires across schools.

NATIONALLY RANKED HEALTH SYSTEM

UVA is also home to a nationally renowned academic medical center and the UVA Health System, which serves a three-part mission to treat patients, conduct translational research and train medical practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines.

Established as the nation’s 10th medical school in 1825, the institution has since grown to include a 612-bed hospital and a Level I trauma center, nationally recognized cancer and heart centers, a Children’s Hospital, and primary and specialty clinics throughout Central Virginia.

The UVA Medical Center is consistently ranked among the nation’s best hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report magazine and has been named among the top 25 percent in seven specialties.

INSPIRING STUDENTS, INSPIRED TEACHING

The vast majority of UVA students come from the top 10% of their high school class, as well as from all 50 states, over 142 countries and a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite their diversity, all UVA students share a love of learning and a drive to achieve.

One of the reasons students choose Virginia is our unique residential culture. At UVA, the community of students, faculty and staff personifies the Jeffersonian idea that living and learning are connected. The Academical Village was constructed to support a unique residential experience, with faculty living in the Pavilions, students occupying Lawn rooms and the world-famous Rotunda at its heart. The University’s residential culture continues to support this experience today—strengthened by students, faculty and staff rich in backgrounds, ideas and perspectives. Our unique culture is also paying dividends in innovation:  UVA’s faculty have generated more than 130 patents since 2010.

Perhaps most importantly, faculty come to UVA knowing that instruction is as important as research, and they pride themselves on their many teaching awards.  Our best professors look for ways to encourage, mentor and develop tomorrow’s leaders inside and outside the classroom.

LIFE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

Living in Charlottesville you’ll find sophisticated restaurants, world-renowned wineries and breweries, cosmopolitan arts and music, friendly urban and suburban neighborhoods and a Piedmont landscape that has lured adventurous souls for centuries.  No wonder the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research named Charlottesville the “happiest city in America” in 2014.

In addition to UVA and its health system, several major employers have facilities in Charlottesville, including State Farm, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Department of Defense, GE and others.  Charlottesville is also becoming a center for innovative start-up businesses.  The University also actively helps spouses and partners of faculty members build their networks and pursue employment opportunities with a wide variety of area employers. 

The University of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Company info
Telephone
434-985-4532
Location
2420 Old Ivy
Charlottesvle
Virginia
22911-7433
United States

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