LHSI Intern: Sleep Quality Research Assistant

Program Summary:    

This internship is offered as a part of the Life-Health Sciences Internship Program (LHSI). This program connects 125 IU Indianapolis undergraduates per year with internships on campus with faculty and staff in a variety of health and science related campus areas/programs. All LHSI internships start in August 2025 and end in May 2026 and are paid $13/hour for up to 10 hours per week. Work-study is accepted but not required.  

Supervisor: Dr. Chang Dae Lee (Sleep Quality Research)

Department/Office: Health and Human Sciences; Occupational Therapy 

Overview of the internship site: Are you passionate about improving the lives of older adults with cognitive decline? Join our innovative research team to explore the potential benefits of a smart pillow in enhancing sleep quality for this unique population. Despite the proven effectiveness of smart pillows in improving sleep quality, their impact on cognitively declining older adults remains largely unexplored. This study seeks to fill this gap through rigorous and comprehensive research. 

Website for more information:  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: As an undergraduate researcher, you will be actively involved in data collection and analysis. You will help investigate whether improved sleep quality can prevent further cognitive decline in this population. Your involvement will not only provide valuable insights into this under-researched area but also offer a unique opportunity to contribute to a study with the potential to significantly improve the lives of older adults. We look forward to your participation and the unique perspectives you will bring to our team. 

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in an office setting with dress code casual or smart casual. 

Project-specific qualifications: Once you are involved in this research, you must complete one of the following courses through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program: Social/Behavioral/Educational Researchers, Stage 1. 

Hours per week: 4-6; flexible within regular work hours 

By the end of the LHSI program, you will: 

Carefully consider, explore, and articulate your career goals, including an analysis of how you arrived at that path and what steps you need to take next. (Community Contributor, Communicator) 

Understand your role and strengths on a professional team and analyze who you would like to become as a professional. (Communicator) 

Gain and strengthen skills relevant to next steps after graduation, such as communication, collaboration, teamwork, analysis/synthesis/evaluation, independence, confronting/challenging failure, problem-solving and perseverance, and constructive criticism. (Problem Solver, Communicator) 

Convey ideas and knowledge effectively through an ePortfolio and presentation of your internship work. (Problem Solver, Communicator) 

Set and meet your own additional learning goals identified with your supervisor. 

LHSI Qualifications    

must be graduating May 2027 or after (usually a current freshman or sophomore in Spring 2025)   

Current full time IU Indianapolis undergraduate in 2025-26  

minimum overall GPA of 2.0   

All majors welcome 

To apply: 

LHSI accepts 125 interns per year. All available sites are listed in Handshake and will start with the position title “LHSI Intern.” Complete the application for LHSI at go.iu.edu/lhsi and list 3-4 internship sites on that application. You will meet with at least 2 of these if selected for interviews.