Medical Liaison SME I - CSTS

Join the HJF Team!

HJF is seeking a Medical Liaison SME I who will serve as a Subject Matter Expert and will initiate and implement research projects in collaboration with a research team. Will be responsible for research portfolio analysis and science administration and project evaluation in the areas of sleep restoration and cognitive performance, including their neuroscience, cognitive, behavioral, and clinical aspects. Supervises projects and investigates the feasibility of applying a wide variety of scientific principles and concepts to potential inventions, products, and problems.

This position will be in support of the Department of Psychiatry / Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress.

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) is one of the nation's oldest and most highly regarded, academic-based organizations dedicated to advancing trauma-informed knowledge, leadership, and methodologies. The Center's work addresses a wide scope of trauma exposure from the consequences of combat, operations other than war, terrorism, natural and human-made disasters, and public health threats, as well as risk and protective factors associated with suicidal behaviors. CSTS is a part of our nation's federal medical school, Uniformed Services University (USU), and its Department of Psychiatry. These affiliations represent the Center's history, mission, and future directions as a major contributor to our country's understanding of the impact of trauma and the advancement of trauma-informed care. Learn more about the CSTS at: www.cstsonline.org.

The Department of Psychiatry has active research programs in the Basic and Clinical Sciences and Neurosciences. In addition to intramural research projects, the Department maintains active research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Science Foundation, the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. The Department has ongoing collaborations with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, is sponsor of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress and provides psychiatry residency training through its affiliations with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, National Naval Medical Center and Malcolm Grow Air Force Medical Center and the National Capital Area Graduate Medical Education Consortium.

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing military medicine. We serve military, medical, academic and government clients by administering, managing and supporting preeminent scientific programs that benefit members of the armed forces and civilians alike. Since its founding in 1983, HJF has served as a vital link between the military medical community and its federal and private partners. HJF's support and administrative capabilities allow military medical researchers and clinicians to maintain their scientific focus and accomplish their research goals.

• Assists in designing, developing, executing, and implementing scientific research and/or development.

• Reviews the research portfolio used to solicit proposals.

• Reviews and becomes deeply familiar with the research portfolio of funded clinical research projects (2).

• Ensures that all research designs are scientifically sound and relevant to the unique stressors of military environments (e.g., high-tempo operations, sustained wakefulness in combat).

• Evaluates the research portfolio against current Military Health System doctrines and Force Readiness requirements to ensure findings are actionable within military operations.

• Advises on the integration of sleep restoration protocols into military mental health clinicals and human performance units, helping bridge the gap between the portfolio's lab-based research and field implementation.

• Serves as a clinical authority on the safety of neurostimulation and pharmacological sleep-based interventions, specifically regarding their impact on cognitive performance in high-stakes environments.

• Applies combined research, clinical, and operational expertise to intellectually stress-test proposed methodologies, identifying where laboratory assumptions may fail when applied in the real world within military populations.

• Considers the individual projects and identifies where they each align with and diverge from portfolio goals.

• Determines the impact on the overall objectives of the differences among the projects and between each project and the defined metrics.

• Evaluates each project in the research portfolio in relation to state-of-the-art theory, constructs, and methods in the relevant fields, with a particular focus on sleep restoration and cognitive performance.

• Identifies elements of each project that fall short of state-of-the-art concepts, theory, and methods, and considers changes to rectify those shortfalls.

• Identifies challenges to completion for each project in the portfolio and develops strategies to mitigate these challenges.

• Considers each project, as well as the research portfolio in its entirety, and identifies opportunities to maximize the potential of the portfolio to advance clinical science, particularly as it pertains to sleep restoration and cognitive performance and their roles in readiness.

• Considers each project, as well as the research portfolio in its entirety, identifies aspects that diminish translational potential, and develops strategies to enhance its potential to improve clinical practice as it pertains to treatment and prevention.

• Works with the CSTS team to advise the portfolio institution regarding possible revision/change to the program metrics and supplemental assessments, in service of maximizing opportunities to advance clinical science and translational potential.

• Develops a plan to evaluate scientific progress by each performer at regular intervals throughout the course of the projects.

• Works with the CSTS team to include in that plan milestones (due dates) and deliverables (specific reports, materials, and products).

• Works with CSTS team to review reports, materials, and products received from performers at each of these points in the process.

• Facilitates collaborative discussions among performers, in service of the twin goals of advancing clinical science and improving clinical practices.

• Assists in the development of study methodology.

• Performs basic behavioral science research and data analysis.

• Interpretation and application of data analyses.

• Assists with the preparation of manuscripts.

• May perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor. This may include attendance of and participation in required training for the role.

Education and Experience

• Doctoral (PhD or M.D.) Degree
• Minimum of 10+ years experience required

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Deep understanding of the literature in the areas of sleep, sleep restoration and restriction, and cognitive performance, including their neuroscience, cognitive, behavioral, and clinical aspects.

• Position requires a combination of clinical expertise, scientific rigor, and operational authority. Deep clinical and research experience in sleep medicine/psychiatry to ensure that neurostimulation and sleep restoration protocols are safe and clinically viable for servicemembers with various psychiatric profiles/presentations.

• Significant operational leadership experience, experienced in the nuances of military readiness, force health protection, and the practical realities of the warfighter.

• Excellent communication skills.

• Familiarity with clinical neuroscience research methods (including neurostimulation and neuroimaging techniques).

• Familiarity with translational science.

• Familiarity with methods of program evaluation.

• Ability to write clearly and concisely.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a T1 Public Trust Clearance.

Work Environment

• This position will take place primarily in an office setting.

Compensation

• The annual hourly pay rate for this position is $107.00/hr.

Benefits

• HJF offers a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on your health and well-being, from medical, dental, and vision coverage to health savings and retirement plans, and more.

Employment with HJF is contingent upon successful completion of a background check, which may include, but is not limited to, contacting your professional references, verification of previous employment, education and credentials, a criminal background check, and a department of motor vehicle (DMV) check if applicable. Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents, in lieu of stated minimums, require the prior approval of the Chief Human Resources Officer.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents, in lieu of stated minimums, require the prior approval of the Chief Human Resources Officer.