Purpose

This 1-year full-time position (potentially renewable up to two years, and eligible for extension if the candidate works less than full-time) is focused on preparing individuals with the fundamental knowledge, research tools, and experiences needed for a scholarly career focused on the intersections of Muslim community health, Islamic bioethics and healthcare delivery. The fellow’s research and training will be carried out under the tutelage of Dr. Aasim I. Padela, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Bioethics and the Medical Humanities at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Chairperson of the Initiative on Islam and Medicine.

As part of their training, fellows will design and pursue a tailored learning plan involving courses and/or workshops, directed tutorials, and mentored hands-on empirical and normative research and educational program development. In addition, scholars will be expected to present at least one abstract at local, national or international meetings; craft at least one public article, op-ed or commentary; and author at least two manuscripts (one as a primary author and one as a co-author) for peer-reviewed publications.

Primary Functions

Mentored Scholarship and Program Development. The fellow will participate in secondary data analyses of survey data examining unmet Muslim patient healthcare and spiritual needs, as well as Muslim physician experiences with religious-identity discrimination and accommodation. He/she will conduct narrative and systematic literature reviews focused on Muslim patients and end-of-life and palliative care, and Islamic bioethics research into artificial intelligence, palliative and hospice care, and human dimensionality. Educational programmatic development will track along similar lines of inquiry.

Research Training. The bulk of training will be obtained through practical experiences and tutorials with Dr. Padela and his team. In addition, the fellow will have the opportunity to take intensive courses/workshops through the Clinical & Translational Science Institute at MCW focused on team science, clinical research manuscript and grant writing, as well survey, quantitative, and qualitative research methods.

Bioethics Training. The scholar will take courses/workshop in Islamic bioethics through the Initiative on Islam and Medicine and/or Al-Balagh Academy, attend bioethics grand rounds and the annual conference at the Center of Bioethics and Medical Humanities at MCW or a similar venue, and have the opportunity to take courses in research ethics and/ethics in integrity in science at the MCW Graduate School.

Teaching/Service. The scholar will help organize and participate in educational courses/workshops convened by Dr. Padela.

It is expected that postdocs at MCW, with the assistance of their supervisor, will:

Transition to career independence through the development of professional skills that enable the postdoc to actively pursue a career of his/her own choosing.
Be supervised by at least one senior scholar who actively promotes the postdoc’s professional development.
Establish an individual development plan (IDP) that incorporates equally the postdoc’s career and training goals and the mentor’s research goals.
Pursue basic, clinical, or translational projects so long as effort is focused primarily on research.
Publish results of the postdoc’s research and scholarship during their appointment.
The postdoctoral appointment is temporary by nature, the aggregate amount of time spent as a postdoc is recommended to not exceed five years (not including family medical leave or maternity/paternity leave).
As postdocs are important members of the host institution’s community, appropriate levels of compensation, health care, and other benefits commensurate with their essential status should be afforded, independent of the postdoc’s source of funding.

Preferred Schedule:
Position Requirements:
Minimum Required Education: Doctorate (Ph.D., DPhil, MD, MBBS in a relevant scientific field)
Minimum Required Experience: Independent research project management and manuscript generation

Field: Add field of study/specialization here
Certification: Human Subjects Research Training

A completed application includes each of the following: (i) online application, (ii) CV, (iii) personal statement outlining interests in the fellowship and prior relevant qualifications/experiences, and 2 letters of recommendation. Participants that pass a preliminary screening will be asked to attend a virtual interview.

MCW as an Equal Opportunity Employer and Commitment to Non-Discrimination
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic, or military status. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the MCW community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.