New research opportunities will be added to this list as they develop (last updated October 2023); there are psychology research opportunities with faculty members in the Psychological Sciences Department, as well as with collaborators in the Texas Medical Center. Remember that you will need instructor permission to register, as well as a signed research contract.
OPPORTUNITIES WITH FACULTY IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
Dr. Kirsten Adam (area: Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience)
Overview: The Attention, Distractions, and Memory lab (ADAM Lab) uses cognitive neuroscience methods (EEG, fMRI) and innovative behavioral measures to address central questions about how we succeed (and fail) at deploying our limited attentional resources. For example, how do we successfully ignore irrelevant information that competes for our limited attention? How can we best detect (and correct) failures of attention that cascade into failures of memory? Further information about the ADAM lab can be found here: adamlab.rice.edu.
Student tasks: Responsibilities for this position will include being involved in all phases of the research process, including some or all of the following (depending on availability and time commitment): participant recruitment and behavioral testing; assisting in the acquisition of EEG data in the Neuroplasticity Suite at the BRC; managing and analyzing datasets; participation in lab meetings and journal article discussions; opportunities to present data. Multi-semester commitments are preferred but not required.
Grading: Grades will be based on satisfactory and timely completion of assigned tasks.
Availability: Recruiting for all semesters.
Contact: Please contact Dr. Kirsten Adam at kadam@rice.edu if you are interested.
Dr. Margaret Beier (area: Industrial-Organizational Psychology; training)
Overview: Research in the Adult Skills and Knowledge Lab falls within two main areas: 1) adult intellectual development and 2) predicting success in organizations and educational settings. We are currently conducting research studies in both of these areas and looking for research assistants to participate in literature review, subject running, data coding, and the development of study materials.
Contact: Please contact Dr. Beier (beier@rice.edu) to indicate interest.
Dr. Mike Byrne (area: Human-Computer Interaction & Human Factors; cognitive)
Overview: The main theme of the research at CHIL is "Cognitive Science applied to human-computer interaction (HCI)." Our research is concerned with the psychological processes underlying the interaction of people with man-made systems, particularly computer systems, with the ultimate goal of developing engineering models of human performance that can aid in the design of real-world systems. This work spans a broad spectrum of investigation, from the most coarse explorations of users' work environments (e.g. what are the tasks people perform?) to detailed analysis of the temporal microstructure of human performance (e.g. what eye movements do people make when they select from simple menus?).
Prerequisites: We are always looking for bright, eager students who are interested in research in these areas, regardless of original academic background. Because of the technical nature of the work, however, people with backgrounds in psychology and computer science are particularly well-suited to this type of research. However, people with backgrounds from other disciplines are certainly welcome as well.
Contact: Please contact Dr. Byrne (byrne@rice.edu) to indicate interest.
Dr. Jing Chen (area: Human-Computer Interaction & Human Factors)
Overview: The Human-Automation Collaboration (HAC) Lab conducts research on the fundamental principles of human performance and decision-making, with a focus on applying these principles to cybersecurity problems and human-system design (e.g., human-AI collaboration; semi-autonomous driving systems). Examples of research questions the lab is interested in include: How to help drivers of partially automated vehicles maintain proper level of sustained attention? How do humans perceive the capabilities of AI and how does this affect human-AI interaction? How to help humans calibrate their trust in an automated system? How to design an interface to facilitate secure decisions by users? A complete list of current projects can be found here.
Student tasks: Students in the HAC lab are typically involved in one or more research projects. Depending on their level of interest and involvement, students may participate in various stages of the research process such as idea generation, literature search, programming, data collection, data analyses, and manuscript preparation. Students are expected to actively attend regular lab meetings.
Availability: Recruiting for all semesters.
Credits per Semester: 2-3 (3 hours of lab work per week are required for each credit hour)
Grading: Students' grades will be calculated as a function of satisfactory and timely completion of assigned responsibilities.
Contact: To learn more about the lab and how to get involved, please refer to the information here.
