Project Description
Our lab is a research site for the NIH-funded national multi-site Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. This study will follow 11,000 kids across 22 research sites for 10 years; we are currently in year 7 follow-up. For the parent study, we will examine multiple factors that predict child and adolescent neurodevelopment, including health behaviors and substance use patterns. For the current SURF application, the student will examine whether youth with current high stress levels are more likely to score high on a social isolation factor based on peer relationships, peer network health, and other internalizing symptoms linked with isolation.
Tasks and Responsibilites
The student will have the opportunity to work directly on two NIH/NIDA-funded projects, the ABCD Study and RECOVER long-COVID cohort study. In addition to attending weekly laboratory meetings, they will assist with running ABCD Study research sessions, which include cognitive, psychiatric, and MRI testing. Notably, in collaboration with myself and a graduate student, the student will learn how to develop research aims and hypotheses, conduct a literature review, run appropriate statistical analysis, and scientific presentation skills with the ABCD Study database. Their research focus will be on developing a factor analysis to measure social isolation in the ABCD database, and then examine whether current stress is linked with social isolation during preadolescence.
Desired Qualifications
None listed.