Join the team
If you are an undergraduate or graduate student interested in joining the lab as a research assistant, contact the lab manager Jimmy Chen at jimmypengyuchen@gmail.com and carbon-copy the lab’s research coordinator Angel Wei at aw3698@tc.columbia.edu.
Ferkauf doctoral students typically go through a lab selection and match process during their first year in the program. If you are interested in hearing more about this process, contact Dr. Bloch-Elkouby at sarah.blochelkouby@yu.edu.
Potential Gains
Our lab is known for its strong research productivity reflected in multiple publications, grant submissions, and conference presentations yearly.
Lab members have opportunities to contribute to ongoing lab projects, develop their own research ideas, conduct secondary analyses of existing datasets, present posters based on lab work, assist with grant writing, apply for student research grants, and participate in manuscript preparation.
Current Openings
We are not recruiting research assistants as of April 25, 2026.
Application Instructions
Please title your email “RA Application: [Your Name]” (e.g., “RA Application: Jimmy P. Chen”) and include the following materials:
- CV: download template for a reference
- Cover letter: 1-2 pages, talk about how your research interest AND personal, academic experiences, and skills align with the lab focus
- Supporting materials: can be anything from academic writing sample, unofficial transcripts, and Python scripts to unofficial research documents
Requirements:
- Attend the weekly team meeting (Mondays, 11:00 AM-12:15 PM US Eastern Time/UTC+5, via Zoom)
- Being proactive in taking lab tasks and flexible in scheduling project meetings
- Make a minimun one year commitment (two years preferred)
- Commit 10-15 hours per week to lab activities
Preferred Qualifications
If you have any of the following skills, you are welcome to include supporting materials demonstrating them. We look for evidence of strengths rather than weaknesses, so please do not worry if your materials are not perfect.
Relevant skills may include:
- Data processing (SPSS, R, or Python)
- Inferential statistics (SPSS, R, or Python)
- Clinical skills
- Knowledge of research methods
- Website or technical skills
- Academic writing
- Academic achievement
Interviews
Most applicants with some research experience and a good overlap between the lab’s research directions and the applicant’s research interests will be offered an interview. Applicants who supply dishonest materials and make substantially exaggerated claims about their abilities will be immediately disqualified.
The interview will last an hour. If you are selected to be considered as a senior RA, the interview will last 1.5 hours.
After the interview with Jimmy and/or Angel, you will be notified whether you are recommended for the second interview, which is 30 mins and conducted exclusively by Dr. Bloch-Elkouby. After the second interview, the decision regarding your application will be conveyed by Angel.
If you are offered a position and decide to accept it, the administrative coordinator Hanjiang will help you onboard.
Lab Environment/Culture
It should be noted that:
- Dr. Bloch-Elkouby tends to assign urgent tasks with deadlines that range from a few hours to a few days. Although it has NEVER been a requirement to take urgent tasks, diligence and availability are needed for promotions and extra strong letters of recommendation.
- You cannot use AI to faciliate your work without prior consultation with Dr. Bloch-Elkouby, Jimmy, Angel, or Hanjiang. The lab treats the issue very very very seriously. It’s not an absolute ban, but it is by default banned.
Please be assured that:
- We have open communication.
- Senior members are willing to teach.
- Dr. Bloch-Elkouby is supportive of RAs conducting their own projects as long as the topics are within her expertise.
How to Increase Competitiveness
- Browse lab projects and find what interests you
- Read lab publications
- Think about or even better, write a brief research proposal that you want to do in the lab if you are accepted
- If you are applying during summer, applicants without a vacation or tourism plan longer than 3 days in July and August will be prioritized