Title of the Position: Postdoctoral Associate
Department and School: Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine
Anticipated Appointment Date: January 2026
Email/Website: thebabl.positions@yale.edu www.thebabl.net
 

Introduction of School/Department:
The Yale Child Study Center, which serves as the Department of Child Psychiatry for the Yale School of Medicine, has been serving families through the integration of evidence-based clinical practice, training, and research for over 100 years. Within the Child Study Center is The Before
and After Baby Lab (The BABL). The mission of The BABL is to understand how the mind and brain changes during pregnancy and postpartum, with a central focus on brain-based mechanisms in the context of maternal mental health. Our goal is to use this knowledge to reliably identify families that may need additional support and guidance during pregnancy and the postpartum period to optimize parent and child well-being.

 

Overview of the Position:
The BABL seeks a full-time postdoctoral associate to work on a NIDA funded study entitled “Psychosocial and neurobiological stress and opioid use trajectories following pregnancy” (PIs Helena Rutherford and Sarah Yip). The primary objective of this project is to understand brain-based and behavioral markers of stress across the perinatal period in the presence and absence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and the utility of this approach to predict medication adherence and relapse in the group of mothers with OUD. The Postdoctoral Associate’s primary responsibility will
be to lead data analysis and dissemination efforts and will be overseen by Drs. Rutherford and Yip.

 

The postdoctoral associate will also support other tasks related to the team’s research, including being involved in the analysis and dissemination of maternal EEG/ERP data and mentoring other trainees in the lab on related projects. The position provides ample opportunities for publication and supervision by national leaders in parenting, neuroscience, and addiction. This is an ideal position for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual interested in the intersection of the
maternal brain and mental health.

 

Key responsibilities:
1. Analysis of functional MRI data and behavioral (e.g., surveys, observational tasks) and clinical data
2. Prepare and publish manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and present research findings at conferences in areas relevant to the study
3. Collaborate efficiently and effectively with other research staff working on the project

Mentoring
Dr. Helena Rutherford will oversee day-to-day activities and serve as the primary supervisor, working closely with Dr. Sarah Yip on the analysis of fMRI data. The Postdoctoral Associate will have flexibility to develop their specific research focus within the context of the project team’s expertise and the needs of the larger project. The Postdoctoral Associate will benefit from mentorship on academic advancement and participate in multiple professional development trainings and opportunities (e.g., developing public speaking skills, attending YCSC postdoc seminar series, presenting research from the project at conferences). The Postdoctoral Associate position is a full-time appointment for one year, with full benefits, and with the possibility of renewal for a second year, dependent upon performance and availability of funding. Information on benefits for postdoctoral appointments can be found at
https://postdocs.yale.edu/postdocs/being-a-postdoc-at-yale/benefits-summary.

​

This is not a remote opportunity. This position is located at the Child Study Center on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, CT. In accordance with the university’s postdoc office policy, all trainees are expected to complete their training on campus.

Skills and Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have or demonstrate the following:
● Ph.D. in a relevant field or discipline such as psychology or neuroscience
● Strong skills in pre-processing and analysis of fMRI data
● Specialization or research experience in maternal brain and/or mental health / addiction neuroscience
● Strong analytical skills and use of statistical packages and analyses
● Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work with complex datasets
● Strong track record of publications and research outputs commensurate with career stage
● Excellent writing skills demonstrated in academic publications
● Exceptional organizational skills, including effective time management
● Ability to work both independently with minimal supervision and collaboratively
● Ability to interact and communicate effectively (e.g., through writing, presentations) with different audiences (research community, general public)

 

To Apply
Qualified candidates should email thebabl.positions@yale.edu with the subject line “Postdoc
Applicant: [YOUR NAME]”. Please include the following application materials:
(1) Current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
(2) Cover letter describing your research background, key research accomplishments, interests, career goals, and motivation for the position (2 pages maximum)
(3) Contact information for 3 references

 

Priority will be given to candidates who apply by November 1, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will continue until the position has been filled.

 

For questions about the position, email Helena Rutherford (helena.rutherford@yale.edu). Anticipated start date is January 1, 2026.

