Research Fellow in Pediatrics - Language, Literacy & Child Development

Overview

The National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine invites applications for a full-time Research Fellow position within the Dean-Med-Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development at Kent Ridge Campus. This role contributes to ongoing studies on bilingual language and literacy development, brain-behavior connections, and related family and educational factors through large-scale longitudinal cohorts such as GUSTO, S-PRESTO, and SG LEADS.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage research projects, monitoring progress and timelines, preparing meeting notes, and collaborating closely with principal investigators, collaborators, staff, and students.
• Lead data management efforts including importing, merging, cleaning, and harmonizing multi-wave datasets covering surveys, assessments, and neuroimaging data; maintain comprehensive data dictionaries, codebooks, and reproducible analytical workflows.
• Ensure data quality and reproducibility via validation procedures such as range, duplicate, and logic checks, continuous missing data assessments, strict version control, and audit documentation.
• Perform statistical analyses including descriptive, inferential, regression, longitudinal, mediation/path, and other relevant methods using tools like R and SPSS to meet project objectives.
• Prepare dissemination materials encompassing APA-style tables and figures, analysis summaries, external reports, abstracts, and manuscript drafts targeted for publication.
• Develop and update study documentation such as README files, analysis notes, standard operating procedures, and project trackers.
• Support data collection processes by managing survey platforms (e.g., Qualtrics) including pilot testing, logic validation, participant scheduling, consent collection, on-site logistics, and secure data uploads. Assist with fNIRS setup, acquisition, and quality control as needed with provided training.
• Assist with research administration duties including IRB/ethics submissions and amendments, grant reporting, procurement, and compliance with data transfer policies according to university protocols.
• Supervise junior team members including research assistants, students, and interns concerning data tasks and study procedures.
• Conduct literature reviews, contribute to grant applications, and assist in developing new research proposals and ideas.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Psychology, Linguistics, Education, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Public Health, Statistics, Sociology, or closely related fields.
• Demonstrated expertise in quantitative research methods including data cleaning, management, and statistical analyses.
• Proficient in statistical software, especially R (with a preference for tidyverse workflows) and/or SPSS.
• Sound understanding of research design, statistical modeling, and result interpretation.
• Strong ability to write clear and concise analysis summaries, research reports, manuscripts, and documentation.
• Exceptional organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail for maintaining documentation standards.
• Capacity to operate autonomously and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience handling longitudinal and large cohort datasets.
• Competency in mapping and harmonizing variables across multiple data waves, instruments, or cohorts.
• Advanced statistical knowledge including mixed-effects models, structural equation modeling, mediation/path analysis, or latent variable modeling.
• Experience with manuscript writing, conference submissions, grant reporting, and peer-reviewed publications.
• Familiarity with institutional IRB and research administration procedures.
• Experience with data governance, documentation, version control systems like Git/GitHub, and reproducible research practices.
• Knowledge of research tools such as Qualtrics, NVivo, REDCap, or basic SQL is an advantage.
• Background in bilingualism, language and literacy development, cognitive or educational measurement, or developmental psychology is beneficial.
• Understanding or experience with neuroimaging techniques (MRI, DTI, fNIRS) and brain-behavior analyses is a plus.