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(50%): Junior Specialist

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Position description

Junior Specialist – Parenting, Anxiety and Physiological Arousal in 22q11.2DS and other Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Project Title: Adaptive functioning in 22q11.2DS: the role of physiological arousal, parental psychological control, and anxiety

The Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, Davis, is accepting applications for a qualified Junior Specialist to play a leading role in a study of psychophysiologic measures of anxiety in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q) and other genetic syndromes through the Chromosome 22q11.2 Research Center and Clinic at the UC Davis MIND Institute. The Chromosome 22q11.2 Research Center and Clinic’s mission is to investigate, explain, and eventually treat the cognitive impairments and psychiatric disorders experienced by children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

This position is under the supervision of Dr. Kathleen Angkustsiri, M.D.

Recruitment Description: The incumbent for this position will be involved in a two projects studying the anxiety and the social phenotype of children with 22q, fragile X mutations, and typical development. The incumbent’s primary role will be the study coordinator for the project focused on parenting, anxiety, and physiological arousal in children ages 4-11 years and their parent. The incumbent will be responsible for participant recruitment and scheduling, administering behavioral tasks and questionnaires, along with scoring, and study management in collaboration with the PI. Successful candidates will also assist with additional behavioral studies will be involved in all aspects of publishable research activities in the 22q11.2 Research Center and Clinic, including assistance with manuscript preparation and presentations.

General responsibilities include:
General duties include working closely with the PI in study coordination and implementation, literature reviews and data analysis for conference presentations and manuscript preparation (e.g. methods and results, table and figure generation). The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal, communication, and decision-making skills and be skilled in working with children with developmental disabilities and their families. S/he should be able to work well independently and as part of a team. The candidate will work closely with Dr. Kathleen Angkustsiri, M.D. and will attend weekly lab meetings.

Research Activity
• Recruitment of study participants
• Screen potential study participants for eligibility and obtain informed consent
• Scheduling research participants, including assisting families with travel and reimbursement.
• Administer behavioral tasks and collect psychophysiological measurements
• Administer and score participant and parent questionnaire instruments.
• Track and enter study information into database and train others to perform data entry
• Perform basic data visualization and analysis of behavioral and psychophysiological data in statistical software programs such as R or SPSS.
• Maintain IRB protocols and ensure IRB and HIPAA compliance.
• Manage and maintain study database, including behavioral assessments, cognitive data, physiological data, medical and demographic information.

Professional Competence and Activity
• Attend weekly lab and MIND Institute coordinator meetings, with presentation of preliminary data analyses and discussion of journal articles at lab meetings.
• Prepare psychophysiological data analysis using Mindware HRV Analysis software and basic statistics and data visualization
• Presentation (poster or oral) at regional/national meetings in relevant fields (e.g. Western Society for Pediatric Research, etc.)
• Attend research presentations at the MIND Institute, including biweekly Research Seminar Series talks and Monthly Distinguished Lecture Series presentations
• As needed, assist PI with preparation of grant applications, such as conducting a literature review and analyses of pilot data

University and Public Service
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with community groups and other neurodevelopmental organizations (e.e., 22q Family Foundation) for recruitment purposes
• Assist in mentorship of volunteer undergraduate research assistants

Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Development, Psychology, NPB (Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior), Special Education or related field by January 1, 2018 with a minimum of 1 year of experience in behavioral science research or working directly with children with neurodevelopmental disorders
• Past research or lab experience with recruiting or assessing children in behavioral science studies
• Experience in data entry or data management
• Ability to competently perform multiple tasks simultaneously and prioritize activities
• Possess excellent written and oral communication skills and work maintain a professional attitude
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience collecting heart rate variability/psychophysiologic measures of arousal
• Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint
• Experience administering cognitive or behavioral assessments (e.g. intelligence testing, etc.)
• Experience writing/submitting manuscripts or presentations in academic settings

Position available/closing date:
This position is open effective January 8, 2018. For full consideration, applications should be submitted by January 22, 2018. The posting will remain open until June 30, 2018 or until filled.

Term of appointment: 12-18 month term appointment from start date at 50-100% time.

To Apply: Qualified applicants should upload a Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae or Resume, Transcript and contact information for 3 to 5 references via this URL:https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/apply/JPF01965

Questions: Please direct questions to Dr. Kathleen Angkustsiri: kangkustsiri@ucdavis.edu

The University of California, Davis commits to inclusion excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. 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.

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.

Application Requirements

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

  • Cover Letter

  • Statement of Research (Optional)

  • Statement of Teaching (Optional)

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Diversity contributions documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants. Visit http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/diversity/equity_inclusion/index.html for guidelines about writing a diversity statement and why one is requested.

  • Transcript

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 required (contact information only)
2023 Forbes Award: Best Employers for Diversity 2023 Forbes Award: Best Employers for Women

Job location

Sacramento, CA