Research Specialist, The Precision Psychopathology + Dynamic Immunopsychiatry (PPDI) Lab

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Research Specialist, The Precision Psychopathology Dynamic Immunopsychiatry (PPDI) Lab

Job Profile Title

Research Specialist A

Job Description Summary

The Precision Psychopathology Dynamic Immunopsychiatry (PPDI) Lab is seeking a full-time post-baccalaureate research specialist to manage the daily in-person activities of the lab, including phlebotomy, blood processing and storage, running participants through study visits, data management, assisting with literature reviews and data cleaning, and coordinating volunteer research assistants. The candidate will have a meaningful role in carrying out observational, stress-tasked based, and clinical research and will receive mentoring and opportunities for professional development.

The position will be in-person with a start date in the summer of 2025. This is an ideal position for a graduating senior or recent graduate who would like to strengthen their preparation and competitiveness for graduate school in clinical psychology or a related field.

This is a two-year term appointment with the possibility of renewal.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

The Precision Psychopathology Dynamic Immunopsychiatry (PPDI) Lab is seeking a full-time post-baccalaureate research specialist to manage the daily in-person activities of the lab. The PPDI Lab is part of both the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. The position will start in the summer of 2025. The PPDI lab is set to begin multiple studies focused on the application of precision medicine principles in mental health research, with a focus on depression and immunopsychiatry (i.e., the interplay between the immune system and mental health). Broadly, studies will involve a mix of naturalistic data collection, lab-based stress studies, and clinical research in collaboration with mental health clinics. As this is a new lab, there will be many opportunities for learning how to set up and organize new studies that will be valuable for planning and acquiring funding for training fellowships and grants in graduate school and beyond. For more information about our lab, please visit PPDI Lab.

Primary Responsibilities Include (but Are Not Limited To)

• Conducting blood draws as well as pre-processing, storing, and shipping blood samples
• Assisting with participant screening, data collection, management and analysis
• Training and coordinating the work of volunteer research assistants
• Coordinating the packaging and shipping of study materials
• Updating lab website
  
  
  

The candidate will work directly with the P.I. and the other members of the team and collaborators both within and outside the University of Pennsylvania on the tasks listed above and beyond as the needs of the lab develop. Importantly, there will also be opportunities for scientific involvement in all aspects of research projects in the lab, including conference presentations and the opportunity to lead the writing of journal articles dependent upon satisfactory mastery of other high priority lab tasks. Given the lab’s focus on methodology, there will also be formal opportunities to sharpen the candidate’s statistical and coding skillsets. As such, this is an ideal position to increase competitiveness for graduate school in psychology (esp. clinical psychology) or related fields.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, or similar field completed by July 2025
• 0-1 year of hands-on research experience (e.g., data collection, participant scheduling/recruitment)
• Blood pre-processing experience
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Detail-oriented, motivated, and able to work independently
• Flexible work availability (some study visits will be run on weekends)
  
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with venipuncture blood draws
• Experience processing both wet and dried blood samples
• Experience using EEG
• Experience using REDCap.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel
• Experience with statistical analysis software (R, SPSS)
• For consideration, please submit a cover letter as well as a resume in the CV section of your application. You can upload multiple documents to the "Resume/CV" section. Please apply by 4/23 for best consideration.
  
  
  

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$44,500.00 - $45,500.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
  
  
  

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay