UROP Project

Identifying Protective Factors for Youth Substance Use Prevention and Well-Being Using Large-Scale Data

substance use, well-being, mental health

Research Mentor: Dr. Gen Li,
Department, College, Affiliation: The Florida Center for Prevention Research, N/A
Contact Email: gl25h@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Hye-Jung (April) Yun
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: hyun@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: public health, psychology, sociology, or related social, behavioral, and health fields
Project Location: The Florida Center for Prevention Research Florida State University 800 Capital Circle SE, Suite 2 Tallahassee, FL 32301
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Bus R (Capital Cir & Highland Oaks Ter Stop); Bus E (Park Ave & Capital Cir Stop)
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5~8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:

• Day: Thursday, September 3
  Start Time: 3:30
  End Time: 4:00
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/8156229858?pwd=LqHDTbEirjveWkIZ7MbSKCpe9WWnR1.1
• Day: Friday, September 4
  Start Time: 3:30
  End Time: 4:00
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/8156229858?pwd=LqHDTbEirjveWkIZ7MbSKCpe9WWnR1.1

Project Description

This research is conducted as part of the FLORENCE Project (Florida’s Linked Opioid Response and Epidemiological Network for Comprehensive Evaluation), a five-year applied research initiative led by the FSU Florida Center for Prevention Research and supported by the Florida Department of Children & Families. The broader project uses data-driven research to strengthen substance use prevention efforts, inform policy and practice, and support healthier outcomes for individuals, families, and communities across Florida.

All young people have the potential to thrive. Consistent with FCPR’s focus on prevention and positive youth development, this project takes a strengths-based approach to identify individual, family, peer, school, and community factors that may protect against youth substance use and support well-being. Using large-scale secondary datasets, such as the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS), the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), and other relevant public datasets, the project will examine potential protective factors and whether their roles differ across developmental, geographic, or demographic groups.

This is a data-driven research project. Analyses may include descriptive statistics, regression, and advanced approaches such as Bayesian analysis, network analysis, and machine learning. Findings may help identify strengths and resources that can inform future substance use prevention research and interventions while promoting positive youth development.

Research Tasks: Depending on your interests and availability, you may participate in different stages of the research process, including literature review, data analysis, interpretation, presentations, and manuscript preparation.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Completion of an introductory statistics course, or equivalent knowledge of basic statistical concepts such as descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlation, and simple linear regression.
Good time-management skills and ability to meet agreed-upon deadlines.
A responsible research attitude, including attention to detail, openness to new ideas, effective teamwork, and academic integrity.