LHSI Intern: Research Assistant: Improving mental health and substance use services for youth and families

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. Brigid Marriott 

Department/Office: Medicine; Psychiatry 

Overview of the internship site: Our work is focused on improving access to and the quality of mental health and substance use services for youth and families. Current areas of research include: 1) developing and evaluating innovative, practical methods for monitoring the delivery of evidence-based mental health and substance use interventions and 2) increasing mental health and substance use screening and expanding behavioral health services into pediatric primary care settings. Most of this work is conducted as part of an interdisciplinary team in the IU School of Medicine’s Adolescent Behavioral Health Research Program. 

Website for more information: https://medicine.iu.edu/pediatrics/specialties/health-services/behavioral-health 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Typical duties may include: attend research team meetings and other relevant meetings (e.g., works-in-progress sessions); complete readings and orientation on lab projects and procedures; conducting literature reviews; preparing study materials; assist with data collection, management, and quantitative and/or qualitive analysis; and potential to help with drafting presentations or manuscripts for publication. 

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in an office setting with dress code: relaxed business casual 

Project-specific qualifications: Communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to work both independently and in a team. 

Hours per week: flexible based on student needs (10 maximum); 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.