Come work with the EDGE Lab!

September 18, 2020

Positions Available at Virginia Commonwealth University

Multiple positions at the postdoc and Research Associate (faculty) level are available in the EDGE laboratory (Examining Development, Genes, and Environment) at Virginia Commonwealth University (edge.vcu.edu). The primary focus in the EDGE lab is studying genetic and environmental influences on the development of substance use and related behavioral outcomes. The successful applicant(s) will have the opportunity to work across gene identification studies; longitudinal, community-based samples with genotypic data; and twin studies. Current projects for which there is active grant funding include (1) The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism, a large family-based study of alcohol use disorder and related outcomes, aimed at gene identification and mapping risk and recovery across the lifespan; (2) the Externalizing Consortium, focused on multivariate analyses aimed at gene identification for externalizing outcomes, and characterizing the risk associated with identified variants across development and in conjunction with the environment; (3) the Finnish Twin Studies, population-based samples of Finnish twins and their families who have been followed longitudinally from ages 12 through mid-life; and (4) the Genetics, Marriage, and Divorce project, which leverages molecular and latent genetic methods to understand the indirect, ‘outside-the-skin’ pathways through which genetic risk for alcohol problems is transmitted and exacerbated in families. Across these projects, we are examining issues such as how genetic and environmental influences change across development; trajectories of risk associated with identified genes; environmental factors that alter risk pathways; genetic influences on subtypes and intermediary phenotypes associated with substance use problems; and the mediating and moderating mechanisms involved in gene-behavior associations. 

The EDGE Lab is a multidisciplinary team consisting of psychologists, geneticists, and biostatisticians, all housed together in the College of Humanities and Sciences. Expertise in structural equation modeling and other statistical methods for the analysis of longitudinal data and/or expertise in quantitative or statistical genetics is critical. An ideal opportunity for a strong developmental/clinical psychologist who wants to expand their training in genetics, or a statistical geneticist or biostatistician who wants to work as part of a multidisciplinary, translational team. 

For additional information about available positions, please contact Danielle Dick and Jessica Salvatore at ddick@vcu.edu, jesalvatore@vcu.edu. Start date is flexible. Salaries commensurate with experience.  Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled.