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 currently have access to data going through year 6 (ages 9-16). For the parent study, we will examine multiple factors that predict child and adolescent neurodevelopment, including health behaviors and substance use patterns. For the SURF application, the student will examine whether experiencing a head or neck injury is linked with cannabis use initiation, or cannabis use outcomes (e.g., pain, dizziness, cognitive fog) during adolesence.
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 examining how peer factors influence early cannabis use patterns in youth enrolled in the ABCD Study.
Desired Qualifications
None listed.