Clinical Research Assistant I: Effects of Early Life Stress on Brain and Behavioral Development
Dr. Kelli Dickerson and Dr. Charles Nelson, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience (LCN), Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
full-time, post-graduation
The Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience (LCN) at Boston Children’s Hospital are committed to
improving the lives of children throughout the world. Our multidisciplinary team of researchers brings
together experts from a wide range of fields – including neuroscience, psychology, and medicine – who are working on expanding our knowledge of the developmental consequences of early life stress to translate what we learn into better outcomes for all children and families. Responsibilities: The Clinical Research Assistant I (CRA) will assist with daily operations and implementation of research procedures for two studies examining the effects of early life stress on child brain and behavioral development. Both studies employ a range of neuroimaging, physiological, and behavioral tools, including electrophysiology, eye tracking, biomarker monitoring, and developmental assessments.
Primary responsibilities will include testing infants and children following established research
protocols and assisting with data maintenance, processing, and analyses. Requirements: These include (1) Bachelor's Degree in psychology, child development, cognitive science, neuroscience, or related field; (2) experience working in a research setting, preferably using behavioral or neuroimaging measures; (3) availability for flexible scheduling, including some evenings and weekends; (4) excellent written and verbal communication skills; (5) high level of motivation; (6) ability to work independently and as part of a team; and (7) outstanding organization and attention to detail. Additional preferred qualifications include (1) experience working with infants, young children, and/or diverse populations; (2) demonstrated empathy and listening skills; (3) fluency in Spanish; (4) computer skills, including working knowledge of PC and Mac operating systems, basic statistics software (e.g., Excel, SPSS), and basic experimental presentation and collection software (e.g., ePrime, REDcap, Matlab). Additional Information: The CRA will work closely with the Clinical Research Coordinator on the coordination and administration of both projects under the direction of the LCN Program Manager and Principal Investigator Dr. Charles Nelson This is a full time (i.e., 40-hour week) position. A Spring 2022 start-date and a two-year commitment are preferred. To Apply: Interested candidates should email Study Coordinator, Saúl Urbina-Johanson (saul.urbina-johanson@childrens.harvard.edu), and Post-doctoral Fellow, Dr. Kelli Dickerson (kelli.dickerson@childrens.harvard.edu), with a resume and cover letter. Questions are welcome as well. (posted 2/2022)