Positions

The Pain and Addiction Interaction Neuroscience (PAIN) Lab investigates how pain and addiction interact in humans and uses those insights to develop non-opioid treatments for chronic pain and substance use disorders. These conditions frequently co-occur, share neurobiological mechanisms, and complicate each other’s treatment.

The opioid crisis has exposed the cost of relying on analgesics that carry abuse liability. Our work therefore asks a central question: Can a drug relieve pain without driving addiction, and if so, at what doses, by which routes, and in which patients?

We address this question through Phase 1 and Phase 2 human laboratory studies, which bridge preclinical discovery and clinical trials. Our studies, most of them randomized and placebo-controlled and many within-subject, examine cannabinoids, psilocybin, and alcohol by integrating behavioral pharmacology, abuse-liability assessment, quantitative sensory testing (QST), and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling.

The lab’s research is funded by active National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), including two new awards in 2026.

NIDA R01

Active

Cannabinoids and pain in co-occurring opioid use disorder and chronic pain

This randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial tests how doses and combinations of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) affect the nociceptive, cognitive, and affective dimensions of pain. It also assesses opioid craving, reward, cognition, and drug–drug interactions with medications for opioid use disorder.

NIAAA R01

Active; new in 2026

Alcohol and pain in co-occurring alcohol use disorder and chronic pain

This project uses a translational human laboratory model to elucidate the mechanisms through which alcohol affects pain. The model relies on an intravenous alcohol clamp, which holds blood alcohol concentration at a preset target level.

NCCIH R61/R33

Active; new in 2026

Psilocybin and physical therapy for chronic low back pain

This milestone-driven study tests psilocybin as an adjunct to physical therapy, targets interoceptive awareness as a candidate mechanism, and uses daily ecological momentary assessment. Collaborators include faculty of the Yale Program for Psychedelic Science.

NIDA K23 and R21

Completed

Completed trials and national datasets

Recently completed trials of CBD in people with opioid use disorder and chronic pain (K23) and of oral versus vaporized Δ⁹-THC in adults aged 65 and older (R21) provide rich datasets for secondary analyses and first-author publications. Separately, the lab analyzes large-scale, restricted-use datasets.

We seek an outstanding postdoctoral associate to take a central scientific role across three active NIH-funded studies of cannabinoids, psilocybin, and intravenous alcohol. The position suits an early-career investigator seeking rigorous training in human laboratory science and a strong foundation for independent funding. Responsibilities include:

• Contributing to the design, conduct, and scientific oversight of Phase 1 and Phase 2 human laboratory studies, including protocol development, regulatory submissions, and data quality assurance.
• Conducting behavioral pharmacology sessions that include QST, abuse-liability, and pharmacokinetic assessments (training provided).
• Analyzing data from ongoing and completed trials using mixed-effects and PK/PD modeling.
• Leading first-author manuscripts and presenting findings at national and international meetings.
• Contributing to grant applications and preparing fellowship or career development applications that support an independent line of research.
• Helping mentor postgraduate associates and research staff.

For physicians and other clinically trained candidates, the position may include clinical duties with research participants, commensurate with training, licensure, and credentialing. These duties may include medical and psychiatric evaluations, eligibility determinations, and safety monitoring during drug-administration sessions. This experience suits clinician-scientists preparing for patient-oriented career development awards (e.g., the NIH K23).

The postdoctoral associate will work directly with Dr. De Aquino, an NIH-funded clinician-scientist who is board-certified in psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, serves as Associate Editor of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and chairs the Research Committee of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. The position offers an individual development plan tailored to the associate’s career goals, along with:

• Hands-on training in human laboratory methods (QST, behavioral pharmacology, abuse-liability assessment, and PK/PD modeling) across cannabinoid, psilocybin, and intravenous alcohol studies.
• Experience with trials under Investigational New Drug applications, including studies of Schedule I substances.
• Close mentorship in scientific writing and grantsmanship, including fellowship and career development award applications (e.g., NIH F32, K99/R00, or K23, as eligible).
• Regular lab meetings and one-on-one mentoring, plus access to departmental seminars, Grand Rounds, and the career development resources of Yale’s Office for Postdoctoral Affairs.
• Opportunities to collaborate with Yale faculty in addiction psychiatry, psychedelic science, and biostatistics.

The PAIN Lab is based at the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU) of the Connecticut Mental Health Center in New Haven. A site of psychiatric research for more than six decades, the CNRU is a fully staffed, 10-bed inpatient unit that primarily serves research participants and provides inpatient and outpatient nursing and physician support for clinical studies. Dr. De Aquino serves as the CNRU’s Assistant Director for Research Affairs. The lab also conducts studies at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven.

