Postdoctoral Fellow in UX Design, Wearab

Postdoctoral Fellow in UX Design, Wearable Devices and Digital Health

NSF Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (NSF I-PERF)

Location: Dallas, TX or Remote

About Alva Health

Alva Health is developing a wearable neuromonitoring platform with the first indication in real-time stroke

detection. We are a Yale University spinout company that is backed by Techstars, the National Science

Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Alva Health’s mission is to develop a wearable medical

device to monitor stroke at home and to allow for the initiation of emergency response in a timely

manner. Our patented technology uses wearable sensors to continuously monitor and detect

hemiparesis, one of the hallmarks of stroke onset. Once deployed, our solution will dramatically improve

stroke emergency response and increase the number of patients receiving IV tPA and other reperfusion

therapies in the acute setting. Alva Health was recently named the Grand Prize winner out of 1100

applicants at the 2021 MedTech Innovator competition. To date, the company has successfully raised

$2.8M from investors and non-dilutive grants, and the company is positioning itself to receive additional

funding in the near future.

As a Postdoctoral Fellow in UX Design, Wearable Devices, and Digital Health, you will contribute to the

development of our first product, a wrist-worn device for long-term, continuous monitoring, and detection

of stroke onset at home, by leveraging your deep understanding of biomechanics, kinesiology,

movement science, and wearables. You will contribute to ongoing research and prototype testing efforts,

co-lead the analysis of results from our ongoing clinical studies, write successful grant proposals to

government and non-government agencies, and present key findings in journals and at conferences

alongside executive management. You will also have an opportunity to collaborate with top-tier scientists

and clinicians at Yale New Haven Hospital and other research sites. Your work will deepen our

understanding of the role of wearable devices as a tool for monitoring and detection of stroke onset,

with potential applications to other movement-based neurological conditions and brain injury.

Job Duties:

Establish new research protocols on wearable device usability, in order to inform wearable device design and UX design
Recruit and retain healthy volunteers and study participants with medical conditions, using modern strategies adapted for the COVID-19 pandemic
Conduct surveys, user interviews, usability studies, A/B testing, field research
Interpret qualitative and quantitative data, conduct statistical analysis
Create user journey maps for consumer-facing products
Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team made up of clinicians, engineers, product designers, data scientists, and regulatory consultants
Perform literature reviews to remain current with the latest research in the field, propose new research directions
Draft scientific abstracts and manuscripts for publication in journals and presentation at conferences
Prepare material for regulatory / FDA filings
Draft grant applications and contribute to investor presentations

Preferred Qualifications:

Recent Ph.D. in kinesiology, nursing, health science, sports medicine, or a related discipline
Research experience with human subjects and wearables
Track record of success as an independent researcher, demonstrated by first-author, peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, etc.

Our Commitment to You:

We are a mission-driven company providing an opportunity to work on a transformational solution that will significantly improve the lives of people living with a high risk of stroke
You will be an integral part of our technical team working with the CEO, Founders, and the Advisory Board
Opportunity to shape our company culture
A modern approach to work – remote work and flexible work hours are available

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Alva Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status
We view our team’s diversity as a competitive advantage, and we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds. We highly encourage applications from members of socio-economically disadvantaged groups, underrepresented groups in science and engineering, persons with disabilities, veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, and first-generation college graduates

Eligibility Requirements:

United States Citizen, National, or Permanent Resident of the United States
The candidate has not participated in an industrial postdoctoral fellowship sponsored by NSF within the last six months

Compensation & Benefits:

$78K salary for a one-year contract
Premium medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, holidays, and three weeks PTO
Potential equity compensation if the contract extends beyond one year
Professional conference travel allowance
Professional development training through ASEE, to develop high-demand skills in areas such as entrepreneurship, design, and project management

How to Apply:

This position is being offered in partnership with the National Science Foundation. Candidates must

indicate their interest by sending an email with CV or Resume to contact@alva-health.com, and set up a

profile to apply directly on the NSF I-PERF portal.