research

cynthia berg, Ph.D. | webpage

Professor, Developmental Psychology, Health Psychology
Office: 622 BEHS
Phone: (801) 581-8239
Email: cynthia.berg@psych.utah.edu
We are looking for students who are excellent workers as well as independent and able to take direction well. We are particularly interested in applicants who are majoring in psychology or a health-related field (at least in their sophmore year) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. We do require at least 3 hours of work per week, and prefer 6, so only those students who are able to commit to that time should inquire. We will provide all the necessary training so no previous research experience is required, although any students who have had experience should not be discouraged from applying. Interested students should have some degree of computer experience (i.e., familiar with the internet and Microsoft Word and have access to email). Interested parties with special skills (e.g., bilingual with excellent communication skills in English and Spanish, data entry experience) are particularly encouraged to apply. Download Application

Cindy Berg's Lab is looking for research assistants. If you are interested, our website has the application near the middle labeled, "want to be a research assistant link." Type 1 Diabetes Lab

Former Graduate Students

Batya Elbaum, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Teaching and Learning, Department of Psychology, University of Miami
Tracy Masiello, Ph.D., CO Director, Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute, Ashville, NC
Sean Meegan, Ph.D., Senior Researcher at Intermountain Healthcare
Barbara Ross, Ph.D., Rehabilitation Psychologist/Neuropsychologist, Wausau Hospital, Wausau, WI
JoNell Strough, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University
Frances Deviney, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate, Kids Count Director Center for Public Policy Priorities, Austin TX
Debra Palmer, Ph.D., Associate Professsor, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Ryan Beveridge, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Delaware
Kelly Ko, Ph.D., Life Sciences Research Consultant, Cerner Corporation, Beverly Hills, CA

sarah creem-Regehr, Ph.D. | webpage

Associate Professor, Cognition and Neural Science | CNS
Office: 1003 BEHS
Phone: (801) 581-5045
Email: sarah.creem@psych.utah.edu
The Visual Perception and Spatial Cognition (VPSC) laboratory has many opportunities for undergraduate research assistants to participate in all aspects of our research. Our research is fun and interactive, involving tasks measuring space perception and spatial cognition in real and virtual environments. It is a great experience to add to graduate school applications as well! If interested, please email Dr. Creem-Regehr at sarah.creem@psych.utah.edu and see our lab web page http://www.cs.utah.edu/research/groups/percept/index.html

Dr. Creem-Regehr is considering taking a new graduate student to start in Fall 2011. Please email her if you have questions about working in the VPSC lab or about the CNS program.

sheila crowell, Ph.D. | webpage

Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology
Office: 1323 BEHS
Email: sheila.crowell@psych.utah.edu
Students under my training will enjoy a wide range of opportunities and will be well prepared as both scientific researchers and clinicians. My research is conducted with highly complicated individuals, many of whom are facing their most difficult life challenges. Thus, clinical skills are developed in every interaction and scientific endeavors have meaningful implications for prevention and treatment. Self-injury and borderline personality disorder affect individuals from all backgrounds, although the burden is most often borne by those with few available resources for treatment. Students who are interested in examining issues of diversity, disempowerment, and oppression will find the Department of Psychology to be an engaging environment for this line of research. Those students who are eager to pursue research-oriented academic careers will fit particularly well in the Department of Psychology and the University of Utah. The department houses several state-of-the-art psychophysiological laboratories and the University has fMRI facilities and a top genetics department. I also offer clinical training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a highly effective intervention for reducing self-injury and risk for suicide. I received my DBT training directly from Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., the treatment developer. Salt Lake City is a metropolitan hub of the West with access to abundant outdoor recreation activities, an ideal setting to balance intellectual and personal development.

alan fogel, Ph.D. | webpage

Professor, Developmental Psychology
Office: 603 BEHS
Phone: (801) 581-8560
Email: alan.fogel@psych.utah.edu
Graduate students: Alan Fogel is not taking new graduate students as primary advisees. He is available to serve on student committees and consult on student research.

