The BrainLENS Laboratory (UConn), co-directed by Professors Fumiko Hoeft, Silvia Clement-Lam, and Zhichao Xia, are seeking a Research Assistant to join a recently funded NIH R01 project investigating neuroinflammation, stress, and reading development in children with reading disorders. The project integrates multimodal neuroimaging, central and peripheral inflammatory measures, and assessments of stress and reading to better understand how biological and environmental factors are associated with reading and emotional well-being in school-aged children.
We are looking for a highly motivated, organized, and collaborative individual who is interested in developmental cognitive neuroscience or related fields, and would like to contribute to a large, interdisciplinary research project. In addition, there are ample opportunities to pursue independent research ideas, analyze data, and lead scientific manuscripts. We actively support team members who want to develop their own project and grow as researchers. This position is particularly well suited for someone seeking 2–3 years of research experience before pursuing graduate, medical, or other advanced training.
The position is funded through a 5-year NIH R01 grant. The appointment is initially for one year, with continuation subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding.
Responsibilities
The Research Assistant will work closely with project investigators, research staff, and other members of the BrainLENS team at UConn to support activities needed for the successful implementation of the project. Responsibilities may include:
- Supporting participant recruitment, screening, scheduling, and communication with children and families
- Assisting with research visits and study procedures involving human participants
- Supporting behavioral, cognitive, physiological, neuroimaging, and/or biospecimen data collection
- Organizing, entering, cleaning, and maintaining research data
- Using REDCap and other research data-management systems / tools (e.g., R, Python, MATLAB) to support data collection, tracking, organization, and quality control
- Maintaining research documentation and study materials
- Assisting with preparation and maintenance of IRB materials, study protocols, and project reports
- Assisting research staff and collaborators with project-related activities (including but not limited to literature searches and assisting with preparation of presentations, abstracts, and manuscripts)
- Contributing to other research activities and duties as needed or required by the supervisor to support the successful completion of the project
Specific responsibilities may evolve over time depending on project needs, the Research Assistant’s skills and interests, and opportunities for increasing research involvement.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, biology, education, communication sciences and disorders, or a related field
- Prior research experience working with children and/or families
- Ability to interact professionally and effectively with research participants, families, and members of the research team
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative research team
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Reliability and ability to manage multiple project responsibilities
- Interest in developmental cognitive neuroscience, reading and language development, neuroimaging, stress, or related areas
- Comfort using at least one programming or statistical language, such as R, Python, or MATLAB, and willingness to further develop quantitative and computational skills
- Ability to quickly learn new research methods, procedures, and technical skills
- Ability to make a 2–3 year commitment to the position
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in one or more of the following areas is preferred:
- Behavioral or cognitive assessment, particularly with children
- MRI or other neuroimaging research, including experience with participant preparation, data acquisition, processing, and/or quality control
- Physiological or biospecimen data collection, such as heart-rate variability, electrodermal activity, saliva collection, or related measures
- Experience with REDCap or similar research data-management systems
- Experience with quantitative data analysis or research data processing
- Experience preparing research presentations, abstracts, or manuscripts
- Experience working in interdisciplinary or multi-investigator research projects
Candidates are not expected to have prior experience across all of these areas. Training will be provided for project-specific procedures and methods.
Application
Interested applicants should submit:
- A CV or résumé
- A brief cover letter or statement of interest describing relevant research experience, methodological or technical skills, research interests, career goals, and ability to commit to the position for 2–3 years
- Contact information for 3 references
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
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