Hello again! Since summer is just around the corner, I figure now is a good time to give an update on my IDEA Grant Project. I am happy to say that a lot of progress has been made in the past two months. We started data collection for the project back in April. Our team of volunteer research assistants has been doing an amazing job with recruiting participants. And with the end of the semester, I have been able to head down to Orlando myself to help out with data collection.
Being able to be more hands-on with data collection has been a really rewarding experience. My main goal with this project has always been to make the idle wait times at the clinic more pleasant. And it seems that the project has been successful in achieving this goal so far. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback from patients on our brief mindfulness intervention, and we are working on ways to further improve their experience through updates to our surveys.
With data collection well underway, there are several research and professional skills I aim to refine over the course of the summer. First, since the brief mindfulness intervention is being delivered via a Qualtrics survey, I am interested in sharpening my Qualtrics skills. This will allow me to make adjustments to our survey as needed, effectively adapting it to the clinic’s patient population. I am also hoping to be more involved in the data analysis process for this project. I have taken a few courses in statistics previously and have really enjoyed them. By assisting with the data analysis for this project, I aim to build on that knowledge base and develop skills that can be applied to future projects.
In terms of professional skills, my focus will be on further developing my communication and teamwork skills. I know I could not do this project alone, and I am incredibly grateful to have a team of volunteer research assistants helping me with data collection for this project. As such, a priority of mine has been finding ways to keep my team motivated and making sure the experience is positive for everyone involved. I believe this starts with clear, open communication. I have been providing the team with weekly updates on our progress with recruitment and have been working to get them included in posters and other related projects. I am hoping these steps will help ensure that everyone on our team feels valued and appreciated.
In addition to my volunteer research team, I also have a lot of amazing resources at FSU that have been helping me with this project. Most notably, my research mentor, Dr. Adam Hanley, has been a huge help to me, providing guidance and support as we work to get this project up and running. From showing me how to set up a clinical trial registry to giving advice on appropriate updates to surveys based on participant feedback, Dr. Hanley has done a great job of mentoring me throughout this process.
In addition to Dr. Hanley, the other members of lab have also been super supportive of the project. Our lab’s research coordinator, Kennedi Childs, has given me great advice on participant recruitment. Our lab’s graduate research assistant, Alex Negrin-Perea, recorded the Spanish version of the brief mindfulness intervention and has been a huge help with translating our English materials into Spanish. And another research assistant at the lab, Allison Davis, was super helpful in the process of getting IRB approval for the project.
I feel that my previous experience working as a UROP mentee in Dr. Hanley’s lab also prepared me well for managing this project. By drafting literature reviews, assisting with EEG and fNIRS data collection, and helping with participant recruitment in Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic’s waiting room, I was able to learn a lot about the potential benefits of mindfulness interventions as well as the current gap in data for the underserved population. Having that kind of background has been very beneficial as I take on a more active role in this research project. I have already learned a lot so far about all that is involved in managing a research project, and I am excited to continue growing as a researcher over the course of this summer.
Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash
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