Dr. Clauss

Join the Lab

OPEN POSITIONS

Post-Baccalaureate Research Intern (2-year position)

We are seeking a full-time post-baccalaureate research intern to join the lab for a 2-year position beginning in Fall 2026 (flexible start date).

Responsibilities:

  • Coordinate and run human subjects research visits, including neuroimaging sessions
  • Conduct clinical interviews and behavioral assessments
  • Assist with participant recruitment and retention
  • Contribute to data processing, organization, and quality control
  • Engage in data analysis (opportunities for coding/statistics depending on experience)

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, or related field
  • Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
  • Interest in clinical research and/or graduate training (PhD, MD, or related fields)
  • Prior research experience preferred but not required

Training & Mentorship:

This position is ideal for individuals preparing for graduate or medical school. The intern will receive close mentorship, opportunities to contribute to manuscripts and presentations, and guidance on the graduate application process.

Postdoctoral Fellow (2–3 year position)

The PRECISION Lab is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to lead and contribute to projects examining neurodevelopmental trajectories of psychiatric risk using multimodal data.

Research Areas:

  • Functional neuroimaging and precision functional mapping (PFM)
  • Longitudinal/dense-sampling study design and analysis
  • Early psychosis and transdiagnostic risk models
  • Integration of neuroimaging with EHR and large-scale datasets

Responsibilities:

  • Lead independent and collaborative research projects
  • Conduct advanced statistical and computational analyses
  • Contribute to grant writing (e.g., K99/R00, R01s)
  • Mentor research assistants and trainees
  • Participate in interdisciplinary collaborations across institutions

Qualifications:

  • PhD, MD, or equivalent in neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, or related field
  • Strong quantitative and/or neuroimaging background
  • Experience with programming (R, Python, MATLAB, or similar)
  • Interest in translational and clinically relevant research

Mentorship & Career Development:

The fellow will receive strong support in developing an independent research program, including opportunities to lead manuscripts, develop grant applications, and build collaborations across the University of Iowa and national research networks.

About Iowa City & the University of Iowa

The University of Iowa offers a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment, with strengths in neuroscience, psychiatry, and data science. Iowa City is a vibrant college town with a high quality of life, excellent schools, and a strong sense of community—making it an ideal place to live and work.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should send a CV, brief statement of research interests, and contact information for references to jclauss@som.umaryland.edu. 

FOR STUDENTS

The PRECISION Lab is always looking for motivated undergraduate and graduate students interested in neurodevelopment, clinical neuroscience, and data-driven psychiatry.

We study how mental health and illness unfold over time using neuroimaging, longitudinal phenotyping, and electronic health record (EHR) data, with a focus on early risk for psychosis and affective disorders.

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduates can join the lab for course credit, research experience, or as part of an honors thesis.

Students will gain exposure to:

  • Clinical research and neuroimaging studies
  • Data processing and quality control
  • Research design and scientific writing
  • The day-to-day environment of a translational neuroscience lab

We are especially interested in students who are:

  • Curious, reliable, and detail-oriented
  • Interested in psychology, neuroscience, medicine, or data science
  • Considering graduate or medical school

Strong students may have opportunities to contribute to posters, presentations, and manuscripts.

Graduate Students (PhD / MD-PhD)

We welcome graduate students from programs in neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, biomedical engineering, and related fields.

Students in the lab will:

  • Work with rich, multimodal datasets (neuroimaging, longitudinal behavioral data, EHR)
  • Develop quantitative and computational skills
  • Lead independent projects and publications
  • Engage in interdisciplinary collaborations

The lab provides close mentorship and supports trainees in developing independent research programs and fellowship applications.

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining the lab, please email jclauss@som.umaryland.edu  with:

  • A brief description of your interests and goals
  • Your CV or resume
  • (For undergraduates) your expected availability and timeline