Dr. Patricia DeLucia (area: Human-Computer Interaction & Human Factors)
Overview: Dr. DeLucia’s research focuses on human perception and performance with applications to driving and health care. She studies how people perceive their world through vision, hearing, and touch, and how visual impairments affect perception. She uses advanced technologies such as driving simulators and virtual realities to apply her research in various real-world domains such as driving (e.g., rear-end collisions, driverless cars), and health care (e.g., surgery, nursing, telehealth). Examples of research questions include: How do cell phone conversations impact driving? Does automated driving impair hazard detection? Can immersive VR be used to measure collision avoidance? Are tactile displays (vibration) effective for judgments of collisions? Does collision perception differ between individuals with normal and impaired vision? How do people combine information from vision, audition, and touch? Can people be trained to perceive moving objects more accurately? How can displays be designed to improve minimally-invasive surgery.
Student tasks: Students in her laboratory help with all aspects of the research process such as literature searches, display development, programming, data collection, data analyses, preparation of publications, and presentations. Students from any discipline will be considered. Students with programming skills in Unity, C++ and Matlab are especially sought.
Availability: Recruiting for all semesters.
Contact: Please contact Dr. DeLucia (pat.delucia@rice.edu) to indicate interest.
Dr. Bryan Denny (area: Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience)
Overview: How can we become better emotion regulators, and how can changes in emotion regulation impact mental and physical health? How does the healthy human brain subserve the processes of emotion experience and emotion regulation, and how are these processes altered in different forms of psychopathology? To address these questions, my lab employs a translational social cognitive neuroscience approach involving longitudinal analysis of emotion self-reports, health behavior, psychophysiology, and neuroimaging (including structural and functional MRI). Further information about the Translational Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (T-SCAN) Lab’s research can be found here: http://tscan.rice.edu
Student tasks: Responsibilities for this position will include the possibility of being involved in all phases of the research process, including some or all of the following (depending on availability and time commitment): participant recruitment, screening, and behavioral testing; assisting in acquisition of neuroimaging data using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at Baylor College of Medicine; managing datasets; participation in lab meetings and journal article discussions; opportunities for data analysis; and opportunities to present data. Multi-semester commitments are preferred but not required.
Grading: Grades will be based on satisfactory and timely completion of all assigned tasks, including a final paper.
Availability: Recruiting for all semesters.
Contact: Please contact T-SCAN Lab Manager Nia Walls (nw28@rice.edu) for more information on how to apply.
Dr. Christopher Fagundes (area: health psychology, lifespan development)
Overview: The Biobehavioral Mechanisms Explaining Disparities (BMED) lab integrates theories and methods from developmental psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, and autonomic psychophysiology to understand how the mind and body interact to affect those confronted by stressful life events such as caring for a family member with dementia. We are particularly interested in why (a) certain population groups do not benefit from the same health status as others, and (b) how past and current adversities contribute to one's health status. Current projects include (1) Project CHROMA, which focuses on understanding how creativity can preserve brain health in older adults, (2) Project ACT, aimed at discovering what predicts mental and physical health of caregivers for spouses with dementia, and (3) Project CARE, studying dementia family caregivers’ health during COVID-19.
Student tasks: Perform entry-level specific activities in support of multiple research projects within the fields of psychoneuroimmunology and psychophysiology. These tasks will include collecting and processing data related to heart rate variability, metabolism, endocrine function, and immune function. To perform general duties as needed including making copies, screening participants via phone, making recruitment calls, inputting data in spreadsheets, and organizing lab documents, as well as performing research protocols related to the study.
Prerequisites: We are looking for bright and dedicated students with background and interests including, but not limited to: psychology, computer science, neuroscience, or engineering. Two semesters of commitment required. Due to the nature of our research, we will not be able to take on students for 1 credit hour. Students must be willing to commit to 2 or 3 credit hours.
Contact: Please email Kristi English for more information on how to apply.
Dr. Michelle "Mikki" Hebl (area: Industrial-Organizational Psychology)
Overview: My research focuses on issues related to identifying, understanding, and remediating discrimination against members of different groups based on gender, race, sexual orientation, abilities, marital status, pregnancy/parental status, religion. In my lab, which I run together with Eden King’s lab, we blend a social, interpersonal perspective and an organizational perspective to investigate discrimination across a wide variety of contexts (e.g., academia, Fortune 500 companies, healthcare, and more general workplaces). Our research attempts to document the often overlooked forms of discrimination. Importantly, we also focus on ways of remediating this discrimination, the larger goal of our research. We examine a number of remediation strategies at the individual as well as the organizational level.
Student tasks: Members of this research team may engage in every phase of psychological research, from idea generation to data collection and analysis, to writing and presenting findings. In addition, intentional professional development of all research assistants will include discussions of graduate school options, feedback on application materials, and alternative career paths.
