Research Fellow (W)

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

Doctoral Research Fellow (20 hours/week)

Learning and Development (LEAD) Lab
Mentor: Dr. Yael Arbel, PhD, CCC-SLP

The doctoral research fellow will have a master's degree in a health-related field. Fellows will be pursuing a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at MGH Institute. The fellow will contribute to all aspects of the research program, including participant recruitment and screening, behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) data collection, data management and processing, statistical analysis, and dissemination of research findings. The fellow will also train and mentor research assistants and assist with regulatory compliance activities, including IRB submissions and maintenance.

This is an onsite, in-person position. The fellow is expected to be working onsite at least 4 days a week.

The LEAD Lab studies the cognitive and neural mechanisms that support learning in children with and without Developmental Language Disorder. Our research combines behavioral, electrophysiological (EEG), and eye-tracking methodologies to understand how children learn from their environment and how learning differences contribute to language development.

Current projects include:

• Administration of standardized language, cognitive, and behavioral assessments.
• Noninvasive EEG recording while children complete computerized learning and cognitive tasks.
• Collection and analysis of eye-tracking data in selected studies.
• Development of behavioral paradigms to investigate learning processes and learning outcomes.

Primary Responsibilities

Recruitment and Participant Screening (20%)

• Conduct telephone and virtual screening interviews with caregivers.
• Coordinate participant recruitment and scheduling.
• Maintain communication with families and collaborating clinicians.
• Assist with participant retention and study coordination.

Data Collection (30%)

• Administer standardized language, cognitive, and behavioral assessments.
• Conduct research visits with children and their caregivers.
• Prepare participants for EEG recording and collect high-quality electrophysiological data.
• Administer computerized behavioral experiments and eye-tracking protocols (when applicable).
• Ensure adherence to standardized testing procedures and research protocols.

Data Management and Data Processing (20%)

• Score standardized assessments and prepare written assessment summaries.
• Organize, maintain, and quality-check research databases.
• Process behavioral, EEG, and eye-tracking data using established analysis pipelines.
• Assist with statistical analyses, interpretation of findings, and preparation of data for dissemination.

Training and Supervision of Research Assistants (20%)

• Train undergraduate and new research assistants in participant testing, data collection procedures, and data management.
• Monitor protocol fidelity and provide ongoing mentoring and feedback.
• Promote a collaborative, supportive, and high-quality research environment.

Regulatory Compliance (10%)

• Assist with Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions, continuing reviews, and protocol amendments.
• Maintain regulatory documentation and ensure compliance with institutional and federal research requirements.
• Support implementation of research quality assurance procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Cognitive Neuroscience, Child Development, Education, Psychology, or a related field.
• Previous research experience, preferably involving children or clinical populations.
• Excellent organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate professionally with children, caregivers, clinicians, and research collaborators.
• Demonstrated reliability, responsibility, professionalism, and commitment to high-quality research.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research team.
• Demonstrated leadership potential and interest in mentoring junior trainees.

Preferred Qualifications (not required)

Experience in one or more of the following:

• EEG data collection or analysis
• Eye-tracking methodologies
• MATLAB
• R
• E-Prime
• Signal processing techniques
• Statistical modeling and quantitative data analysis

The compensation range for this role is between $33.65 - $38.46 per hour.

Please note, this role is grant-funded. Your initial appointment is expected to be one year, pending satisfactory performance and available grant funding. The option of extending for additional years will be contingent on need and availability of grant funds.

This role is contingent on remaining an active student with satisfactory standing in the PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.