Graduate Training

Post-doctoral positions

An exciting opportunity for candidates with enthusiasm, initiative and a strong commitment to interdisciplinary work in the area of child health and development

The Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University and McMaster Children’s Hospital invites applications for one to two-year Lawson post doctoral fellowship in the area of child health and development. Bringing different perspectives to common issues in child development, trainees will work within a collaborative team framework to establish their own research programs. Although the candidate will be supervised primarily by one or two mentors, he/she is supported by faculty from multiple disciplines and themes, for example:

Economics: Martin Dooley – the economics of education and health

Epidemiology and Biostatistics: Michael Boyle – developmental influences on child health and behaviour over the early life-course; Kathy Bennett – child and youth mental health, evaluation of school and community-based interventions and knowledge translation

Nursing: Susan Jack – developing community approaches for the prevention of family violence

Paediatrics: Harriet MacMillan – prevention of child maltreatment and intimate partner violence

Psychiatry: Peter Szatmari – autism spectrum disorders; Ellen Lipman – single parent families, disadvantaged children, group therapies; Magdalena Janus - early child development and school readiness; Noam Soreni – metabolic brain imaging of childhood anxiety disorders, with a focus on OCD.

Psychology: Alison Niccols – parent-child interaction, infant attachment, evaluation of early intervention; Louis Schmidt – early experiences, temperament, developmental psychopathology; Kathy Georgiades – the influences of neighbourhoods, schools and families on developmental health, with emphasis on immigrant children and families; Geoff Hall – neuroimaging to research neurodevelopmental disorders; Chuck Cunningham – The utilization, cost effectiveness and outcome of large group, community-based programs for parents of children with disruptive behaviour disorders, designing more effective parenting programs and information for parents, youth, and professionals.

Sociology: Scott Davies – the sociology of education; John Cairney – developmental coordination disorder and the social determinants of health

Applicants are judged on 1) research excellence 2) quality of applicant’s proposed research program, and 3) institutional commitment and demonstrated synergy between applicant and research mentor.

Preference will be given to those defending their thesis between October, 2011 and August, 2012.

Interested candidates are invited to identify one or more faculty mentors at the Offord Centre and to send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and the names of three academic referees agreeing to send reference letters on behalf of the candidate. The letter of application should include the following: (1) a statement of research experience and interests; (2) learning objectives for the fellowship; (3) a discussion of ‘fit’ between the candidate and the Centre; (4) a statement of long-term career objectives. Please forward correspondence to:

Dr. Peter Szatmari
Director, Offord Centre for Child Studies
McMaster University
Chedoke Campus, Patterson Building 207
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada

Tel : (905)521-2100, ext 77358 Fax: (905)574-6665
Email: szatmar@mcmaster.ca

Application deadline is April 30, 2012.