Grading: Students' grades will be calculated as a function of completion of assigned responsibilities, attendance at required lab meetings, and a final reflection paper.
Availability: Typically recruiting 15-25 undergraduate RAs per semester.
Contact: Please contact Samuel Sha (ss371@rice.edu) to indicate interest.
Dr. Philip Kortum (area: Human-Computer Interaction & Human Factors)
Overview: Research in my lab focuses on a variety of applied human factors issues, including: 1) Voting system usability. We are now beginning to examine various aspects of voting systems, trying to understand how users interact with these systems, what kinds of errors they make and how we might design secure voting systems that are highly usable by the general population and those voters who may have physical disabilities. 2) Measuring the usability of products and services. We have been collecting data using Brookes' System Usability Scale (SUS) for over two decades now, reporting on what usability scores look like across a wide range of products and user characteristics. This data will allow usability practitioners to benchmark their results against a varied set of products and services. We are also working to understand the measurement of usability, and what factors can impact that measurement. 3) Human factors of medical devices. We are interested in designing and evaluating highly usable medical devices and systems, particularly in the global health domain.
Contact: Please contact Dr. Kortum to indicate interest.
Dr. Danielle King (area: Industrial-Organizational Psychology)
Overview: We all encounter some form of difficulty in our lives; some survive it, some thrive despite it, and others reach even greater heights because of it. The WorKing Resilience Lab is focused on understanding workplace resilience—the process through which employees continue pursuing work goals and maintain their wellbeing despite adversity. Employee resilience research focuses on understanding the influence of chronic stressors or isolated adverse events on critical work outcomes such as motivation, performance, burnout, engagement, and turnover. Some of the lab’s projects deal with clarified conceptualization and improved measurement of resilience in research, understanding perceptions of resilience in interviews, and helping to uncover the means by which sole working mothers, shift workers, and unemployed job seekers can foster resilience on a daily basis. Our research lab offers a unique opportunity to study human cognitions, affect, and behavior through a synthesis of psychological theory and practice.
Research Assistant (RA) Tasks: Depending on project needs and timelines, students may assist in various phases of the research process, including: grant submission assistance; IRB application drafting; experimental design; survey or interview protocol creation; data collection; literature review; data coding; data analysis; research presentations; and manuscript writing. All RAs are expected to participate in lab meetings and lead journal article discussions. Multi-semester commitments are preferred.
Prerequisites: The lab is seeking promising students who are interested in research on employee resilience, regardless of academic background. Students with backgrounds in the social sciences and particularly psychology or management may find the greatest fit with their coursework and career goals.
Credits per Semester: Students may earn 3 credit hours for their work as an RA per semester. As a general guideline, students are expected to complete 3 hours of lab work per credit hour, per week.
Grading: Grades will be based on professionalism, communication, satisfactory and timely completion of all assigned project tasks, and a final paper.
Resources for RAs: Professional development advice and feedback, experience reading, creating, and critiquing psychology scholarship, training in data collection and analysis strategies, potential opportunities for research presentation and funding.
Availability: Recruiting for Spring 2022.
Contact: Please email the lab principal investigator, Dr. Danielle D. King, to express interest in joining this lab.
Dr. Eden King (area: Industrial-Organizational Psychology)
Overview: People spend a large proportion of their waking hours at work. Work defines our status and our identities. Yet, women, mothers, gay and lesbian people, ethnic and religious minorities, and people with mental illness or disabilities have very different experiences than White, straight, Christian men. The big picture goal of this lab is to make the workplace a better place for everyone. In scientific terms, we seek to guide the equitable and effective management of diverse organizations. This research integrates organizational and social psychological theories in conceptualizing social stigma and the work-life interface. This research addresses three primary themes: 1) current manifestations of discrimination and barriers to work-life balance in organizations, 2) consequences of such challenges for its targets and their workplaces, and 3) individual and organizational strategies for reducing discrimination and increasing support for families.
Student tasks: Members of this research team may engage in every phase of psychological research, from idea generation to data collection and analysis to writing and presenting findings. In addition, intentional professional development of all research assistants will include discussions of graduate school options, feedback on application materials, and alternative career paths.
Grading: Students' grades will be calculated as a function of completion of assigned responsibilities, attendance at required lab meetings, and a final reflection paper.
Availability: Typically recruiting 15-25 undergraduate RAs per semester.
