Neuroscience Research Associate — Brain & Body Lab

University of California, Los Angeles; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The UCLA Department of Psychology is seeking a reliable and organized Staff Research Associate (SRA) for the Brain and Body Lab (BABLab). Under Dr.

Callaghan, you will coordinate and conduct studies on brain-gut function in youth, manage lab operations, recruit participants, run sessions, and assist with data analysis and manuscript preparation. The role involves IRB submissions, data management, and collaboration with a team of postdocs, grad students, and undergraduates.

Qualifications

• Strong prior research experience in a lab setting within Psychology or related field.
• Experience with neuroimaging data acquisition and analysis, particularly FSL.
• Prior interest in, or experience with, working with developmental, or psychiatric, or special population groups.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for interacting with study participants, some of whom may be psychologically vulnerable due to age or early experiences.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills for communicating with research participants and in scientific publications.
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail for adherence to study protocols and maintaining a database.
• Strong general computing skills in Mac & PC.
• Understanding of lab research methods.
• Ability to prioritize, multitask, and manage deadlines and team members.
• Ability to use standard office equipment.
• Statistical background, basic competence in R, SPSS, and programming in R, Python, PsychoPy, Linux/Unix, or shell scripting.
• Demonstrated professionalism and discretion when handling confidential materials.
• Knowledge of forms and submission procedures to obtain IRB approval (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and conduct a research study on brain-gut function in youth.
• Manage day-to-day operations of the BABLab.
• Design and implement experiments and program experimental tasks.
• Recruit and schedule participants; run research sessions; analyze data.
• Maintain a database for recruitment and research data.
• Prepare and maintain IRB applications and scheduling lab events.
• Supervise undergraduate research assistants.
• Assist with manuscript preparation and revisions.

Skills

Lab research

Interpersonal skills

Oral and written communication

Organization and attention to detail

Computing skills (Mac & PC)

Statistical background

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Psychology or related field

Tools

FSL

SPSS

R

Python

Psychopy

Linux/Unix

Job description

The UCLA Department of Psychology is seeking a reliable and organized Staff Research Associate (SRA) for the Brain and Body Lab (BABLab). Under Dr.

Callaghan, you will coordinate and conduct studies on brain-gut function in youth, manage lab operations, recruit participants, run sessions, and assist with data analysis and manuscript preparation. The role involves IRB submissions, data management, and collaboration with a team of postdocs, grad students, and undergraduates.