 

Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for a postdoctoral appointment, candidates must hold a Ph.D., or equivalent degree from a program in relevant field or discipline. When a candidate has completed all the requirements for a degree, but the degree has not yet been formally conferred, the candidate
may present evidence of completion of the degree, together with a statement of the date on which the degree is to be conferred.

​

________________________________________________________________

​

​

Title of the Position: Postgraduate Associate

Department and School: Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine

Anticipated Appointment Date: December 2025

Email/Website: thebabl.positions@yale.edu; www.thebabl.net

 

Introduction of School/Department:

The Yale Child Study Center, which serves as the Department of Child Psychiatry for the Yale School of Medicine, has been serving families through the integration of evidence-based clinical practice, training, and research for over 100 years. Within the Child Study Center is The Before and After Baby Lab (The BABL). The mission of The BABL is to use our prenatal findings to reliably identify families that may need additional support and guidance during pregnancy and the postpartum period to optimize parent and child well-being. 

 

Overview of the Position:

The BABL seeks a postgraduate research associate to work on a NICHD funded study entitled “Neural mechanisms of psychological risk on mother and infant adjustment” (PIs Helena Rutherford and Ashley Groh). The primary objective of this project is to understand the interplay of maternal psychological risk and neural reactivity to infant cues (using EEG/ERP) on maternal and infant health and well-being across the perinatal period in a diverse sample of women. The postgraduate associate will be responsible for study management, recruitment, and behavioral and EEG data collection and analysis. The postgraduate associate will be overseen by Dr. Rutherford at Yale University. 

The postgraduate associate will also support other tasks related to the team’s research, such as manuscript preparation, grant writing, presentations at conferences, design of future studies, and other duties as assigned. The position provides opportunities for publication and supervision by national leaders in parenting, neuroscience, and child development. This is an ideal position for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual looking to gain more research experience on topics related to parent-child relationships, neural processes (EEG/ERP), and development before pursuing a PhD in a related field (e.g., development psychology, neuroscience, clinical psychology, HDFS).

 

Mentoring

The postgraduate associate will be mentored by Dr. Rutherford, including with a focus on the research process as well as career paths, and will receive additional mentorship from Dr. Ashley Groh. The postgraduate associate will work closely with other members of The BABL, including postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and other postgraduate associates. 

 

Training Goals

1. Learn about maternal psychological risk. The postgraduate associate will receive training on how to assess psychological risk, including depression and anxiety, during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

2. Learn about the maternal brain. The postgraduate associate will become familiar with EEG/ERP and its utility in measuring processing of infant emotional signals. The postgraduate associate will learn how to collect and analyze EEG data. 

3. Learn about assessments of caregiving in postpartum women. The postgraduate associate will learn how to administer self-report and behavioral assessments of caregiving and how they are scored / coded. 

4. Learn about child development. The postgraduate associate will be trained to assess different aspects of child development, including measurement of cognitive, motor, and affective development. 

Education

Additional learning opportunities include attending the weekly Child Study Center grand rounds series devoted to various topics in child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry as well as journal clubs held in The BABL. There will be ample opportunity to learn about data management and analysis procedures in clinical studies. The postgraduate associate can also attend neuroscience workshops held at the Child Study Center to deepen their understanding of EEG/ERP as well as fMRI. 

 

This position is a one-year appointment with a one-year renewal contingent upon satisfactory performance andavailability of funding. 

Location: Training will take place in person at The BABL at Yale Child Study Center.

 

Qualifications:

Qualified candidates will have completed, or will be about to complete, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, child development, neuroscience, or a related field. Prior experience with EEG/ERP is preferable but not required – training will be provided. 

 

The successful candidate will have:

• Experience working with parents and infants/children 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 

• Exceptional project management skills, including good attention to detail 

• The ability to work both independently and in a collaborative environment

 

Process to Apply:

Interested applicants should submit via e-mail a cover letter, resume or CV, and contact details for two referees to: thebabl.positions@yale.edu. Please make “BABL NICHD Postgrad Position” the subject line of your e-mail. Reviews of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled; for best consideration, please submit your application by 1st November 2025.