This recruitment is to hire up to two candidates.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis invites applications for a qualified Junior Specialist for the Miller Lab at the UC Davis MIND Institute.

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

MAJOR RESPONSIBLITIES

The incumbent for this position will be involved in interdisciplinary studies focusing on questions related to the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among infants/toddlers at familial risk. 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, helping coordinate 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 (80% 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 and data management in R and REDCap
• Assist with statistical analysis in R and SPSS for poster and paper presentations and manuscripts
• Capture, digitize, and edit videotape footage obtained from families using specialized audiovisual equipment and train others in the use of this equipment
• Coordinate a team of undergraduate research assistants

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (15% 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 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 relevant statistical analyses of 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 monthly lab journal clubs, including leading the journal club on occasion (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 (5% 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

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 condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs - With Updated Interim Amendments. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2, Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment.(Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.