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 6 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, Tierel will examine the links between ADHD symptoms and early substance use initiation in predicting performance on spatial reasoning tasks during early adolescence.
Tasks and Responsibilites
Tierel 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, he will assist with running ABCD Study research sessions, which include cognitive, psychiatric, and MRI testing. Notably, in collaboration with myself and a graduate student, he 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. His research focus will be primarily on how ADHD symptoms and early substance use impact spatial reasoning skills during early adolescence utilizing the ABCD cohort.
Desired Qualifications
None Listed.