PANDA (Parents/Peers, Adversity, and Neural circuits in Depression in Adolescence)

Supervising Faculty: Kristen Eckstrand, MD

Contact: Dr. Kristen Eckstrand, eckstrandkl@upmc.edu

Area of Research: Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Trauma/Adversity, LGBTQ+, Neuroscience

Description of Research: Our research aims to understand how trauma and adversity in childhood and adolescence impact the brain and the development of depression, anxiety, and trauma-related symptoms. We focus on the experiences of marginalized and vulnerable communities. The goal of this research is to improve our understanding and treatment of mental health symptoms for diverse children and teens.

Duties of Students: 

  • Assist with recruitment activities, including participant scheduling
  • Assist with data collection, including MRI visits
  • Assist in the development of study materials
  • Conduct literature reviews
  • Participate in data entry, cleaning, and quality control
  • Learn basic neuroimaging tasks and data analysis
  • Participate in weekly 1:1 meetings and weekly lab meetings including scholarly readings and data review
  • For students completing two semesters in the lab, develop, conduct, and present directed research project with mentorship from study PI

Requirements:

  • Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • 12 credits of Psychology (including current term)
  • STAT 0200/1000/1100 Statistics
  • PSY 0036 Research Methods Lecture
  • PSY 0037 Research Methods Lab

Recruitment Process: The PI will contact the student following inquiry to set up a virtual or in-person meeting that will first discuss the student’s (1) schedule availability, (2) completion of prerequisites, (3) research interests, and (4) goals for a directed research rotation. The PI will then discuss lab research, mission, work environment, expectations and mentorship style/structure. This process will be consistent across applicants to determine alignment between the lab and student interests/goals.

Terms offered: Fall, Spring

Number of Students: 1

Lab Website: https://www.mend-lab.com

To apply please contact the Dr. Eckstrand via email (eckstrandkl@upmc.edu) with the subject line - Psychology Directed Research Inquiry - and include a statement of interest in the lab, prior research experience, research goals, and Resume/CV.