Postdoctoral Fellows Preterm

We are seeking to hire two postdoctoral fellows to work in the following thematic areas:

Project Overview:

Globally, about 20 million infants are born with low birthweight (LBW), and these infants face a myriad of health challenges, including difficulties in regulating body temperature, poor nutritional outcomes, increased vulnerability to infections, and delayed development, placing emotional and financial burdens on families. Kangaroo Care (KC), consisting of continuous skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, and early discharge, is an evidence-based intervention recommended for

LBW newborns to improve their survival and healthy development, especially in low-resource settings where the risks of prematurity, neonatal hypothermia, and neonatal mortality are disproportionately high.

Despite the effectiveness of KC, widespread scale-up has been slow due to barriers to implementation and adoption. Existing efforts have primarily focused on health systems and policy changes, neglecting the need to support mothers and families in continuing to practice KC at home.

Several sociocultural and economic factors, including lack of essential warmth-related items, cultural norms, stigma, and limited social support, hinder the KC continuation at home. We have developed an intervention grounded in the Information, Motivation, and Behavior (IMB) model to address these challenges. The intervention offers emotional, informational, and motivational peer support to mothers of LBW infants and a kit containing low-cost, locally sourced neonatal care items to facilitate

skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. We will conduct a type Il hybrid effectiveness implementation study in Bono and Greater Accra Regions. First, we test the effectiveness of our intervention using an individual randomized controlled trial.

We hypothesize that mothers receiving the intervention will be more likely to continue KC at home seven days after discharge than those in the control group receiving the standard of care.

Second, we will explore the implementation process, including associated barriers and facilitators to implementation, using mixed methods. The project will span two years and be led by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, including epidemiologists, social scientists, and implementation science experts. The National Institutes of Health funded the project. Findings from this research will inform the development of effective models for KC implementation and scale-up.

Eligibility for Thematic Area 1:

• PhD in public health, medical degree (MBChB, MBBS, MD), or related qualification obtained within the last 3 years(candidates completing their PhD by December 2024 are eligible).
• Excellent academic credentials
• Background in epidemiology and neonatal health desired
• Experience with randomized controlled trial is desirable.
• Proficiency in writing and knowledge of Stata or R
• Willingness to travel to intervention sites (Bono Region and Greater Accra)

Duties and Responsibilities for Thematic Area 1:

• Work with the Pl to lead study implementation
• Manage a team that includes a research coordinator, research assistants, and interns.
• Support grant applications to build on the success of this project.
• Lead manuscript writing and prepare reports
• Conduct research training seminars for PhD and Master-level students

Duration: 2 years

Location: Accra, Ghana

Eligibility: Ghanaian Citizen or Permanent Resident

Application Requirements:

•  A completed application form
• A complete academic CV
• A cover letter outlining qualifications for the position A writing sample (e.g. a published manuscript) sent to CLCD-Ghana
• Three references

Kindly Note: Contact clcdghana@gmail.com

Salary Range: Attractive

Employment Type: Full Time