DESCRIPTION

The UCSD Autism Center is a state-of-the-art multimodal autism research facility. The Center applies psychometric testing, MRI/fMRI, DNA/RNA analysis, eye tracking and multiple other paradigms to the study of autism throughout the lifespan but has a particular emphasis on the infancy and early childhood periods. The Autism Center is part of the UCSD School of Medicine and offers a rich interdisciplinary environment.

Under general direction of the Principal Investigator, serve as Research Psychologist for two NIH funded studies on bio behavioral markers for infants at-risk for autism and outcome markers at school age. Position requires a full individual with a Doctorate in psychology or related field who will perform the diagnosis and psychometric testing of children and adults with autism as well as psychometric testing of normal control subjects, approximately 8-10 testing sessions per week. The full-time position may additionally involve conducting research experiments related to the study and participation in research protocol development for various projects. In collaboration with other senior staff, the Research Psychologist will assist in develop new diagnostic methods and new behavioral assessments and characterization methods aimed at elucidating the behavioral phenotype in toddlers with autism. The incumbent may also assist in the development of new methods for identification and recruitment of infants and toddlers with ASD.

Other duties involve supervising the activities of Ph.D. students or non-licensed psychologists working towards their clinical licensure. The applicant must have at least 3-years clinical experience with children who present with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including experience with assessments and writing reports. Incumbent will also work well with research staff and families of children who are developing typically and those with possible Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Incumbent will be involved in preparing manuscripts including summarizing data and assisting with reports to the funding agency. Preferred qualifications include: clinical experience with children with autism as well as typically developing children (can be in the area of treatment); knowledge and experience with diagnosing autism using research tools such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; experience in IQ and developmental testing using tools such as the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and WASI. Bilingual (English/Spanish) not required but a plus.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Ph.D. Degree in Clinical Psychology and at least three (3) years experience in clinical psychology; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Current license as a Clinical Psychologist in the state of California.

• Proven ability to develop scientific documents from collected data and present findings at scientific and educational venues.

• Demonstrated supervisory experience with students and/or other psychologists.

• Demonstrated knowledge of basic psychological science.

• Demonstrated experience in experimental design and statistics.

• Thorough knowledge of psychodiagnostic procedures and tests, including ADI-R, ADOS, and Mullen Scales of Early Learning.

• Theoretical and experiential knowledge of autism.

• Experience in research setting, particularly working with children and adults with autism, and presenting to groups.

• Knowledge of current laws, procedures and ethical principles that govern the practice of psychology, including services suggested or information disclosed by telephone.

• Excellent verbal, written, and electronic communication skills that facilitate professional, effective, and courteous interaction with a diverse population. Experience to communicate findings, recommendations, referrals, and general information clearly and effectively to multidisciplinary research teams.

• Strong writing and editing skills. Experience with operation of PC using word processing and database programs, a variety of web-based programs, internet and email. Ability to maintain databases, perform standard computer tasks, and learn new programs/applications with minimal direction.

• Proven skill in problem solving and critical thinking. Strong ability to think creatively and efficiently, and to assess and analyze problems. Participate and contribute to discussions regarding procedures and goals of the unit.