1/16/26 update: Interview invitations for Fall 2026 PhD admission have been extended. We sincerely appreciate your interest in our work and wish you the very best in your application process.
As Volunteer Research Assistant
[ Notice: We are currently at Full Capacity for the Spring and Fall 2026 semester. Please anticipate further updates regarding this matter leading up to the Spring 2027 semester ]
We welcome students to apply for a volunteer research assistant position for a minimum of 8 hours per week. If you're interested in being a research assistant for our lab, please fill out the Google Form. We particularly welcome individuals with data science or programming experiences, and/or with research interests in sexual gender minority health, and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds.
If you have no prior R experience, you are encouraged to complete free R training. This is required prior to engaging in other research activities in the lab.
If you are accepted into the lab, we ask you stay for at least two semesters.
Application process is detailed on the department website. Interested applicants are encouraged to view the frequently asked questions prepared by Dr. Liu and are welcome to comment anonymously there or email for additional questions.
We are open for a postdoc fellow to join for a minimum of 2 years. Interested individuals with experiences in Monte Carlo simulation, statistical software development, and natural language processing/affective computing are particularly encouraged to reach out. Opportunities for additional supervised clinical experiences are possible through CARD.
We currently do not have any openings for paid research staff positions. You are welcome to check back at a later time. BU students, however, are welcome to apply for stipends via UROP.
For Directed Study [BU Students Only]
We are open to BU undergraduate and master's students to complete directed study with Dr. Liu. We typically require students interested in pursuing directed studies with Dr. Liu to have previously worked in the lab for at least one semester as a research assistant. To be considered without prior experience in our lab, we require a minimum GPA of 3.5, a strong programming/statistics background, and at least 1 year of research experience.
Undergraduate or Masters students interested in doing a directed study should reach out with unofficial undergraduate transcripts and curriculum vitae/resume attached. More information on directed study is available for undergraduate and for masters students.
For Honors Thesis [BU Students Only]
We are open to BU undergraduate student to complete honors thesis with Dr. Liu. The Honors in Psychology program is an opportunity for senior psychology majors to undertake a yearlong research project. We typically require those who are interested in pursuing Honors thesis with Dr. Liu to have previously worked in the lab for at least two semesters as a research assistant. To be considered without prior experience in our lab, we require a minimum GPA of 3.5, strong programming/statistics background, and at least 1 year of research experiences. Students who wish to pursue Honors in Psychology must submit an application May 31st prior to the senior year's first semester. If you are interested, please reach out.