PROSPECTIVE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Why are social interactions so important? The SDN Lab under the direction of Johanna Jarcho works to bridge the gap between cognitive, developmental, clinical and social affective neuroscience. It does this by studying brain function and processes associated with social cognition (i.e., interacting with others) that evolve during adolescence and across the lifespan using fMRI, EEG, eye movement, facial expression and behavioral responding during peer-based experiences. The lab builds on concepts from mental health research by examining the boundaries between normal, at risk, and abnormal behavior, to determine how such processes manifest when people anticipate and receive feedback from their peers. The SDN team aims to isolate response patterns that characterize normative development, factors that promote or protect against onset of psychopathology, and those that relate to expression of anxiety and aggression.
RA duties may include, but are not limited to:
1) working on a recruitment team (i.e., community recruitment, interfacing with families, scheduling visits)
2) interfacing with participants while acquiring fMRI, EEG, eye-tracking, and self-report data, and conducting subsequent analysis
3) developing stimuli for experiments, writing scripts for stimulus presentation and data capture; and
4) utilizing and/or improving on current analytic tools used to interpret data
Assisting in research in the SDN Lab is suited for competent, highly self-motivated, meticulous, and conscientious students with an interest in the intersection of neuroscience with clinical, social, and developmental psychology. Successful RAs may have the chance to pursue independent research, making this an ideal position for those considering graduate school.
Lab Expectations
Commit to 2+ semesters in the lab when you join.
Dedicate 10 consistent hours in lab per week.
Have a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and make sure we have a copy too.
Give us your availability schedule within the first week of hire.
Check your email daily and respond to lab-related emails within one business day.
Lock all doors/safes in lab. If you’re not around, nothing should be unlocked.
Keep workstation clutter free. Snacks are great, sticky keyboards are not.
Properly store all confidential materials (i.e., consent forms, data, receipts).
Supply a photo and bio for our website.
Attend lab meetings. This is where you learn crucial information about lab projects.
Document your work every time you are in lab in your virtual RA notebook.
Present at lab meeting once every 2 semesters.
Complete HIPAA and CITI Trainings (Practice Runs & Social/Behavioral Research Investigators).
There is a 3 month probation period from your hiring date. If you meet all expectations, you will be asked to continue in the lab. On the contrary, if we find that you have neglected the above expectations, you will be asked to leave the lab.
