Senior Research Assistant Position Available at Florida International University

SENIOR RESEARCH ASSISTANT

The Research on Adolescent and Child Health Laboratory (ReACH; http://reachlab.fiu.edu; Director: Dr. Elisa Trucco), located in the College of Arts, Science, and Education (CASE) at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, FL, is looking to recruit a highly skilled and motivated Senior Research Assistant. Dr. Trucco’s research interests focus on risk and protective factors that lead to adolescent delinquency and substance use across multiple levels. These include biological (genetic, neurobiological), individual (personality, temperament), and social (peers, parents) factors. Dr. Trucco’s research is currently funded by NIAAA, NIMHD, and NIDA. Current ongoing studies include: factors that lead to e-cigarette use and vaping among teenagers, the role of genes in the development of problematic substance use, and neurobiological effects as risk factors for substance use initiation. This is a great opportunity for recent graduates interested in gaining additional research experience, poster presentations, and manuscript publications prior to applying for graduate school in clinical psychology or related fields.

Opportunities/Responsibilities: Research assistants will have the opportunity to participate and gain experience in multiple areas of research.  Available opportunities and responsibilities include: assisting with participant recruitment, administering assessments on teenagers and parents, attending workshops/trainings, aiding in literature reviews, working with datasets, and collaborating on conference presentations and peer-reviewed manuscripts.

Qualifications: Applicants should have strong organization, writing, communication, and computer skills. The ideal candidate will have prior research experience. Applicants with prior experience working with adolescents and families is preferred.

Dr. Trucco is affiliated with the Center for Children and Families (CCF; https://ccf.fiu.edu). It is one of five University-Designated Preeminent Programs and has 34 faculty associates and more than 100 trainees in masters, doctoral, and professional programs who study child and adolescent mental health including six faculty studying various aspects of substance use. The CCF has 26,366 square feet of research and clinical space that includes an active clinic serving children, teens, and families with mental health problems, 23 research/clinical rooms - some equipped with one-way windows and/or cameras, direct access to a high-performance 3T Siemens Magnetom Prisma MRI magnet, and a large data management, grant and administrative staff.  The CCF currently has $64.8m of research funding, mostly NIH (e.g., NIMH, NIDA, NIAAA, NICHD) and IES, and has extensive relationships with Miami-Dade Public Schools, the fourth largest school district in the U.S. The CCF also has a close affiliation with and extensive funding from The Children’s Trust, the largest funder of child-focused services in Miami-Dade County. The CCF faculty have a strong record of funded research (currently nearly 50 funded grants). 

Review of applications will be ongoing with an initial deadline for applications by June 19, 2018 and invitations for interviews made shortly thereafter with a targeted hiring date in July/August 2018. Interested applications should send a cover letter, CV, and unofficial undergraduate transcripts to Dr. Elisa Trucco (etrucco@fiu.edu).

FIU is a member of the State University System of Florida and an Equal Opportunity, Equal Access Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.