The SNH Lab is committed to mentorship and professional development in a compassionate environment. You will receive supervision and support from a graduate student, monthly professional development meetings, and training on research skills. As a group of accomplished academics, our lab is also a network of unique resources and experiences available to you. Although Dr. Muscatell is typically not involved in RA duties, she is an indirect mentor for all undergraduate RA's, and you can schedule a one-on-one meeting with her at any time. Please see our “Lab Values” and “Lab Family” pages to get an idea of who we are and the lab culture.

Students of any major can apply to be an RA, although our work is most relevant to those studying psychology, neuroscience, biology, sociology, statistics, or another field related to social psychoneuroimmunology. You should apply if you are curious about the research process, might incorporate research into your future career, or want to pursue a career in research. Keep in mind that research looks very different across different fields and even within a field, so methodologies and daily duties will vary between labs. There are many wonderful labs at UNC Chapel Hill, so make sure to shop around to see which research methods and topics align with your interests. You do not need previous research experience to apply to be an RA, as training will be provided.

Most of our undergraduate RA's are volunteers. If you qualify for work-study, you can apply for a work-study position.

Research assistants are vital team members in our research, so you will always have at least some duties that serve our projects. If you'd like to pursue some form of independent research after at least one semester in the lab, there are multiple pathways for doing so. Don't be intimidated if you don't have a research idea yet - interest and commitment are all that's required, and you will learn the relevant skills along the way. Although the following options require proactivity and independence, you would receive guidance and support from a supervisor in the lab.

• If you'd like to receive research course credit, you can apply for the 395 course in your discipline. This course requires 3 hours of lab work per credit hour (usually 9 hours per week), during which you'd carry out your assigned research duties for the lab. This course culminates in a written report, which typically outlines research literature and proposes a new project or expands a current project in the lab. This option is good for those who are curious about the research process, can commit the necessary hours to the lab, want the relative structure of a class, and want to fulfill a course requirement.

• You could explore your own research question using pre-existing data in our lab, finding publicly available data online, or adding a small component to a lab project. Creating a research poster on your own or with other RA's is a great exercise and showcase of your skills, and there are multiple opportunities to present your research both on-campus and at conferences. You can do this with or without 395 course academic credit. This option is good for who want to flexibly carry out the research process on a small scale, from developing a question to communicating your findings.

• Seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher can pursue an Honors Thesis, an intense original research project. The final thesis document would analyze and discuss pre-existing or new data. This option is good for those who are interested in pursuing research in their career or want a starting point to publish original work.

We are looking for committed and enthusiastic team members, particularly members of historically underrepresented groups in psychology research. Because we do not require previous research experience, we take a holistic look at applicants' interests and qualities through the written application and interview. However, based on the specific needs of some projects, sometimes we can only take RA's that meet certain criteria such as specific scheduling availabilities. Please keep in mind that the nature of some of our projects involves these constraints, and do not be discouraged if you do not get chosen as an interviewee or RA for a certain semester. We encourage you to apply again the next semester or seek out opportunities in other labs.