LHSI Intern: Research Assistant for the New Empowerment after eXposure to Trauma (NEXT) Study

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. Michelle L. Miller 

Department/Office: Medicine; Psychiatry 

Overview of the internship site: We are looking for interns that want experience in conducting high-quality research on interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and learning more about women's mental health. Our lab is conducting a NIH-funded study on reducing the effects of PTSD during pregnancy and the postpartum period, especially in Black women and rural-dwelling women. We need lab members to assist in participant recruitment, ensuring study protocols are followed, and following up with participants to complete assessments and visits. 

Website for more information: https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/59677/miller-michelle 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

*Call participants to explain they study and check eligibility. 

*Go over consent documents with participants. 

*Track questionnaire assessments and follow up with participants who have not completed questionnaires. 

*Recruit participants in various Departments, including Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Psychiatry. This will require travel to recruit at different IUSM hospitals/clinics as needed for recruitment purposes 

*Enter questionnaire data in REDCap survey platform. 

*Pay participants and provide lists of additional resources after they have completed interventions 

*Conduct all remote work in a private area where participant information will remain confidential 

*Complete agreed upon research goals (e.g., literature search, presenting a journal article, etc.) 

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in an office setting with dress code business casual when recruiting participants or meeting in person 

Project-specific qualifications: Technical skills needed include familiarity with Microsoft Office products (e.g., Word, Excel, etc.), Zoom or Microsoft Teams, common operating systems (e.g., laptops, desktops, tablets, etc.), and the ability to learn how to use research software. Professional skills needed are the ability to actively listen, demonstrate good communication, be detail-oriented, and value compassion and empathy. 

Hours per week: 10; 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.