Contact: Please contact Samuel Sha (ss371@rice.edu) to indicate interest.
Dr. Stephanie Leal (area: Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, Health Psychology)
Overview: The Neuroscience of Memory & Aging Lab performs basic and translational research to understand how our memory system works and how this system goes awry in memory and mood disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression. We utilize state-of-the-art high-resolution MRI imaging techniques, PET imaging of amyloid and tau pathologies, and novel experimental paradigms to understand brain-behavior relationships. Further information about the Neuroscience of Memory & Aging Lab’s research can be found here: memory.rice.edu.
Student tasks: Responsibilities for this position will include being involved in all phases of the research process, including some or all of the following (depending on availability and time commitment): participant recruitment, screening, and behavioral testing; assisting in acquisition of neuroimaging data using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at Baylor College of Medicine; managing datasets; participation in lab meetings and journal article discussions; opportunities for data analysis; and opportunities to present data. Multi-semester commitments are preferred but not required.
Grading: Grades will be based on satisfactory and timely completion of all assigned tasks.
Availability: Recruiting for all semesters.
Contact: Please contact Dr. Stephanie Leal at stephanieleal@rice.edu if you are interested.
Dr. Randi Martin (area: cognitive; systems and cognitive neuroscience)
Overview: Research in the Brain and Language Lab involves the psychology and neuropsychology of language. One interest is the nature of verbal short-term memory (STM) and its role in language comprehension and production and in long-term learning. The basic premise being investigated is that there are separable phonological and semantic contributions to short-term memory which play differing roles in sentence comprehension and production. We are investigating the different types of STM deficits displayed by aphasic patients and the relation of these deficits to language processing. We currently have NIH-funded research to study the recovery of STM and language production from the acute stage (within 72 hours of stroke) to one year post-onset, examining both behavioral and neural changes. We are also investigating the STM-language processing relation in healthy young and older subjects through standard behavioral tests and through functional magnetic imaging and event-related potentials. Additional research areas of interest include semantic processing, speech perception, and the relation of short-term and long-term memory. All areas are addressed by behavioral studies and a variety of cognitive neuroscience techniques.
Contact: Please contact Dr. Martin to indicate interest.
Dr. Fred Oswald (area: Industrial-Organizational Psychology)
Overview: Work in Dr. Oswald's lab addresses what college students themselves face: understanding the future of work and navigating successful school-to-work transitions. One critical aspect of ensuring student and employee success (out of many) is to ensure that fair, reliable, and valid psychological tests are used when applying for college or applying for jobs. Such tests are intended to indicate one's standing on skills that (along with training, teamwork, etc.) contribute to academic performance, job performance, job satisfaction, and turnover. These tests are usually based on cognitive and motivational constructs: e.g., knowledge and skills, personality traits, vocational interests, situational judgement tests, and biographical data. Our research involves under-represented minority community college students, a wide range of for-profit and nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, and large-scale national datasets that address employment concerns (e.g., US Census data). Statistical methods that are used include factor analysis, meta-analysis, mixed-effects models, Bayesian analysis, and machine learning.
Student responsibilities: Depending on the project, research assistants will be expected to help with activities such as literature reviews, recruiting participants, conducting orientation sessions, running participants in lab studies, and entering and analyzing data. Interest or experience in programming in R is welcomed—but not required.
Grading: Students’ performance will be evaluated based on their fulfillment of research assistant responsibilities (described above), in addition to attending necessary group meetings and being prompt in regular communication.
Resources for RAs: In addition to developing their research interests and skills, students working in the lab will receive mentorship in preparing for graduate school.
Contact: Please contact Dr. Oswald (fred.oswald@rice.edu) to indicate interest.
Dr. Eduardo Salas (area: Industrial-Organizational Psychology)
Overview: Our lab primarily conducts research concerning teamwork, leadership, safety culture, team training, patient safety, and training. As interdisciplinary researchers, our expertise spans multiple areas including industrial-organizational psychology, human factors, learning and development, organizational behavior, and other fields. We work with multiple outside collaborators, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NSF, UT Health, MD Anderson, and the Army Research Institute (ARI). CORE uses evidence-based science to improve teamwork, safety, and training in individual and organizational contexts, as we are dedicated to improving the overall effectiveness and resilience of individuals, teams, and organizations.
Student tasks: Students will participate in all aspects of the research process, including study recruitment, development of study measures, data collection, data entry, data analysis, manuscript review/editing, and idea generation. Outstanding students have the potential for developing their own research ideas/project(s).
