Prospective Students

Dr. Meisel will be reviewing doctoral student applications for the upcoming 2025/2026 academic year.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

The SUMMIT Lab’s research is guided by answering the following questions:

  1. What are the developmental pathways leading to adolescent substance use?
  2. What are the key ingredients of adolescent substance use treatments that lead to behavior change?
  3. How do we leverage developmental science and work on key ingredients to improve and scale adolescent substance use treatments?

My goal is to train the next generation of developmentally rooted addiction scientists. Thus, anyone interested in joining the SUMMIT lab should have an interest in researching any of the three questions that guide our work. Studying the etiology and treatment of adolescent substance use is complicated as it requires understanding theories rooted in developmental and addiction science, using multiple methodologies (e.g., ecological momentary assessment, longitudinal panel designs, burst design, experimental designs, and randomized controlled trials), having a strong understanding of treatments for adolescent substance use, and being able to implement advanced analytic techniques. Given the heavy emphasis in our lab on research-related skills, someone primarily interested in conducting clinical work would not be a great fit for our lab.

Research consistently demonstrates that women, people of color, and persons from less socially privileged backgrounds are less likely to apply for positions unless they meet every listed job qualification. I encourage you to apply to the SUMMIT Lab even if you do not meet every single qualification. My selection process is holistic and not just a function of someone’s CV. In addition to grades and research experience, I strongly value students who are passionate about research, are comfortable getting uncomfortable (e.g., willing to learn things they do not know even if it initially seems challenging), improving the lives of adolescents, working in a collaborative lab environment, and critical thinking about the complexities of treating adolescent substance use.

Answering these questions involves a broad array of content areas which may include:

  • Peer relationships
  • Peer influence
  • Caregiver-child relationships
  • Caregiving behaviors
  • Personality and temperament
  • Social media
  • Neighborhood influences
  • Co-occurring symptoms (e.g., the role of externalizing symptoms, internalizing symptoms, and their co-occurrence with substance use onset, escalation, and treatment)
  • Quantitative methods (e.g., longitudinal data analytic techniques)
  • Ecological momentary assessment
  • Mechanisms of behavior change research
  • Prevention and/or intervention development and refinement
  • Family-based and caregiver-involved treatments

Please note this list is non-exhaustive but meant to demonstrate how answering the guiding questions of our lab involves expertise in a wide range of areas. These content areas are overlapping and related to each to each other, but potential applicants should have an interest in at least one of these areas as well as the guiding questions of the lab.

 

Criterion Rationale Example Evidence
1. Interests align well with those of the SUMMIT Lab Ensuring your interests align with the SUMMIT lab benefits your growth as a clinical scientist and the lab. Dr. Meisel will be most effective as a mentor and the SUMMIT lab as a learning environment, if you’re interested and passionate about our work. Further, the SUMMIT lab will conduct more rigorous and impactful work when we have lab members who are invested in our lab’s mission. The personal statement will describe how you came to be interested in the research focus of the SUMMIT lab (e.g., through research, life experience, coursework, other experiences).
2. Is passionate about working with adolescents We spend a lot of time working with and talking about adolescents and their caregivers. Here in the SUMMIT lab we genuinely enjoy learning from and working with adolescents and their caregivers. Experience working with adolescents and/or caregivers (e.g., research lab focused on adolescents or caregivers, experience working with teens in afterschool programs, camp counselors, through clinical experiences). If you do not have prior experiences working with teens or caregivers, your personal statement should note why it is important for you to work with adolescents.
3. Commitment to improving the lives of individuals who use substances There is considerable stigma and discrimination towards individuals who use substances. In the SUMMIT lab we are committed to addressing this stigma and discrimination and increasing the value and input from individuals with lived experiences. Experiences working with individuals who use substances, coursework on substance use, or a description of the importance of why addressing substance use for adolescents is an interest of yours.
4. Enjoys and is motivated to face challenges Clinical science is a field where you will constantly be facing challenges – balancing multiple responsivities, working with hard-to-reach populations, dealing with data analytic issues. The willingness to tackle these challenges and even enjoy some of them (e.g., learning new quantitative methods) is critical to being successful and enjoying the process. Personal statement with examples of overcoming obstacles (note these do not have to be large life challenges, they can be the challenges we face throughout our lives)
5. Has an interest in quantitative methods Here in the SUMMIT lab we use longitudinal methods including ecological momentary assessments, panel designs, and clinical trials with multiple follow-ups. Analyzing this data is complicated and graduate students will inevitably spend much of their time learning and implementing advanced quantitative methods to provide rigorous and appropriate statistical tests of our substantive theoretical questions. Evidence can include grades in undergraduate statistics or math courses, additional quantitative training (e.g., workshops or postbac statistics courses), or analyses conducted for senior theses or independent studies.
6. Values working in a collaborative and inclusive lab environment We believe research is more enjoyable and productive when done collaboratively and when includes individuals from diverse backgrounds. Personal statement describing your experiences working in collaborative settings; personal statement noting your commitment to diversity and inclusion – including valuing individuals with lived experiences using substances; reference letters noting your collaborative nature.
7. Not necessary, but an interest in open science practices is a plus We believe that science is one of the most powerful tools to benefit humanity. We believe science is most impactful when it is conducted transparently, collaboratively, and shared with scientists, stakeholders, and the public. Personal statement reflecting any experiences with open science (e.g., through research experiences, coursework, or reading) or discussion of values of getting science right over getting significant results.