UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #772

Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Yang
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: Dr.
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: yang.hou@med.fsu.edu
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): yang.hou@med.fsu.edu
Position Title: Faculty
FSU College (if applicable): Medicine
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/14486/DEaR%20Lab%20logo.jpg

Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): Julia Moreira
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Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): julia.moreira@med.fsu.edu
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Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: Psychosocial and Lifestyle Predictors of Neurobehavioral Function of Adolescents with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
Project Keywords: psychology, sleep, physical activity, cognition, behavior
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: No
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 4
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
It is open to all majors, but the most relevant majors are psychology, human development, education, and premed students.

Project Location:: On FSU Main Campus
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: No, the project is remote
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Partially Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 5-10 hours
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
Most NF1 neurobehavioral research has focused on comparing individuals with and without NF1 and assessed neurobehavioral function at one time using traditional psychological measures in the clinic or lab. We know little about how neurobehavioral function varies across contextual factors in the daily lives and natural living environments of individuals with NF1. This critical knowledge gap impedes the development of interventions to improve the neurobehavioral function of individuals with NF1. The proposed study will address this critical gap by examining how psychosocial factors (e.g., parenting, social support, coping strategies) and lifestyle factors (physical activity, sleep) are related to neurobehavioral (cognitive, behavioral, emotional) function in the daily lives of adolescents with NF1. The project team will collect rich data on neurobehavioral function and its potential predictors from adolescents with NF1 (ages 13-19 years) in real-time and real-world environments using ecological momentary assessment and Fitbit activity trackers. Multilevel modeling will be used to analyze the data. Findings from the study will be critical for patient management and developing interventions to improve neurobehavioral function and overall quality of life among adolescents with NF1. 

Research Tasks:
•	Literature search
•	Collecting data from participants
•	Cleaning and analyzing data
•	Students with outstanding performance will have the opportunity to be promoted to be team leaders for various tasks


Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
Required: Great communication and interpersonal skills; Great time management skills.
Recommended: Interested in going to graduate school or medical school; have basic data management or analytical skills.  

Mentoring Philosophy:
I work hard to promote students’ positive development and help them achieve their aspirations, with great attention to individual student needs. I communicate with students regarding their research interests and professional goals and offer them training options that are particularly relevant to their ultimate career aspirations. I have weekly lab meetings and always respond to students’ needs timely. I have provided mentorship for over 50 undergraduates and over 10 graduate students from various scholarly disciplines and social backgrounds (e.g., ethnic minorities, immigrants, first-generation college students, and international students) in the past years. These students received training on literature searches, data collection, data management and analysis, academic writing and presentation, and/or grant/fellowship applications. I support students with all my efforts in applying for scholarships, graduate programs, internships, and jobs. 

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: https://med.fsu.edu/houlab/home
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
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Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: Yes
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
Friday, Sept. 6th, from 4 - 4:30 PM
https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93386675317

Roundtable Info:
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UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

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Year: 2024
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