Grading: Students' grades will be based on their fulfillment of lab position responsibilities, quality of work, meeting attendance, prompt communication, and a final paper.
Availability: Recruiting for Fall and Spring during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Contact: Please send your resume to eduardo.salas@rice.edu.
OPPORTUNITIES WITH COLLABORATORS IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER (updated October 2023)
Beginning in Spring 2022, the Rice University supervisor for all opportunities listed below is Dr. Bryan Denny (bryan.denny@rice.edu). After you are accepted as a research assistant in one of these labs, you must send him an email with information about the lab you are joining and the name of your supervisor. Dr. Denny will then schedule a meeting to sign your special registration form and go over the PSYC 485 research contract. All PSYC 485 students who are working with off-campus supervisors must complete a final paper that meets the following requirements: 6-8 pages (double spaced) in the format of an empirical journal article or review paper, written in APA style; the topic will be decided by the student and TMC supervisor, but must be related to the research project(s) that the student was involved with during the semester.
UTHealth Changing Lives through Autism Spectrum Services (CLASS) Lifespan Autism Clinic (Dr. Antonio Pagán)
Overview: Research in the Changing Lives through Autism Spectrum Services (CLASS) Lifespan Autism Clinic focuses on the assessment, treatment, and research with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan. Research builds off of our clinical activities. We are currently research studies on our Launching! to Adulthood programs, which help young adults with autism and their parents transition to adulthood. The program is run in three formats: military, English, and Spanish.
Student Tasks: Responsibilities would include participating in data collection, participant recruitment, data coding, and the development of study materials.
Grading: Student grades will be based on both performance (including attendance) in the clinic and a final paper.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior status preferred but not required; mandatory 2 semester commitment. Research assistants must pay for their own parking if necessary (although a shuttle runs from a location nearby Rice to our clinic building). Coursework in abnormal and/or developmental psychology is preferred but not required.
Availability: Average 1-2 positions per year.
Contact: Please contact Dr. Pagán (antonio.pagan@uth.tmc.edu) to indicate interest.
Texas Children’s Hospital OCD and Anxiety Program (Dr. Kelly Banneyer)
Overview: The OCD and Anxiety program through Texas Children’s Hospital serves preschool and school-age children as well as adolescents presenting with a variety of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Our current research project involves a chart review study of looking at variables related to clinical care in order to best understand the patients served in the program and outcomes of treatment.
Student tasks: Tasks include data collection, data entry, data analysis, and literature review. There is also the opportunity for academic writing and publication (through conference posters or peer-reviewed articles). All tasks are able to be completed remotely. Students will also participate in weekly team research meetings.
Grading: Student grades will be determined by the student's participation in the lab tasks outlined in the PSYC485 research contract in addition to a final paper.
Availability: 2 students per semester
Contact: Please contact Dr. Kelly Banneyer at knbanney@texaschildrens.org
Baylor College of Medicine Storch Lab (Dr. Eric Storch)
Overview: The Storch Lab at Baylor College of Medicine strives to drive innovation in the treatment of mental health disorders through the integration of academic research, evidence-based practice, and novel technological approaches. We conduct a variety of research studies on anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), misophonia, and other mental health disorders. For more information about ongoing studies, visit: https://www.bcm.edu/research/faculty-labs/eric-storch-lab.
Student tasks: Students will have opportunities to be involved in various tasks such as data entry, recruitment, and literature reviews. Advanced students might also be able to shadow clinical research activities.
Availability: Recruiting at the start of each semester. Typically 2 - 3.
Grading: Grades will be based on quality of assigned responsibilities and tasks, attendance and a final paper.
Contact: Please contact Catie Rast, catherine.rast@bcm.edu, if you are interested.
Perceptual Neuroscience (Dr. Jeffrey Yau, Baylor College of Medicine)
Overview: One of our lab's primary research aims is to identify fundamental principles of sensory processing in humans. Our studies address how each modality operates individually and cooperatively in processing spatial and temporal information, using psychophysics, fMRI, and noninvasive brain stimulation; the lab's immediate areas of interest cover pitch processing, texture perception, and scene segmentation. We are also interested in characterizing how distributed brain regions collaborate in functional cortical networks for perception and action; studies in this area aim to understand how the brain's intrinsic architecture reflects or shapes the functional interactions between brain regions and how state-dependent areal coupling is dynamically gated by attention or task execution.