Undergraduate students: There are opportunities for research experience in the study of (1) the development of emotional relationships between mothers and their children, and (2) the effects of touch therapy on adult clients. By using video and audio recordings of parent-infant and therapist-client communication, we look at emotional expressions and other behaviors as they change over time. Research assistants are trained in the transcription and coding of digital video and audio using advanced digital analysis technology using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Advanced students may be involved in statistical analysis of data. Training will be provided but a commitment of one year is required.

frances j. friedrich, Ph.D. | webpage

Associate Professor, Cognition and Neural Science | CNS
Office: 1006 BEHS
Phone: (801) 581-5068
Email: fran.friedrich@psych.utah.edu
I am accepting students. Here is a brief statement of what we are doing -- let me know if you need any additional information. Research areas focus on attention in general and cognitive control mechanisms more specifically. Current studies involve computerized data collection of response times in experiments in which participants must switch rapidly among several relatively simple tasks. Experience with the e-prime program will be a benefit but is not required.

michael himle, Ph.D. | webpage

Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology
Office: 1330 BEHS
Phone: (801) 581-7529
Email: michael.himle@utah.edu
I am interested in taking new graduate students in the next academic year. Graduate students who work in my lab typically come in with interests in one of the areas described above. Prior research experience and a basic working knowledge of cognitive-behavioral theory is highly desirable (but not necessary).

The University of Utah Clinical Psychology program is committed to the scientist-practitioner model and strives to provide well-rounded, balanced training in research and empirically-informed clinical practice. Consistent with this model, I make it a priority that graduate students who work in my lab will not only learn to conduct high-quality research, but will also learn how to deliver cognitive-behavioral treatment for disorders in which CBT is indicated. Students who have significant interests in both conducting research and translating that research into evidence-based practice will fit best with my lab. In addition, students in my lab typically have a strong research focus and are actively engaged in numerous research projects beyond the program requirements of a thesis and dissertation. Students in my lab will have many opportunities to present and publish research.

In addition, I am always looking for undergraduate students who are interested in gaining research experience in one of the aforementioned (or related areas).

david m. huebner, Ph.D. | webpage

Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology
Office: 1331 BEHS
Phone: (801) 587-9886
Email: david.huebner@psych.utah.edu
I am excited to work with PhD students who have research interests in the broad areas of sexual orientation, HIV-prevention, and how discrimination (of any kind) impacts physical and mental health. The University of Utah has an extremely unique Psychology Department, in that we are one of the few places in the country with multiple faculty members who have ongoing programs of research in the area of sexuality and sexual orientation (myself, Dr. Strassberg, and Dr. Diamond). As a result, we have many, many exciting projects for students to be involved in.

Our Clinical Psychology PhD program requires that students obtain substantial training in both scientific research and clinical intervention. Students who work with me must have a strong desire to participate in research activities, and generally plan to have research comprise at least some portion of their careers following graduate school.

I am interested in working with students of all genders, sexual orientations, and ethnicities. Sometimes diverse students, particularly LGBT students, wonder what it is like to live in Salt Lake City. Although it is true that the State of Utah is conservative politically, Salt Lake City is much more diverse and politically liberal than the rest of the state. Salt Lake City residents have elected Democratic mayors continuously since the 1970’s. Additionally, it is home to a large and politically active LGBT community, complete with social and political organizations, bars, clubs, and a Pride festival that sees thousands of visitors each year. The State of Utah now ranks 14th highest (of all 50) in the per capita number of households with same-sex couples.

patricia k. kerig, Ph.D. | webpage

Professor, Clinical Psychology
Office: 1306 BEHS
Phone: (801) 585-5752
Email: p.kerig@psych.utah.edu
I maintain an active lab group and involve students in all phases and aspects of my research.

monisha pasupathi, Ph.D. | webpage

Associate Professor, Developmental Psychology
Office: 625 BEHS
Phone: (801) 585-9175
Email: monisha.pasupathi@psych.utah.edu
We are currently seeking volunteer research assistants to help with all of our projects. Depending on individual interests and experience, volunteers may be involved in recruiting participants, assisting with interviews, transcribing audio files, data entry, and data coding. If you are interested in being a part of our research team, please email me (monisha.pasupathi@psych.utah.edu) and tell us a bit about yourself. Including a copy of your transcript and academic/employment references would also be helpful.

