Position: Postdoctoral Fellow in the Arizona Center for Telemedicine and Digital Health

Location: Hybrid with required on-site presence for clinical testing at our medical center in Tucson or Phoenix, Arizona
Appointment: Full time; 2 to 3-year appointment with possibility of renewal

Start Date: Flexible, ideally within 2–4 weeks of offer

Role Summary

We seek a motivated postdoctoral fellow to design, develop, and clinically evaluate virtual reality applications for telerehabilitation and chronic disease management. The fellow will lead software development and run clinical pilot studies to test feasibility, usability, safety, and preliminary efficacy of VR interventions delivered remotely. This role combines engineering, clinical research, and patient-facing study coordination within a multidisciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop VR applications for rehabilitation and disease self-management using Unity or Unreal Engine.
• Integrate VR solutions with telehealth platforms and remote monitoring systems.
• Plan and run clinical pilot studies including protocol development, participant recruitment, informed consent, and data collection.
• Manage regulatory processes including IRB submissions and safety reporting.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data, perform statistical testing, and prepare results for internal review and publication.
• Prepare manuscripts, grant proposals, and technical documentation.
• Collaborate across disciplines with clinicians, therapists, engineers, UX designers, and biostatisticians.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate trainees and contribute to lab meetings and seminars.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Rehabilitation Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Neuroscience, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Medicine, or a closely related field. Degree must be completed by start date.
• Demonstrated experience building VR applications using Unity or Unreal Engine and programming in C#, C++, or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience with head-mounted displays and VR hardware ecosystems (e.g., Oculus/Meta Quest, HTC Vive, Pico).
• Experience conducting human subjects research including recruitment, consenting, and data collection.
• Strong quantitative skills: experience with Python, R, MATLAB, or similar for data analysis and visualization.
• Track record of scholarly productivity (peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in telerehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or chronic disease management.
• Familiarity with clinical trial design, outcome measures for motor or cognitive rehabilitation, and remote assessment tools.
• Experience with biometric sensors, motion capture, or wearable integration.
• Knowledge of usability testing, human factors, and accessibility best practices.
• Experience with regulatory frameworks for medical devices or digital therapeutics.
• Demonstrated ability to write or contribute to grant proposals.

Pay: $68,000.00 - $84,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• On-site gym
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Relocation assistance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Visa sponsorship
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person