Student tasks: Students will receive training in behavior, brain stimulation, and fMRI techniques. Students will be expected to assist in conducting experiments and analyzing data. Students will also be assigned regular scientific article readings on research-related topics.
Grading: Grades will be based on satisfactory completion of all assigned tasks and responsibilities, in addition to a final paper. Attendance at lab meetings is highly recommended, schedule permitting.
Availability: 2-3 positions per semester (including summer). Candidates willing to commit to multiple semesters are desirable, but extended positions are not guaranteed and will be offered based on performance criteria.
Contact: Send a CV and statement of research interests to Dr. Jeffrey Yau with "RA position" in the subject line.
UT Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Developmental Neuropsychology Clinic (Dr. Deborah Pearson, UT Health Science Center)
Overview: The Developmental Psychopathology Laboratory specializes in research and treatment of cognitive and behavioral problems in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental, neurological, and genetic conditions. Students have the opportunity to work with patients having a wide variety of developmental and learning disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Intellectual Disability, Learning Disabilities (e.g., dyslexia), Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), and Phenylketonuria (PKU).
Student tasks: Responsibilities include assisting with developmental, psychological, and neuropsychological testing, scheduling participants for research protocols, and data management. Students must complete training in the standardized psychological tests used in the clinic, patient recruitment and screening techniques, protection of human subjects, and complete HIPPA certification. Students will also be assigned background reading in areas of developmental psychopathology, with emphasis on ADHD and autism. After training is completed, students will assist with clinical/developmental testing (including assisting with test administration, recording behavioral observations, test scoring, report generation/correspondence). They will also assist with general research tasks such as patient screening/scheduling, data entry/analysis, poster/manuscript/grant generation, and literature searches.
Grading: Student grades will be based on both performance (including attendance) in the clinic and a final paper.
Prerequisites: junior or senior status preferred but not required; mandatory 2 semester commitment. Interns must purchase individual malpractice insurance (about $100/year) and pay for their own parking if necessary (although a shuttle runs from a location nearby Rice to our clinic building). Coursework in abnormal and/or developmental psychology is preferred but not required.
Availability: average 2-3 positions per year.
Contact: Dr. Deborah Pearson; alternate contact: Rosleen Mansour
Patient-based Cognitive Neuroscience (Dr. Tatiana Schnur, UT Health Science Center)
Overview: The Schnur Laboratory enrolls participants in the acute phase of stroke for behavioral testing and neuroimaging from three of the Texas Medical Center’s comprehensive stroke centers. The goal of the project is to understand the cognitive and neural systems which contribute to recovery of language in the year following stroke. We use cognitive testing, patient reported outcome data, neuroimaging (MRI/fMRI), and statistical modeling including large language models (e.g., ChatGPT, word2vec etc.) to understand cognitive and communicative deficits that follow stroke and the neural structures that support their specific function. The lab at UTHealth is composed of the principal investigator (Prof. Tatiana Schnur), two speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and 2-5 Rice undergraduate research interns depending on the semester. Students are advised directly by Dr. Schnur and work collaboratively with the SLPs and other research interns.
Student Tasks: We strive to offer our undergraduate RAs opportunities to do work relevant to their interests while also developing their technical research skills and understanding of human subjects’ research. We expect interns to be confident working independently on assigned tasks. Duties include organizing and analyzing data from both participants with stroke and control participants, learning how to use REDCap, JMP, CLAN/CHAT, R, Matlab, developing experimental materials, and performing literature searches. The position requires familiarity with, or academic interest in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, psycholinguistics, speech-language pathology, computer science, and/or statistics.
Grading: Student grades will be determined by the student's participation in the lab tasks outlined in the PSYC 485 research contract in addition to a final paper.
Availability: 2 students per semester
Contact: If interested, please submit an application. For more information about Schnur Laboratory, visit our home page. Located in the Texas Medical Center at the TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center, 1333 Moursund St, 77030 (e.g., 12-minute walk from Hanszen College). For questions, contact Tatiana Schnur
Baylor College of Medicine Department of Neurology (Dr. Denise Chen)
Overview: Olfaction in humans is closely linked to emotion, social behavior, and health. Impaired olfaction is observed in almost every affective and neurological disorder and predicts cognitive and physical decline in older adults. The goal of our research is to understand how olfaction works in health and disease, and to use olfaction as a tool to better understand, diagnose, and treat clinical disorders.
