Work With Us

Dr. Meisel will NOT be reviewing doctoral student applications for the upcoming 2026/2027 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.