Postdoc in Infectious Disease HIV Implementation Science in Yale University – USA

Summary

Yale University School of Medicine is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow Research Associate in the Department of Infectious Disease. The position is located in New Haven, CT, with expected work travel to Alabama. The successful candidate will conduct independent and collaborative research under the mentorship of Dr. Lynn Matthews, supporting NIH-funded projects in the US South. The primary focus is a multi-year collaborative research program on adapting, implementing, and evaluating combination interventions to advance the goals of Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in Alabama. This involves leveraging partnerships with academic investigators and public health agencies to evaluate CDC evidence-based interventions for increasing HIV testing and reducing time to linkage to care and viral suppression. The deadline for applications is August 28, 2028.

Key Facts

Department	Infectious Disease, Yale School Medicine, Internal Medicine
Position Type	Postdoctoral Fellow Research Associate
Discipline	Infectious Disease, HIV Implementation Science
Research Area	HIV prevention, implementation science, epidemiology, biostatistics, health services research, behavioral science, sociology, informatics
Degree Required	PhD, DrPH, ScD, MD or equivalent terminal degree
Experience	Demonstrated research experience or interest in implementation science, HIV services research, pragmatic hybrid trials, mixed methods, or applied public health data science. Proficiency in writing as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications or equivalent scholarly output.
Salary	Based on Yale Postdoctoral Compensation policy
Funding	NIH-funded projects
Contract Duration	Multi-year
Deadline	2028-08-28
Required Documents	Cover letter describing research interests and fit, Curriculum vitae, Writing sample or representative publication or links, Contact information for 2 references
Employer Address	New Haven, CT

About the Project

The research project is a multi-year collaborative program focused on adapting, implementing, and evaluating combination interventions to advance the goals of Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in Alabama. It leverages partnerships among academic investigators, state, and local public health agencies to evaluate three CDC evidence-based interventions. These interventions aim to increase HIV testing in priority populations using data-driven precision public health approaches, reduce time to linkage to care, and reduce time to viral suppression via rapid ART initiation in community clinics in rural Alabama. The successful candidate may also contribute to other projects in the US South focused on HIV prevention.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design, execution, and ongoing optimization of a hybrid trial evaluating COAST-AL across Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) service areas.
• Support the measurement and interpretation of key effectiveness and implementation outcomes.
• Apply implementation science frameworks to guide the selection of measures, analytic plans, and interpretation of implementation determinants and outcomes.
• Support or lead big data analyses to identify areas of low testing coverage and inform placement and targeting of community-based HIV testing.
• Integrate, clean, and harmonize multiple data sources (e.g., surveillance, programmatic, commercial testing datasets) to develop implementation plans.
• Conduct qualitative data collection and analysis (e.g., semi-structured interviews, rapid qualitative methods) to adapt intervention components to local context.
• Assess intervention acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness among clients (in-depth interviews) and providers (surveys) to guide iterative implementation improvements.
• Collaborate with the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Mobile County Health Department, and other stakeholders to support implementation, troubleshooting, and interpretation of findings.
• Identify and prioritize sustainability strategies for intervention scale-up through facilitation of stakeholder discussions.
• Lead or co-lead manuscripts, conference abstracts, and presentations.
• Contribute to progress reports and future grant proposals focused on rigorous evaluation of implementation strategies to integrate COAST-AL into public health systems.

Required Skills

• PhD, DrPH, ScD, MD or equivalent terminal degree by start date in medicine, public health, implementation science, epidemiology, biostatistics, health services research, behavioral science, sociology, informatics or related field.
• Demonstrated research experience or interest in at least one of the following: implementation science, HIV services research, pragmatic hybrid trials, mixed methods, or applied public health data science.
• Strong data analysis skills, including familiarity with Stata, R, or similar software.
• Proficiency in writing, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and/or equivalent scholarly output.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively in cross-institutional, multidisciplinary teams and in partnership with public-sector agencies.
• Experience applying implementation frameworks (e.g., CFIR, RE-AIM) and measuring implementation outcomes (e.g., acceptability, feasibility, appropriateness) (preferred).
• Quantitative skills in causal inference and/or longitudinal time-to-event methods relevant to study outcomes (preferred).
• Experience working with HIV surveillance or administrative datasets, including data governance, privacy, and security practices (preferred).
• Qualitative methods expertise, including coding, thematic analysis, framework analysis, and comfort integrating qualitative and quantitative findings (i.e., mixed methods) (preferred).
• Familiarity with rural health, public health clinics, and/or the Southern US HIV epidemic (preferred).

Who Should Apply

This position is suitable for individuals holding a PhD, DrPH, ScD, MD, or an equivalent terminal degree in medicine, public health, implementation science, epidemiology, biostatistics, health services research, behavioral science, sociology, informatics, or a related field. Applicants should have demonstrated research experience or interest in implementation science, HIV services research, pragmatic hybrid trials, mixed methods, or applied public health data science. Strong data analysis skills, proficiency in writing, and the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams are required. Experience with implementation frameworks, causal inference, longitudinal methods, HIV surveillance datasets, qualitative methods, and familiarity with rural health or the Southern US HIV epidemic are preferred.

Benefits

• Salary based on Yale Postdoctoral Compensation policy.
• Support for travel to conferences may be available.

About the Employer

The position is situated within the Department of Infectious Disease at Yale School of Medicine, with offices located on the medical school campus in New Haven, CT. Yale University is committed to basing judgments concerning admission, education, and employment upon qualifications and abilities, and seeks to attract qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. The university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other protected classes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of the research project?

The primary focus is a multi-year collaborative research program on adapting, implementing, and evaluating combination interventions to advance the goals of Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in Alabama.

What are the required qualifications for this position?

Applicants must hold a PhD, DrPH, ScD, MD, or an equivalent terminal degree by the start date in medicine, public health, implementation science, epidemiology, biostatistics, health services research, behavioral science, sociology, informatics, or a related field.

What documents are required for the application?

Applicants should submit a cover letter describing research interests and fit, a curriculum vitae, a writing sample or representative publication/links, and contact information for 2 references.

Where is the position located?

The position is situated within the Department of Infectious Disease at Yale School of Medicine, with offices located on the medical school campus in New Haven, CT. Work travel to Alabama is expected.

What is the deadline for applications?

The deadline for applications is August 28, 2028, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.