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Junior Specialist - Adolescent Sleep Need Project

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Position description

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis invites applications for a qualified Junior Specialist for the Adolescent Sleep Need project.

This position will be involved in the study of how sleep need changes across late adolescence and into early adulthood. In this longitudinal study, participants’ daytime sleepiness and daytime performance are evaluated after 4 consecutive nights of either 7, 8.5, or 10 hour in bed. All night sleep electroencephalograms (EEG) are recorded on 2 of those nights. Under the direction of the PI and co-investigator, the incumbent will prepare equipment and supplies for all night EEG recording and daytime performance testing. Preparations include calibration of ambulatory EEG recorders. Although undergraduate student assistants travel to participants homes to apply electrodes for most recordings, the incumbent will fill in on nights when student assistants are not available. The incumbent will download and archive all EEG data and use an old software system to analyze the EEG data with fast Fourier transform spectral analysis. Incumbent will also download and archive all performance test data and use in-house programs to extract data for further analysis. With a coworker, the incumbent will run weekend daytime performance testing. The incumbent will be responsible for mentoring undergraduate assistants. About 25% of the effort will be devoted to scoring all night EEG records for sleep stages and scoring daytime multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT). The incumbent will assist with data analysis and interpretation. In addition, the incumbent will attend weekly lab meetings and, in collaboration with the PI and co-investigator, prepare manuscripts and presentations. Incumbent will work closely with the co-investigator, Ian G. Campbell, Ph.D. Work week runs from Thursday through Monday with Tuesday and Wednesday off.

General responsibilities include:

RESEARCH ACTIVITY (85%)

  • Run weekend performance testing
  • Calibrate EEG recording equipment.
  • Download and archive nighttime EEG data, daytime MSLT data, and daytime performance data.
  • Use PASS-PLUS software to analyze all night EEG and to score sleep stages.
  • Download and analyze actigraphy watch data.
  • Mentorship of undergraduate assistants who travel to participants’ home to apply EEG electrodes and assist with weekend performance testing.
  • Accurately enter and track information in study tracking and data entry databases.
  • Assist with data processing, data management, and statistical analysis in SAS.
  • Assist with participant recruitment and scheduling of study participants.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE (10%)

  • Attend weekly lab meetings on study progress.
  • Prepare presentations for conferences and the community in collaboration with the PI, including conducting literature reviews, simple statistical analyses, and slide preparations, and, when appropriate, independently presenting to community organizations or agencies.
  • Contribute to writing manuscripts for publication, including assisting with data cleaning, literature reviews, and synthesis of information for dissemination of research findings to the public.
  • In collaboration with PI and co-investigator, develop individual research questions based on observations made during analyses of EEG and performance data.
  • Participate and present during monthly lab journal clubs.

UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (5%)

  • Establish and maintain positive relationships with, and provide outreach to community groups and schools as part of participant retention and as part of community education

TERM OF APPOINTMENT:
This appointment will be 100% appointment.

SALARY RANGE:
Step 1 - $42,300 per year or $20.26 per hour*
Step 2 - $45,100 per year or $21.60 per hour*

Yearly/hourly pay scales based on percentage of qualifying appointment. Step offered commensurate with the proposed candidate's qualifications and prior experience in title code.

TO APPLY:
To apply, please go to the following link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF04139.

QUESTIONS:
Please direct questions to Ian G. Campbell igcampbell@ucdavis.edu.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UCSC positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

UC Davis is a smoke & tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

If you need accommodation due to a disability, please contact the recruiting department.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
  • Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Biology, Physiology, Neuroscience, or a related field by June 2021.
  • Experience managing behavior and overseeing children, preferably teenagers.
  • Data entry experience. Interpersonal skills to calmly and effectively communicate with the participants and their parents.
  • Experience with medical or research recording equipment.
Additional qualifications (required at time of start)
  • Demonstrated ability to perform detail-oriented (and boring) tasks with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced setting with composure, courtesy, and professional attitude.
  • Ability to participate in discussion of research results and contribute to manuscript preparation, including literature reviews, data cleaning activities, and synthesis of information.
  • Excellent communication and written skills to communicate effectively with the interact with the community and research participants, PI, and co-investigator.
Preferred qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)
  • Experience applying EEG electrodes according to 10-20 system.
  • Experience scoring sleep recordings.
  • Experience working with large datasets.
  • Ability to assist with data management and conduct simple statistical analyses in SAS.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF04139

Help contact: tisxiong@ucdavis.edu

About UC Davis

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals’ with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400: Policy on University of California Diversity Statement. UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.” There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

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