Junior Specialist - LEAF Study

Overview

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis invites applications for a qualified Junior Specialist for the LEAF Study 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, and middle childhood outcomes of these infants/toddlers.

The incumbent for this position will be involved in interdisciplinary studies focusing on questions related to the early detection of autism and ADHD among infants/toddlers at familial risk, as well as follow-up studies of these infants into middle childhood. Under the direction of the PI, the incumbent will schedule participant visits, provide information to families regarding study objectives and requirements in person and by telephone, communicate instructions to study participants regarding a variety of study related issues, answer questions as they arise, obtain informed consent and child assent for study participation, coordinate the flow of study visits between PI and staff members, administer and scoring questionnaires and behavioral measures, conduct eye-tracking during study visits, perform behavioral coding using BORIS software, acquire psycho-physiological data, help coordinate a team of undergraduate volunteers, and enter information in Access and REDCap databases to track visits and study procedures.

In addition, the incumbent will attend regular lab meetings and, in collaboration with the PI, prepare manuscripts and presentations. The ideal candidate will have exceptional interpersonal, communication and decision-making skills, a strong interest in children, neurodevelopmental conditions, and clinical psychology, and the ability to work well independently and as part of a team. This candidate will work closely with Meagan Talbott, Ph.D. and Meghan Miller, Ph.D.

I. RESEARCH ACTIVITY (80% EFFORT)

• Track and schedule study participant visits according to participant age windows
• Coordinate progress of behavioral coding projects including training and establishing/maintaining reliability with more junior lab volunteer coders
• Use BORIS software to code behavioral data obtained during lab visits using coding systems for early social communication development and early ADHD-related behaviors
• Brief study participant families regarding study objectives and obtain informed consent and child assent
• Greet families and 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
• Facilitate student recruitment and oversee internal student operations, including professional development, task assignments, and workflow coordination
• Accurately enter and track information in study tracking and data entry databases
• Assist with preparing 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

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (15% EFFORT)

• Attend regular 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…