Applications are now being accepted for a position within the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Pediatric Mobility offered jointly through Children’s Specialized Hospital and Kessler Foundation. The position is located in northern New Jersey, USA, and will involve work at research and clinical sites in West Orange, NJ, Mountainside, NJ, and New Brunswick, NJ. The two-year program prepares biomedical scientists, including engineers, biomechanists, kinesiologists, and those in related fields, for a career in rehabilitation research. All fellows participate in an extensive training curriculum and didactic offerings.

The fellow will work under the mentorship of lead investigator Peter Barrance, Ph.D. and with a multidisciplinary team of physicians, biomedical scientists, physical therapists, and engineers in research on the use of visual biofeedback to enhance retraining of gait deviations in pediatric populations. The successful candidate will contribute to the development and initial testing of a next generation system to assist in addressing gait deviations occurring in children and teenagers with cerebral palsy. Dr. Barrance directs Kessler Foundation’s Musculoskeletal Biomotion Research Laboratory (MBRL), The MBRL has brand new laboratory space equipped with dedicated motion analysis equipment and a research dedicated treadmill; it is housed within the Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research which possesses extensive further laboratory space and equipment. The clinical facilities and support of Children’s Specialized Hospital provide an ideal environment for testing of the system with clinical populations.

Qualifying candidates must have an earned doctorate in engineering (e.g. biomedical, mechanical), biomechanics, kinesiology, or a related field. Strong candidates will have prior experience in performing research studies in human subjects, graduate level training in human biomechanics and/or engineering mechanics, as well as some history of publication and presentation of original research. Applicants with specific interests and/or experience in design and development work, wearable sensor technologies, application coding (particularly Matlab), motion analysis systems, and motor learning theory are highly encouraged to apply. Other skills and experience that are strongly desired include excellent written and spoken communication skills and knowledge of statistical data analysis.

Kessler Foundation is a non-profit organization in northern New Jersey that drives positive change for people with disabilities by conducting groundbreaking rehabilitation and disability employment research, as well as funding innovative initiatives to improve access to job opportunities for people with disabilities. Kessler Foundation is affiliated with the renowned Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and enjoys collaborations with partners at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. With 13 locations in New Jersey, Children’s Specialized Hospital is the nation’s leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care for children from birth to 21 years of age facing special health challenges — from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities like brain and spinal cord injuries, to developmental and behavioral issues like autism and mental health.

To learn more, applicants are encouraged to visit Kessler Foundation’s websites (https://kesslerfoundation.org, https://kesslerfoundation.org/resear...t-our-research, https://kesslerfoundation.org/resear...owship-program) and Children’s Specialized Hospital’s websites (https://www.childrens-specialized.org/, https://www.childrens-specialized.org/research ).

Applicants for fellowships should refer to the "Pediatric Mobility Rehabilitation Fellowship" and forward

* Letter of application
* Curriculum Vitae
* One page statement of research interests

by email to

Peter Barrance, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist, Kessler Foundation & Clinical Research Scientist, Children’s Specialized Hospital
pbarrance@kesslerfoundation.org

Initial and informal inquiries about the Pediatric Mobility Rehabilitation Fellowship may be also be directed to Dr. Barrance via the above email.

Due to limitations in resources, we regret that only candidates whose applications are brought forward for further consideration will be contacted. For selected applicants, letters of reference will be requested from three referees.

In addition to citizens, non-citizen nationals, and permanent residents of the US, non-immigrants are eligible to apply provided they can be lawfully employed in the U.S.

EOE/M/F/D/V/SO