Supervising Faculty: Karen Jakubowski, Ph.D.
Contact: Karen Jakubowski, jakubowskik@upmc.edu
Area of Research: Health psychology, behavioral medicine
Description of Research: We are studying how life experiences are related to risk for cardiovascular disease and sleep problems. Our research uses a variety of methods, including non-invasive ultrasound imaging of the carotid arteries; mobile devices to measure sleep, mood, and social interactions; and surveys and interviews of trauma, stress, and mood. Our ongoing research is focused on midlife women from the community.
Duties of Students:
- Assist with in-person research participant visits (including obtaining physical measurements and escorting participants to the ultrasound imaging lab; provide instructions for study questionnaires and weeklong sleep protocol)
- Support participant recruitment efforts
- Assist in the development of study materials
- Program study measures in Qualtrics and/or REDCap
- Data entry, cleaning, and analysis
- Data processing (wrist actigraphy)
- Conduct literature reviews
- Help schedule participant visits via phone and/or email
- Conduct participant eligibility screens by phone
- Conduct literature reviews
- Help develop study codebook
- Attend weekly study meetings, lab-wide journal club and educational seminars, and relevant didactics offered during the semester (e.g., diversity, equity, and
- inclusion brownbags; departmental talks relevant to our research)
- Attend weekly 1-on-1 meetings with study PI
- 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
Terms offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Number of Students: 1-3
Interested students should complete this survey: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cLJQ0ThniiOYwzI