About this role
Job Posting Description
Who we are
At Boston Children’s Hospital, the quality of our care – and our inclusive hospital working environment – lies in the diversity of our people. With patients from local communities and 160 countries around the world, we’re committed to reflecting the spectrum of their cultures, while opening doors of opportunity for our team. Here, different talents pursue common goals. Voices are heard and ideas are shared. Join us and discover how your unique contributions can change lives. Yours included.
The opportunity
The Faja Lab in the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience (LCN) at Boston Children’s Hospital seeks an undergraduate student for a full-time, six-month Clinical Research Co-op. The lab studies social and cognitive development in autistic individuals using EEG, eye tracking, surveys, and lab-based assessments.
The co-op student will gain hands-on experience in clinical research, primarily supporting a clinical trial focused on executive control and metacognition in school-aged autistic children. Responsibilities include assisting with participant-facing study activities and helping deliver a behavioral intervention in which children play computer games designed to strengthen thinking skills. The student will also support a study evaluating a sexual health curriculum for autistic adults and contribute to other lab projects as needed.
Co-op students receive close mentorship from research staff and opportunities for professional development within LCN’s multidisciplinary community of researchers in neuroscience, psychology, and education.
The ideal candidate is enthusiastic about working with autistic children and adults, highly organized, communicative, detail-oriented, and eager to build clinical research skills.
Responsibilities
- Recruit, screen, and schedule participants and families
- Assist with study visits, behavioral assessments, EEG and survey data collection, and interventions
- Provide behavioral support during study visits
- Complete data entry, scoring, processing, cleaning, and quality control
- Maintain study documentation, lab materials, supplies, and equipment
- Participate in lab meetings, professional development, and community outreach
- With training and supervision, run experimental sessions
- Contribute to literature reviews, EEG processing, data analysis, or presentations, depending on experience and interest
Qualifications
- Current undergraduate in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, child development, or related field
- Interest in autism, developmental/cognitive neuroscience, and clinical research
- Experience working with children and families
- Strong organizational, communication, and detail-oriented skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Availability for occasional evening or weekend scheduling
- Commitment to the full six-month co-op term
Preferred
- Spanish fluency
- Experience with human subjects research, autistic or neurodivergent individuals, diverse populations, and tools such as Excel or REDCap