Join Us!

Thank you for your interest in the BEST Lab! There are many ways to become involved in our lab as an undergraduate, graduate student, or post-doctoral fellow. Interested graduate students should click on “Prospective Doctoral Students” tab in the menu bar to learn more about how to join our lab as a doctoral student.

Join as an Undergraduate in Psych 2452r

This course is designed to introduce students to concepts, methods, and research evidence on stigma as it relates to mental health. This will be accomplished in three primary ways. First, students will attend weekly class/lab meetings, where they will delve more deeply into the stigma literature by engaging in discussions of assigned readings and by listening to presentations on research and current topics in the field. Through these discussions, students will be introduced to research on the mental health effects of stigma across a range of identities, statuses, and conditions, including (but not limited to) gender, sexual orientation, weight, race, addiction, and immigration status. Second, students will participate in several aspects of the research process via their active involvement in one or more research projects in the lab. Third, students will write a final paper on a topic that they explored during the course of the semester. This paper will enable them to focus on a particular area of interest within the broader stigma field. Thus, students can expect to leave the course with a greater appreciation of stigma as a common human predicament, and with an enhanced understanding of a particular stigmatized identity, status, or characteristic.

Join as a Research Assistant

We also occasionally have Research Assistant opportunities available in the lab for those who are able to volunteer at least eight hours per week for a period of at least four months. Research Assistants work closely with faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates in the lab to assist with a variety of ongoing research projects. If you are interested, please contact Professor Hatzenbuehler directly at markhatzenbuehler@fas.harvard.edu to inquire about these opportunities.

Join as a Post-Doctoral Fellow

We frequently collaborate with post-doctoral fellows in the BEST lab. There are a variety of ways that fellows can join the lab, including through funding on an existing project in our lab, or through bringing in your own funding (e.g., F32s, Fulbright Scholarships, etc.). Please contact Professor Hatzenbuehler directly at markhatzenbuehler@fas.harvard.edu to inquire about these different options.