"Research Senior Technician"

The Psychophysiology, Emotionality, and Treatment (PET) Lab is seeking a highly motivated candidate to serve as a full-time research senior technician (lab manager) to assist with various research activities. Led by Dr. Megan Renna, the goals of the PET Lab are to better understand the intersection between mental and physical health, with a specific emphasis on the emotional and biological mechanisms linking the two. Populations of specific interest for the PET Lab are cancer patients and survivors as well as adults diagnosed with anxiety and depressive disorders.

The lab's current research topics include:

• Testing the effectiveness of a single-session emotion regulation training in reducing psychological distress and cardiovascular risks in young adults.
• Examining how psychological distress can accelerate biological aging among young adult cancer survivors.
• Identifying cognitive and behavioral mechanisms linking anxiety to heightened inflammation.

The lab uses various tools (e.g., psychophysiology, blood draws, ecological momentary assessment, behavioral tasks, self-report measures, interview data) and study designs (e.g., treatment studies, intensive longitudinal data collection, experimental designs). Data collection takes place within the laboratory as well as through Ohio State Wexner Medical Centers Clinical Research Center.

Minimum Education Required
Bachelors degree or equivalent experience.

Required Qualifications

• Relevant experience as demonstrated by one of the following:
  • No prior experience required with a Bachelors degree
  • Two (2) years of relevant experience with an Associates degree
  • Four (4) years of relevant experience with a High School diploma
• Completion of undergraduate-level courses in research methods and statistics.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills for building partnerships with medical clinics, working with study participants, and giving oral presentations.
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail.
• Availability to occasionally work nonstandard hours (e.g., early mornings, evenings) for participant recruitment and study activities.

Desired Qualifications
In addition to the required qualifications, the ideal candidate would have some (not necessarily all) of the following characteristics:

• Experience with recruitment and data collection for a research study.
• Experience with research activities that led to at least one finished product (e.g., undergraduate thesis, poster presentation, research talk, or manuscript).
• Clinical or research experience with cancer patients/survivors and/or people diagnosed with anxiety or mood disorders.
• Experience with data management software (e.g., REDCap, Qualtrics).
• Experience conducting statistical analyses with SPSS, R, or related software.

The pay range for this job profile is $19.28 - $25.19. The offer for this position will fall within this range based on internal equity, the unit's available budget, and the candidate's qualifications.

This would be an ideal opportunity to gain more research experience before applying to graduate school in clinical or health psychology. The start date is ideally between June 15th July 1st but is flexible. A 1-2 year commitment is preferred.

The College
With more than 80 majors and 100 minors, the College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the university. The Arts and Sciences provide extraordinary opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, blending creativity and analysis to truly be at the forefront of thought. The breadth and depth of knowledge in the college gives students and researchers the critical thinking and adaptability essential for a lifetime of success.

Department Information
The Department of Psychology is a central department on campus, with the third largest undergraduate major at OSU, almost 140 graduate students, and approximately 50 tenure-stream faculty. Our department aims to produce exceptional, innovative research to advance knowledge about mind, brain, and behavior, with the goal of understanding and improving the human condition.