Required

• A PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree, completed by the start date, with training in psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, pharmacology, or a related field.
• Research experience in clinical, translational, or behavioral science and a record of peer-reviewed publications.
• Proficiency in R or a comparable statistical environment (e.g., Python, SAS, or Stata) and experience analyzing behavioral or clinical data.
• Excellent scientific writing and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team, and a commitment to rigorous, ethical human subjects research.

Preferred

• Experience with human laboratory studies or early-phase clinical trials, including behavioral pharmacology, QST or other psychophysical methods, abuse-liability assessment, or PK/PD modeling.
• A research background in pain, addiction, psychopharmacology, cannabinoids, or psychedelics.
• Clinical training in psychiatry, addiction medicine, anesthesiology or pain medicine, neurology, or clinical psychology.
• Expertise in longitudinal or mixed-effects modeling, causal inference, or analysis of large national datasets.
• First-author publications and a strong interest in pursuing independent NIH funding.

This is a full-time position with an initial one-year appointment, renewable annually subject to performance and funding; we anticipate at least two years in total. Salary is commensurate with experience and consistent with Yale postdoctoral compensation policies, and the position is benefits-eligible. International applicants are welcome.

Please send the following materials as a single PDF to Joao P. De Aquino, MD (joao.deaquino@yale.edu), with a copy to Julia Meyerovich, Lab Manager (julia.meyerovich@yale.edu).

1. A cover letter (no more than two pages) describing your research experience, scientific interests, career goals, and fit with the lab. Clinically trained applicants should also summarize their clinical training and licensure status.
2. A curriculum vitae, including a full list of publications.
3. One representative first-author publication or writing sample.
4. Names and contact information for three references.

Please use “Postdoctoral Associate Application – PAIN Lab” as the email subject line. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Informal inquiries are welcome.

The Pain and Addiction Interaction Neuroscience (PAIN) Lab, housed within the Yale Department of Psychiatry, will select one highly qualified college graduate for a Postgraduate Associate position. The Yale Department of Psychiatry is a leading institution for clinical diagnostic services and multidisciplinary research on neuropsychiatric and substance use disorders, involving behavioral neuroscience, physiology, neuroimaging, molecular genetics, and treatment. Through extensive collaborations, the PAIN Lab brings together expertise in behavioral pharmacology, multimodal assessment of pain, and clinical trial techniques towards developing novel therapeutics for pain and addiction. Our studies involve the administration of non-opioid substances, such as phytocannabinoids, ketamine, and psychedelics to healthy humans and clinical populations with substance use disorders and chronic pain.

The program is led by Joao P. De Aquino, M.D. For more information and a list of recent publications, visit:

• https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/pain/
• https://www.mirecc.va.gov/visn1/

Education

The Postgraduate Associate’s curriculum includes participation in weekly research meetings and other didactic experiences at the Yale Department of Psychiatry. The trainees will be educated on psychophysics, behavioral pharmacology methods, and biostatistics. The opportunity to audit graduate-level courses at the Yale School of Medicine is available.

Mentoring

The Postgraduate Associate will be directly mentored by Dr. De Aquino and will be involved in a highly active and productive community of clinical research scientists. With research mentorship, the selected applicant will help conduct a research project from the point of experiment design through analysis and publication of results.

Training

The Postgraduate Associate will have the opportunity to assist in a variety of scientific activities in the lab including recruitment of participants; assisting in ongoing data collection; working on data already collected within the lab; and providing general assistance relevant to the functioning of the lab. Additional opportunities include assisting in the preparation of manuscripts and conference presentations.

The PAIN Lab spans studies conducted at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven, CT and at the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU), in downtown New Haven, CT.

Bachelor of Arts or Science and an interest in clinical and translational research is required. A background in Psychology, Pre-Med, or Neuroscience with research experience are a plus.

The ideal candidate should be self-driven, creative, ethical, and collaborative, and able to integrate feedback.

Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination at Yale.

The Postgraduate Associate position is one year or two years in duration with a salary of $43,920 plus benefits. The position is open to those who have recently received a bachelor and/or master’s degree, but not doctoral degrees.

Please submit a letter of interest, resume, a copy of academic transcript, and at least two letters of reference to Joao De Aquino at joao.deaquino@yale.edu and Julia Meyerovich at julia.meyerovich@yale.edu.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.