Important Info
Email the required application materials to tof@stanford.edu(link sends e-mail)
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pain, Rheumatology, and Real-World Evidence
Institution: Stanford University
Department: Division of Immunology and Rheumatology
Position: Postdoctoral Scholar
Duration: 2 years
Start Date: Flexible (anticipated Fall/Winter 2025)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Titilola Falasinnu
Position Summary
The Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to support and lead innovative research at the intersection of rheumatology, pain science, and data science. The successful candidate will work on a portfolio of NIH- and foundation-funded projects focused on treatment pathways, chronic pain phenotyping, pharmacoepidemiology, and biomarker-based prediction across autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
This position offers the opportunity to work within a dynamic, interdisciplinary team committed to improving pain management and advancing precision medicine for patients living with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and related conditions.
Primary Responsibilities
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Conduct advanced analyses using large-scale electronic health records (EHRs), administrative claims data (e.g., Medicaid, Marketscan, Population Data BC), and patient-reported outcome measures.
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Characterize pain management strategies, including the use of corticosteroids, opioids, NSAIDs, biologics, and cannabis.
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Apply statistical and machine learning approaches (e.g., sequence analysis, latent class analysis, clustering) to examine medication use trajectories and patient subgroups.
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Investigate polypharmacy and multimorbidity in newly diagnosed patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
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Contribute to studies utilizing natural language processing (NLP) to assess patient self-management behaviors using data from digital health platforms.
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Support the integration of biomarker and psychosocial data to explore chronic pain risk stratification and treatment responsiveness.
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Lead manuscript preparation and dissemination of findings at national and international conferences.
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Collaborate with investigators across rheumatology, pain medicine, biostatistics, informatics, and behavioral science.
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Optional: mentor junior trainees and contribute to grant writing activities.
Training and Environment
The postdoctoral fellow will work under the mentorship of Dr. Titilola Falasinnu, Assistant Professor in the Divisions of Immunology and Rheumatology and Pain Medicine. The fellow will have access to a collaborative environment and institutional resources supporting career development in academic medicine, including:
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The Pain Intelligence Lab
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The Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences
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Interdisciplinary collaborations within Stanford School of Medicine
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Opportunities to engage with national networks in rheumatology and pain research
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PhD (or equivalent) in epidemiology, health data science, biomedical informatics, biostatistics, public health, or a related field.
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Demonstrated experience working with large healthcare datasets (EHRs, claims, registries).
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Proficiency in R or Python.
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Strong quantitative skills and familiarity with advanced modeling techniques.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
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Commitment to collaborative, multidisciplinary research.
Preferred Qualifications:
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Background in rheumatology, autoimmune disease research, or chronic pain.
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Familiarity with pharmacoepidemiologic methods.
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Experience with NLP or unsupervised learning methods.
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Prior publications in relevant fields.
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Cover letter detailing research interests and fit for the position
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Curriculum Vitae
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One or two writing samples (e.g., published manuscripts, dissertations)
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Contact information for three references
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
