Community of Scholars Health Equity Postdoctoral  Research Fellowship

Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC), Department of Family Medicine is recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Community of Scholars Health Equity (CSHE) Training Program. The CSHE aims to advance primary care and health equity by developing and enhancing research training opportunities for the recruitment, retention, and success of diverse postdoctoral fellows interested in careers in biomedical and behavioral primary care research and increasing the number of researchers focused on transformative interventions for health care delivery by increasing pipeline, academic, and community engagement to disseminate trainee research findings. Together with our members, we are working to transform the future of primary care research and health equity by delivering a compelling fellowship experience committed to supporting mentorship and career development.

2025- 2027 Fellows

Anna Alikhani, PhD, MPH, MSW received her MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, her MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and her PhD in Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University. She was a curriculum writer at the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health. While completing her doctoral work, she worked for several studies focused on maternal health outcomes and childhood eating behaviors. Anna has presented her research findings at the Society for Behavioral Medicine (SBM) and the American Public Health Association (APHA). Anna was recently awarded the Public Health Impact Award from Brown University School of Public Health for her commitment to advancing health equity through research and service. Anna is a licensed clinical social worker and a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES). In her free time, Anna enjoys walking her dog, playing soccer, cooking and gardening.

Shikha Chandarana, PhD, MS (she/her) holds a PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences from George Washington University and an MS in Global Health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is a public health researcher, educator, and advocate dedicated to advancing health equity through interdisciplinary and community-engaged research. Her research focuses on maternal and child health, intimate partner violence, immigrant and refugee health, queer health, and the social determinants of health, employing mixed methods to understand how intersecting systems of inequality influence health outcomes and access to care. Her published work spans topics including IPV among immigrant communities, adolescent empowerment, maternal nutrition, and global program evaluation, reflecting her deep commitment to health justice and translating research into policy and community impact.

Former Fellows

• 2022-2023 Fellow: Kristin Paterson, PharmD is a 2019 Florida A&M University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate. While in school, she served as a Health Equity Research Institute Scholar, where she studied gene expression variance between African American men and Caucasian American men in prostate cancer. Upon graduation, she completed training as a Fellow in Early Phase Oncology Clinical Trials at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc.. She ultimately returned to academia at Georgetown University to work with the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program. Dr. Paterson hopes to use her experience to continue to be a health equity advocate for minority and underserved populations. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying new cuisines with her husband, and playing with her dog Okja.
• 2023- 2024 Fellow: Chandra Char, PhD MPH (she/her) is a clinical and translational scientist whose expertise bridges health equity, intersectionality and primary care. Dr. Char’s research focuses on populations living with disabilities and the role of primary care in aging in place. She is a methodological expert with great facility in qualitative, quantitative, community based participatory research and machine learning. Dr. Char incorporates diversity, equity and inclusion philosophies into her research design. While in the Family Medicine Department, Dr. Char has contributed her expertise to various projects including STI rate to treatment and care research. Dr. Char’s current work investigates the social impact of hearing loss on aging populations in Washington D.C.  Outside of research, Dr. Char’s hobbies include writing and playing music, making art and exploring the cultural events of DC. 

Fellowship Information

The position is full-time, for at least one year, with renewal after the first year pending satisfactory performance, research proposal, and funding. Fellows will dedicate two years to the program with required coursework from GUMC Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE), NHS, NIH, and teaching and mentorship roles for graduate school learners at NHS, GU School of Medicine (GUSOM), primary care residents at the MedStar GME Consortium, and pipeline students in high school, college, and post-baccalaureate programs.

This position is primarily a training position in which the incumbent plays a substantive role in planning and conducting research using quantitative and qualitative methods to collect, analyze and report data. In collaboration with the Principal Investigator, and research mentors, this role will participate in independent research, analyze and interpret data, publish results, represent the University at conferences and meetings, and may develop new theories and methodologies. This position will also help the Principal Investigator to lead and direct the work of pipeline student research. This role performs work under the supervision of experienced researchers. Remuneration will be competitive and based on qualifications.

Condition of Employment

This is a sponsored program appointment. The initial term and duration of this appointment are subject to funding availability. The position is a Georgetown University position and is compliant with NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Research Fellow salary rates based on years of experience.

Contact Information

All inquiries about this fellowship application should be directed to the Department of Family Medicine familymed@georgetown.edu.