Open Position: Sponsored Research Staff
(Postdoctoral Associate or Research Programmer)

MIT House_n Research Group

Job Description:

RESEARCH PROGRAMMER or POST-DOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, House_n Research Group, to join a team developing software for mobile phones to use sensing, pattern recognition, and persuasive computing to automatically measure physical activity and help people stay healthy. Responsibilities will include (1) working with MIT and Duke researchers to design an innovative multi-media weight management application for mobile phones using sensors and social networking, (2) iteratively implementing and testing the software through several rapid design phases, (3) using participatory design techniques to gather information about end-user concerns, and (4) publishing academic papers on the design and use of the technology and extensions with the MIT and Duke research team. The software created will be evaluated in a randomized clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

The appointment will be for one-year with possible extension.

The work will be a collaboration between MIT and Duke Medical School.

For additional information, read the project's extended abstract below.

Minimum Qualifications:

B.S. or advanced degree in Computer Science (or closely related subject) and demonstrated success developing sophisticated mobile applications for Windows Mobile, Android, iPhone, or Symbian. An advanced degree with experience in a research environment is not required, but desirable. Expertise in pattern classification algorithm development and statistical analysis of sensor data, database-driven application development (including managing and visualizing large datasets), Bluetooth programming, and/or user-interface design and evaluation for mobile computing highly desirable. Title of Research Programmer or Post-Doctoral Associate is dependent upon level of education and research experience.

Candidate should possess excellent communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with external researchers in engineering and medicine.

Start Date:

This project will start in August, 2009 and therefore a start date in August - October of 2009 is preferred.

Research Group:

Successful applicants will work with the MIT House_n research group, a multi-disciplinary group of researchers developing technologies for in-home and mobile computing using advanced sensor technologies, with an emphasis on applying pattern recognition sensing technologies to creation of persuasive human-computer interfaces, especially in the area of health technologies. A complementary project, for example, explores the development of a system for longitudinal physical activity detection using mobile phones (see http://web.mit.edu/wockets).

To Apply:

Please forward a cover letter, a CV (including contact information for three references), and two recent publications to Dr. Stephen Intille via email (Intille@mit.edu). For more details on the project or position, contact Dr. Intille via email or at 617-452-2346.

Project Abstract

This abstract is for the entire multi-disciplinary and multi-university project. The MIT component of the project is to collaborate on the design, development, and evaluation of the "innovative cell phone-based behavioral intervention" exploiting phone and home sensors, pattern recognition, and persuasive user interface design.

The obesity epidemic has spread to young adults, in whom early evidence of CVD risk factors predicts future evidence of CVD pathology. Intervention in early adulthood may be the most effective public health strategy for reducing the long-term health impact of the epidemic. Several trials indicate that weight loss can be achieved, and to some extent sustained. The most successful interventions for promoting and maintaining weight loss involve sustained personal contact; self-monitoring of weight, diet and physical activity; goal-setting; social support; and motivational counseling. However, these trials have generally been conducted in middle-aged adults. It is unclear whether this intervention strategy will promote weight loss in younger adults. In addition, strategies aimed at young adults should also be aimed at preventing further weight gain. The most rapid weight gain occurs during the early adult years; slowing or preventing this increase can limit the potential CVD risk that accrues as young adults enter middle age. Based on life stage, cultural context, environmental circumstances, and marketing pressures, we expect that behavioral intervention will need to be modified to be effective at promoting weight control in young adults.

The proposed intervention builds on prior evidence while including innovations directed at increasing effectiveness in young adults. However, recognizing the dearth of knowledge about strategies for weight control in this age group, the formative phase of our proposal will test assumptions and address questions that will ultimately allow us to test an intervention with high likelihood of success.

The proposed intervention makes innovative use of cell phone technology. An estimated 84% of Americans currently own a cell phone, with good penetration across socioeconomic status. Young adults use cell phones not only for voice calling, but also for gathering information from the Internet, personal information management, and new forms of social networking (text messaging, instant messaging, photo exchanges, and video capture). Young adults are rarely out of earshot of their mobile phones, which are treated as personal devices. This situation creates a new health intervention opportunity, because the phones can be used as a way to channel “just-in-time” information to people at points of decision, behavior, or consequence. Further, new phones can run software that can present engaging, tailored, and context-sensitive messages based on the phone user’s behavior, location, or self-reported affective state.

Using cell phones to deliver a weight control intervention for young adults has the potential to be engaging, enjoyable, practical, cost-effective, sustainable, and easily disseminated on a broad scale. However, this is a largely untested mode of intervention delivery. Therefore, we propose a three-arm trial in which we test 1) a highly innovative “just in time” intervention in which intervention elements are delivered almost entirely via cell phone technology; and 2) an incremental innovation based primarily on personal contact, but enhanced with use of cell phones for self-monitoring, each compared to 3) a usual care, advice-only control group. We hypothesize that both active interventions will lead to weight loss and slower weight gain than occurs in the control group.

The study will address the following Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1: Test the hypothesis that an innovative cell phone-based behavioral intervention will lead to improved weight control (weight loss or reduced weight gain) in overweight and obese young adults, compared to an advice-only control group, after 24 months.

Specific Aim 2: Test the hypothesis that a personal contact-based behavioral intervention will lead to improved weight control in overweight and obese young adults, compared to an advice-only control group, after 24 months.

Secondary Aims: 1. Compare the effects of the two active interventions and control with regard to weight at 12 months. 2. Compare the active interventions (cell phone based behavioral intervention and personal contact-based behavioral intervention) to each other with regard to weight outcomes. 3. Compare the effects of the two active interventions and control with regard to behavior (dietary pattern and physical activity) 4. Compare the effects of the two active interventions and control with regard to blood pressure. 5. Compare the effects of the two active interventions and control with regard to insulin resistance as estimated by the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA).

Last modified: 7/1/09