UCLA PI Name: Olivia Jung
E-Mail: olivia.jung@ucla.edu
Division/Department: Health & Policy Management
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 4-8 hours per week (flexible around academic schedule)

Compensation: Pay starts at $22/hr (could be higher depending on prior research experience)

Planned Start Date: November 1, 2025

My name is Olivia Jung and I am an Assistant Professor of Management in the Department of Health Policy and Management at UCLA Fielding Public Health School (faculty page linked here). I am seeking to hire motivated and detail-oriented undergraduate research assistants (RAs) to support two different qualitative research projects. One project is focused on improving cervical cancer screening and the other project is focused on partnerships between health and social service organizations. Both center on working with federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which serve as the backbone of the safety-net primary care system in the United States.

More information on the project related to cervical cancer screening

Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among underserved populations in the United States, despite the availability of highly effective screening methods. FQHCs are central to providing preventive care for these populations, as patients served by FQHCs are disproportionately affected by structural barriers to care, including poverty, unstable housing, language barriers, and lack of insurance that contribute to low cancer screening rates. Yet screening rates remain suboptimal. This study seeks to advance understanding of how to meaningfully support interdisciplinary innovation teams within FQHCs—teams often responsible for leading innovation and quality improvement (QI) efforts to enhance cervical cancer screening. The project has two aims: (1) to conduct qualitative interviews with approximately 35 innovation team members across 15 to 20 FQHCs to identify barriers, facilitators, and support needs related to cervical cancer screening improvement, and (2) to partner with three FQHC teams in a codesign workshop series to develop a prototype support mechanism (e.g., toolkit, training module) informed by Aim 1 findings to strengthen innovation/QI teams’ efforts to improve cervical cancer screening.

More information on the project related to cultivating partnerships between health and social service organizations

Health systems are increasingly partnering with social service organizations to address complex needs such as housing instability, food insecurity, and behavioral health challenges. FQHCs play a key role in this work, as patients served by FQHCs, who frequently deal with challenges related to health and social determinants of health, such as housing instability, food insecurity, and limited access to preventive care, stand to benefit from cross-sectoral initiatives. However, little is known about how frontline innovation teams develop and sustain these cross-sector initiatives. This qualitative study will involve interviewing frontline clinicians and staff from 15 to 20 FQHCs in California to explore how teams build partnerships and what supports help or hinder their efforts. We will conduct ~35 Zoom interviews with FQHC workers, analyze transcripts, and share findings with clinic leaders and community partners to inform future toolkits and training modules that strengthen health–social service integration.

With both projects, undergraduate RAs will gain hands-on experience with all stages of qualitative research, including interview logistics, note-taking, data synthesis, qualitative analysis, co-design facilitation support, and dissemination of findings. This project offers a unique opportunity to contribute to research that aims to strengthen innovation/quality improvement capacity in resource-constrained, safety-net healthcare settings and improve health outcomes for underserved populations.

The responsibilities of the undergraduate RA will primarily involve:
• Completing online trainings (such as the CITI training for IRB)
• Schedule interviews (mostly Zoom) and manage participant communications
• Take detailed notes during interviews and workshops
• Organizing interview recordings/files
• Assist in analyzing and synthesizing interview data
• Support planning and coordination of workshops
• Conduct literature reviews and summarize key findings
• Help with general administrative tasks related to the study

Desired qualifications
• Strong organizational skills
• Interpersonal skills to effectively communicate information in a timely, professional manner,
establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with students, faculty,
and external collaborators, and work as a member of a team
• Interest in qualitative research
• Prior research experience is a plus but not required

Application Instructions:

If this position is of interest, email your resume/CV, a paragraph about yourself in relation to the job description/qualifications, and any questions you might have to olivia.jung@ucla.edu by October 15, 2025. Interviews will be conducted and positions will be filled on a rolling basis. We will then schedule a Zoom or in-person conversation to explore fit.