Junior Specialist in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
University of California Davis
United States

Recruitment Period

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, data management, and statistical analysis in 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 analyses of behavioral coding data collected as part of the research study to be presented at internal and/or professional conferences at least 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 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 (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

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Neurobiology, or a related field by mid-March 2021 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 software
• Experience tracking and entering data in Access

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• 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:

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

TERM OF APPOINTMENT:

12-month term appointment from start date at 100% time (full time).

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:

For full consideration, applications must be received by 1/15/2021; however, the position will remain open until filled through 3/31/2020 or until filled.

To apply, please go to the following link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF03927. Applicants should submit cover letter, CV or resume, and contact information for at least 3 references. Documents/materials must be submitted as PDF files.

QUESTIONS:

Please direct questions to Meghan Miller, Ph.D., mrhmiller@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, and 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 UCD 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.

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter

• 3-5 required (contact information only)