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Junior Specialist for the Developmental Pathways to Autism and ADHD project

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Position overview

Salary range: Step 1 - $3,900 monthly
Step 2 - $4,150 monthly

Position description

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis invites applications for a qualified Junior Specialist for the Developmental Pathways to Autism and ADHD project.

This position will be involved in interdisciplinary studies focused on the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among infants/toddlers at familial risk.

MAJOR RESPONSIBLITIES
Under the direction of the PI, the incumbent will assist with participant recruitment and visit scheduling and provide information to families regarding study objectives and requirements in person and by telephone. The incumbent will communicate instructions to study participants regarding a variety of study related issues, answer questions as they arise, and obtain informed consent for study participation. Associated tasks include coordinating the flow of study visits between PI and staff members, administering and scoring questionnaires and behavioral measures, conducting eye-tracking during study visits, performing behavioral coding using BORIS software, managing psychophysiological data acquisition, mentoring a team of undergraduate volunteers, and entering information in an Access database to track visits and study procedures. In addition, the incumbent will attend weekly lab meetings and, in collaboration with the PI, prepare manuscripts and presentations. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal, communication, and decision-making skills as well as the ability to work well independently and as part of a team. This candidate will work closely with Meghan Miller, Ph.D.

General responsibilities include:

I. RESEARCH ACTIVITY (50% EFFORT)

• Assist with participant recruitment and scheduling of study participants
• Brief study participant families regarding study objectives and obtain informed consent
• Coordinate activities during study visits between participating families and staff members
• Facilitate communication between team members including clinicians, examiners, camera operators, and the PI regarding any special circumstances pertaining to study visits
• Use BORIS software to code behavioral data obtained during lab visits using coding systems for early social-communication development and early ADHD-related behaviors
• Manage progress of behavioral coding projects including training, managing, and maintaining reliability with more junior lab volunteer coders
• Accurately enter and track information in study tracking and data entry databases and train others to perform data entry
• Assist with data processing, data management, and statistical analysis in SPSS
• Capture, digitize, and edit videotape footage obtained from families using specialized audiovisual equipment and train others in the use of this equipment
• Mentor team of undergraduate research assistants

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (40% EFFORT)

• Attend weekly lab meetings and MIND Institute study coordinator meetings
• 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
• As needed, assist PI with preparation of grant applications, including conducting literature searches and simple analyses of pilot data
• Contribute to writing manuscripts for publication, including assisting with data entry, data pulling and cleaning, literature reviews, and synthesis of information for dissemination of research findings to the public
• Develop individual research question in collaboration with the PI and perform analyses of relevant data collected as part of the research study to be presented at internal and/or professional conferences once per year, including the Society for Research in Child Development, International Meeting for Autism Research, or American Psychological Association (or one of APA’s regional conferences)
• Participate and present during bimonthly lab journal clubs, including leading the journal club at least once per year (selecting a journal article, presenting to the group, and leading discussion)
• Attend research presentations at the MIND Institute, including biweekly Research Seminar Series talks and Monthly Distinguished Lecture Series presentations

III. UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (10% EFFORT)

• Establish and maintain positive relationships with, and provide outreach presentations to, community and neurodevelopmental disorder advocacy agencies (e.g., CHADD of Sacramento), schools, and service providers for participant recruitment purposes

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Neurobiology, or a related field by May 2022 with a minimum of 1 year of experience in longitudinal research focused children at risk for neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders
Experience managing behavior and overseeing children both with neurodevelopmental disorders and typical development in an unstructured setting
Experience in behavioral coding using BORIS or equivalent software
Experience tracking and entering data in Access
Experience consenting potential research participants

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

Demonstrated ability to perform detail-oriented tasks with a high degree of accuracy
Experience managing multiple tasks simultaneously
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, PIs, postdoctoral fellows, and train undergraduate research assistants

Preferred qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)

Ability to assist with data management and conduct simple statistical analyses in SPSS

Application Requirements

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

  • Cover Letter (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF04659

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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Job location

Sacramento, CA