(Updated May 2023)
New Undergraduate Volunteer Research Positions Available
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through June 9th, 2023.
We are currently recruiting UCLA undergraduate volunteer Research Assistants to help with current and upcoming research projects in the TRUST Lab.
The Treatment and Research for the Underserved with Stress and Trauma (TRUST) Lab, directed by Lauren Ng, Ph.D., is recruiting volunteer Research Assistants (RAs) to work on multiple projects across the lab led by Dr. Ng, and current Clinical Psychology Graduate Students. RAs are asked to commit to volunteering as an RA for at least one year and volunteering for 7-10 hours per week. RA’s can also receive credit for research involvement through enrollment in Research Course units (SRP-99 or Psych 196a) throughout the academic year. The first two weeks of the assistantship will serve as a “testing out” period wherein the RA may decide if they would like to commit to working in the lab for the remainder of the year.
Some projects involve conducting research activities is both Spanish and English, please state your Spanish Fluency in your application email if applicable.
Application Instructions
To apply, please submit: a letter of interest or cover letter, your CV/resume, your unofficial transcript, and a writing sample (i.e. literature review for psychology/science course or research report/paper) to Gray Bowers at trustlab.ucla@gmail.com. In the Subject Line of your application email submission, please put ‘TRUST Lab RA Application’. Please include your Spanish Fluency in your application email if applicable.
In your letter of interest, please state why you are interested in gaining research experience, why you are a good fit with the TRUST lab and our research areas, your future academic and career goals, and any relevant experience you may have. The application deadline is June 26th. Applicants will be notified via email regarding interview invitations and all applicants will receive an email regarding their application status once RA positions are finalized.
A brief description of potential projects, RA duties are below:
- PTSD Intervention Adaptation and Implementation Studies
These studies will be adapting protocol and manuals for a PTSD intervention for youth and adolescents with trauma related symptoms. Initial data will be collected from key community stakeholders including mental health care providers, primary care physicians, families and youth. RAs will work directly with English and Spanish speaking families, conduct assessments as well as transcribe interviews, sessions , and assessments, translating where applicable. - Identifying Behaviors and Risk Factors of Emotional Maltreatment in Peruvian Mother-Child Dyads
This study is part of the Pregnancy Outcomes, Maternal and Infant Study (PrOMIS), designed to identify maternal social and behavioral risk factors of preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy in a sample of Peruvian women seeking prenatal care in Lima, Peru. The position requires viewing a series of 20-minute recordings of mother and child interactions, in Spanish, then translating the verbal interactions into English closed captions. - PTSD Intervention for People with Severe Mental Illness in a Low- Income Country Primary Care Setting
This study is an ongoing Pilot Feasibility Randomized Trial implementing, adapting, assessing, and evaluating a novel PTSD treatment in rural Ethiopia. Research Assistants will assist with material and protocol adaptation, data collection, management, organization, and analysis, as well as transcription and coding of interviews and focus groups. - Systematic Reviews: Intersectionality an PTSD treatment & Race and Racism Implications for Mental Health research
These ongoing examinations of current literature and research focus on summarizing and understanding (a) how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts those with intersectional minority identities, and (b) the roles of racial and ethnic identity in mental health, particularly examining the scientific field’s approach to assessing the roles of systemic and structural racism in mental health research.
RAs will attend weekly and bi weekly project and lab meetings. RA responsibilities may include assisting with literature reviews on implementation and adaption of EBTs, helping manage data collection and organization and assist in analysis. Additional responsibilities may include Qualtrics data management and survey reminders, quantitative and qualitative assessments with participants including surveys, interviews and focus groups, transcribing interviews with participants (e.g., youth, parents, therapists), tracking participant task completion.
No prior experience is required. More information regarding current TRUST Lab research can be found here.
Additionally, RAs can expect to receive graduate-level mentorship in academic, career, and professional development (i.e. career advice, help with graduate school applications, developing independent research questions). RA’s also participate in lab wide professional development including workshops and presentations as well as access to individualized support and resources for continuing their research and academic interests! If interested, research assistants will also have the opportunity to be involved in manuscript preparation and/or research poster presentations.
If you have any questions regarding the position or application please contact our Lab Manger, Gray Bowers at Graybowers@ucla.edu.
Prospective PhD Students:
Please see the Prospective PhD Students page for details and video recordings of past information sessions hosted by Dr. Lauren Ng and current TRUST Lab Graduate Students.
Future Research Positions
If you would like to join our mailing list to receive announcements on lab activities and research openings please fill out the form below.
As of right now there are no other paid or volunteer positions available. Interested UCLA students and others wishing to join the lab as a volunteer or paid research assistant in the future, please fill out your name, student status, major and expected graduation (if applicable), and contact email address below.
You will be added to our mailing list and notified when research positions become available.
Interested UCLA students should not email Dr. Ng directly and instead fill out this online form.