Postdoctoral Scholar - Department of Epidemiology

About the role

At VCU, we take pride in our deep commitment to our postdoctoral community. In 2026, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) named VCU as one of only 12 recipients of its inaugural Institutional Policy Awards, in recognition of our transformative efforts to elevate quality of life and workplace equity for postdocs. VCU postdocs are Virginia state employees, with benefits mirroring 12‑month faculty. We adhere closely to the NPA’s guidelines for best practices in postdoc training and work closely with our local NPA chapter, the VCU Postdoc Association, to make this a welcoming and productive place to complete your training. VCU is a leading public research institution committed to serving both its students and the broader community. Energized by its urban setting in Richmond, VCU is a hub of innovation—pushing boundaries, challenging convention, and embracing bold, forward‑thinking ideas. As a Carnegie‑ranked R1 institution ranked among the top 50 public research universities nationwide, VCU secured more than $506 million in sponsored research funding from federal and other sources in FY2024, a nearly 50% increase since FY2020. We strive to provide research opportunities at all levels of learning as One VCU with opportunities in undergraduate and graduate programming—we believe that every VCU Ram is a Researcher! The central heart of research innovation and infrastructure at VCU is the Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation (OVPRI), whose mission is to foster transformative research, discovery and innovation through excellence in service. In addition to supporting schools and departments throughout the research lifecycle. The Department of Epidemiology is a premiere public health program located in the School of Public Health, recognized for its rigorous research and innovative experiential training for a new generation of public health professionals. It is aligned with renowned centers and institutes that provide a platform for investigators from multiple disciplines to collaborate on cutting‑edge and innovative research. The Center on Society and Health (CSH), located in the School of Public Health, works to raise awareness about factors outside of health care that shape health outcomes and to explore ways to improve population health and wellbeing. CSH’s vision is to open opportunity for all members of society and facilitate the creation of partnerships that work across sectors to help stakeholders align incentives and advance health. The Department of Epidemiology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Public Health is seeking a highly motivated, research‑focused Post‑Doctoral Fellow to join the research program led by Dr. Emily Zimmerman. The fellow will contribute to a portfolio of federally funded research focused on community engagement and community‑based participatory research (CBPR), mixed‑methods research, social drivers of health, and improving substance use treatment research through integration of the perspectives of people with lived experience. The fellow will be based in the Department of Epidemiology and will participate in departmental research and professional‑development activities, while also having opportunities to engage with the Center on Society and Health, where Dr. Zimmerman holds an affiliated appointment and directs community engagement. This structure will provide the fellow with access to a multidisciplinary research environment, departmental colleagues and postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators across the School of Public Health, VCU, and community and clinical settings. The position is particularly well suited for an early‑career scientist seeking intensive mentorship while developing an independent program of research. The fellow will have opportunities to lead manuscripts, develop grant applications, conduct and evaluate community engaged research, contribute to