We are always looking for research assistants to work on projects relating to: Social and moral development; Self and identity development; Parent-child interactions; Peer interactions; Group identity and discrimination.

For credit only, 2-3 credits, 6-9 hours per week. Students interested in ultimately doing a senior thesis are especially encouraged to apply. Email Professor Monisha Pasupathi (monisha.pasupathi@psych.utah.edu) with: GPA in psychology, past coursework, research and career interests long-term. You'll get a response from the faculty member (Wainryb or Pasupathi) or graduate student whose projects have the best fit with your interests.

donald s. strassberg, Ph.D. | webpage

Professor, Clinical Psychology
Office: 1327 BEHS
Phone: (801) 581-7559
Email: donald.strassberg@psych.utah.edu
We are an APA-approved Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology. We attempt to select students with research interests that match those of one or more of our faculty. The students whom I advise tend to have research and clinical interests in the general area of human sexuality. Research done by these students in recent years has focused on such topics as the Development of Sexual Orientation, the Effects of Exposure to Sexually Explicit Material, the Use of Plethysmography in the Assessment of Sexual Arousal, Medical Treatment for Premature Ejaculation, the Impact of Viagra on the User and His Partner, and Predictors of Treatment Success for Sex Offenders.

For students working with me, our program is well suited for those looking to earn a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and who wish to focus their research training on issues associated with sexuality and/or psychological assessment. While our Clinical program allows for significant flexibility in emphasis along the Scientist-Practitioner continuum, all of our students are expected to develop high levels of competency as both researchers and clinicians. As with all APA-approved clinical programs, ours is quite competitive. We receive applications from many more qualified students than we can admit to our program. But, if you have a good GPA, good GRE scores, and good letters of recommendation, I strongly encourage you to apply. We look particularly favorably upon those applicants who, in addition to the qualifications I've already mentioned, also have had at least some research and applied (i.e., clinical) experiences, the more the better.

yana suchy, Ph.D. | webpage

Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology
Office: 1330 BEHS
Phone: (801) 585-0796
Email: yana.suchy@psych.utah.edu
I am looking for students who are interested in conducting research in the area of clinical neuropsychology, with the focus on understanding the construct of executive functioning. Additionally, I also welcome students whose research interests are focused on understanding executive deficits in a particular population. Recently, we have conducted research with the following populations:
- Adults and children with autism
- Community-dwelling elderly
- Elderly with mild cognitive impairment
- Sex offenders
- College students

In the past, incoming students have either developed their own projects, or participated in ongoing projects that they used as a springboard for their Master's Thesis and Dissertation. I encourage creative thinking and look forward to seeing students' own ideas take hold within the framework of my laboratory.

cecilia wainryb, Ph.D. | webpage

Professor, Developmental Psychology
Office: 601 BEHS
Phone: (801) 581-8929
Email: wainryb@psych.utah.edu
We are currently seeking volunteer research assistants to help with projects relating to: social and moral development; self and identity development; parent-child interactions; peer interactions; group identity and discrimination. Depending on individual interests and experience, volunteers may be involved in recruiting participants, assisting with interviews, transcribing audio files, entering and coding data. If you are interested in being a part of our research team, please email me ( wainryb@psych.utah.edu ) and tell me a bit about yourself. Including a copy of your transcript and academic/employment references would also be helpful.

Students interested in doing a senior thesis are especially encouraged to apply. Email me with: GPA in psychology, past coursework, research and career interests long-term.

jason watson, Ph.D. | webpage

Assistant Professor, Cognition and Neural Science | CNS
Office: 1034 BEHS
Phone: (801) 581-5040
Email: jason.watson@psych.utah.edu
I am interested in admitting new graduate students for the 2011-2012 academic year, with applications due this Fall, 2010. Graduate students who work with me in my lab typically have interests related to executive attention (see my research interests above). Prior research experience with strong letters of recommendation is desired, though not strictly required. I encourage prospective students to contact me via email (jason.watson@psych.utah.edu) and to visit my Cognitive Science Lab webpage for additional information about lab personnel and current research projects. In addition, I am always interested in working with dedicated and thoughtful undergraduate students who are looking to gain valuable research experience on attention, memory, and aging.