Job Details  

Research Assistant - Network Analysis (Summer)
Click here to apply for this job
Job ID 35826
Employer Sociology
Employer Type On Campus
Category Research
Job Type On-Campus Jobs
Job Description

The Human Nature Lab  (led by Prof. Nicholas Christakis) has an open position for a highly motivated Research Assistant (RA). We seek advanced undergraduate or graduate students interested in applied social network analysis research. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of dedicated researchers from various fields, including medicine, psychology, sociology, data science, biology, and public health, who share a common interest in exploring the connections between social networks and health.

We seek applicants with outstanding academic standing who value engaging in other disciplines and collaborative settings. RAs in our lab tend to be creative, good scientific communicators, great team players, and deep thinkers, who enjoy learning and doing science on innovative questions. If you would like to work researching how human behaviors and health affect and are affected by the composition of our social networks (human relationships), this might be a Lab you would like to join!

Applicants must have completed their introductory statistical courses and have some experience in conducting research. We will not consider applications without research experience (although we define it widely). 

Before you submit your application, we strongly recommend you review our past work on social networks and health. Please visit our website to familiarize yourself with our most recent publications on the Honduras cohort (a unique effort to map sociocentric networks I 176 villages) and other scientific publications on social networks and health so you can assess if our HNL is a good fit for your future academic interests.                         

In this position, you will join a group of enthusiastic and committed researchers who emphasize mentorship and co-mentorship throughout the academic pipeline. We strive to cultivate a collaborative environment where timely communication, accountability, and integrity are fundamental values.  Successful candidates usually prioritize research in their future career goals and are interested in social networks research. 

For questions regarding this position, you can contact Drs. Ana Lucia Rodriguez (ana.rodriguezdelarosa@yale.edu) or Karina Raygoza (anakarina.raygozacortez@yale.edu).

Job Requirements
  • Availability to work 15–19 hours per week. We expect a strong commitment to research.
  • Ability to work independently while actively contributing to a research team. This research assistantship does not include training — but you will be highly supported in your efforts to learn about social network analysis. You will also be exposed to a rich variety of scientific projects. 
  • We will only interview applicants who have previous research experience. Please include in your CV or application what research work you have been involved in and in which setting (lab, classes…). 
  • Passion for social determinants of health, group behavior, social networks, and/or data science. Your future research interests are important to us:  you can elaborate on them on the application, and the types of collaboration you would like to engage in. Make sure to highlight relevant experience on these areas!
  • Strong organizational and time management skills. Please elaborate on your ability to manage diverse research tasks in your application, and how you plan to balance your academic and research responsibilities.
  • Ability to conduct literature reviews and summarize empirical evidence from high-quality publications.
  • Quantitative skills: Proficiency in R (or similar software like Python) and experience with statistical analyses, such as regressions, are required.
  • Experience/strong interest in working with real-world data, including preparation, analysis, management, and visualization. Applicants should have a background in statistics and coding (e.g., R, regression analysis, graph modeling). If you don't have this foundation, we recommend applying in a future semester after completing related coursework. In the later stages of the selection process, you may be asked to provide examples of previous statistical or data-driven work (e.g., repositories, coursework, or projects).
  • If you meet the quantitative prerequisites, this mentored research assistantship may help you develop your social network analyses skills. Our team frequently engages in Lab meetings, work groups, joint coding sessions, and other forms of fostering a spirit of collaborative science.
  • Interest in cross-cultural research. The candidate must be interested in studying international populations and learning about cross-cultural work, since most of our projects involve international data collection efforts.
  • Independence and a high level of responsibility. You shall enjoy working with diverse teams across the academic pipeline, while being highly independent in your work.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills: experience in academic writing and scientific presentations is necessary. RA often present their work during our work/lab meetings.
Compensation $17.50/hour
Job Level FY24: Level III
Hours 15.0 to 19.0 hours per week
Primary Contact Maxwell Gorlick
Primary Contact's Email ana.rodriguezdelarosa@yale.edu
Work Location 17 Hillhouse Ave
Phone Number
Fax Number
spacer
spacer image