Student tasks: Students will be trained to assess olfaction and its interaction with other senses. Students are expected to actively participate in weekly lab/journal club meetings and to take turns presenting journal articles related to olfaction. Students will write up and present to the lab a term paper on a topic of their choice that is related to olfaction. Students will be responsible for routine lab work, including cleaning glassware and conducting literature searches. Students will participate in the creative process of generating and testing research ideas.
Grading: conscientiousness, reliability, and ability to take initiative and make meaningful contributions to the lab in addition to a final paper.
Prerequisites: minimum GPA of 3.2
Availability: 4-6 positions every semester; 2 semester commitment preferred
Contact: Send a resume including GPA, courses taken, and prior research experience to Dr. Denise Chen
Baylor College of Medicine Attachment and Neurodevelopment Lab (Dr. Lucy Puryear Nutter & Dr. Sohye Kim)
Overview: Our research assistants will work on projects that take place at the Texas Children's Hospital Pavillion for Women and the Attachment and Neurodevelopment Lab. Our projects focus on mother-infant attachment and the role that oxytocin plays in bonding and brain responses, including that of mothers with postpartum depression. This includes a study of woman and their infants, examining maternal brain and hormone responses to infant facial expressions using functional MRI.
Student tasks: Our research assistants will help with processing of infant face images and cry audio clips for use in the MRI scanner. They may also screen potential study participants by phone, assist in electronic data entry, and other study-related tasks. RAs may also help run study visits where questionnaires are administered, mother-infant interaction videos are recorded for maternal sensitivity coding, and saliva and blood samples are taken for oxytocin assay. Depending on level of experience and enthusiasm, students may also participate in preprocessing functional MRI data.
Prerequisites: minimum GPA of 3.2; two semester commitment required
Availability: 1-2 positions per semester (including summer)
Contact: Send your resume (including GPA), courses taken, and prior research experience to Cindy Elias
Baylor College of Medicine Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program (Dr. Sanjay Mathew)
Overview: At the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, we coordinate clinical trials of investigational medications. We are evaluating the next generation of psychoactive medications as we seek to improve and expand the repertoire of treatments available to psychiatrists and psychologists.
Student tasks: Our research assistants will help with screening potential study participant phone calls, screening and study-related visits, electronic data entry, report preparation, and other study-related tasks, in addition to attending program meetings.
Grading: Overall grade will be based on performance with assigned tasks, ability to meet the expected time commitment, willingness to learn, overall professional attitude, and the end of the semester review paper.
Availability: 2-3 per semester; 2 semester commitment required.
Prerequisites: Demonstrated interest in psychiatric or psychological research is desirable, but not required. Students must have transportation to and from our off-campus office.
Contact: Please send your resume to Tabish Iqbal
Nantz National Alzheimer's Research Center (Dr. Belen Pascual)
Overview: The NNAC aims to identify the most appropriate imaging modalities and the best methods of analysis for tracking neurodegenerative diseases over time. Also, they are adapting measures of social and emotional cognition, and other cognitive functions, for valid use in these patients. Working in this lab will provide students with the opportunity to interact with patients and become familiar with the use of sophisticated neuroimaging techniques.
Grading: Student grades will be determined by the student's participation in the lab tasks outlined in the PSYC485 research contract in addition to a final paper.
Availability: 1-2 students per semester (including summer)
Contact: Send your resume and unofficial transcript to executive secretary Nena Bernal
Baylor College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics (Dr. Marni Axelrad/Dr. Kelly Banneyer)
Overview: The Brief Behavioral Intervention (BBI) program is a behaviorally-focused parent management training program shown to reduce disruptive behavior in preschoolers with diagnoses of ADHD and ODD. The goal of our research is to understand how the effects of treatment change over time and to apply the intervention to other populations.
Student tasks: Assemble packets of questionnaires, place reminder calls to participants, score questionnaires, enter data electronically, complete literature reviews, and engage in other study-related tasks; Possibility to attend presentations and/or to observe therapy sessions based on schedule availability
Grading: Student grades will be determined by the student's participation in the lab tasks outlined in the PSYC485 research contract in addition to a final paper.
Prerequisites: Must have transportation to and from our off-campus site
Availability: 1-2 students per semester (including summer)
Contact: Complete this form: https://goo.gl/forms/Cr0Oai94kIbFwRd52