Dr. Losh mentors graduate students in both the Northwestern Communications Sciences and Disorders program and the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine’s Clinical Psychology program.

For more information on NU application procedures and these graduate programs, please visit the Communication Sciences and Disorders or Clinical Psychology program pages.

For general program information, please contact:

For interested Communication Sciences and Disorders Doctoral students:
Dr. Jason Sanchez, Director of Graduate Studies
jason.sanchez@northwestern.edu

For interested Speech and Language Masters students:
Dr. Stacy Kaplan, Director of the Master’s Degree Programs in Speech-Language Pathology
stacy.kaplan@northwestern.edu

For interested Clinical Psychology Doctoral students:
Dr. Jason Washburn, Chief of Psychology, Clinical Psychology MA & PhD Programs
j-washburn@northwestern.edu

For lab-specific information:
Dr. Andrea Burchfield, Project Manager
andrea.burchfield@northwestern.edu

We welcome highly motivated undergraduate students interested in autism-related research to assist in our lab. Undergraduate students will have the opportunity to work directly on many different elements of our research projects, gaining mentorship, experience, and the potential to pursue independent research. Work-study placement, independent study credits, and volunteer positions are available.

We are currently seeking undergraduate students to join our lab through independent study opportunities for Spring 2026!

To apply, please complete one of the following applications, and submit it to Lindsay Goldman.

• Independent/Volunteer Study Application
• Work-Study Application
• Lindsay Goldman: lindsay.goldman@northwestern.edu

We welcome applications for Research Assistant and Postdoctoral Researcher positions. Please see descriptions, below.

Postdoctoral Research Position

Our laboratory is seeking a post-doctoral scholar to join our research team. Our lab’s projects focus on understanding language-related features of autism and fragile X syndrome, and studying how autism-related traits can be expressed in the general population, across generations, and in related genetic conditions, to understand gene-brain-behavior connections. This postdoc position will have opportunities to work on research across several NIH-funded research projects, using clinical, behavioral, neural, computational, data science, and cross-linguistic approaches. Newly funded studies also examine a potential female-specific profile of autism-related traits, and also how the autism language phenotype differs across different languages. This postdoctoral position is expected to play a leadership role in conducting and coordinating research activities, as well as assisting with supervising team members. The successful applicant will also have the opportunity to develop additional research through independent grant applications.

Principal Responsibilities:

1. To conduct experiments and analyses on linguistic, cognitive, neurophysiological and clinical phenotypes in autism and FMR1-mutation conditions

2. To assist in the supervision of the research team

3. To lead and contribute to grant writing and compete for funding

4. To lead and contribute to publications resulting from research done in the lab

Minimum Qualifications/Competencies:

• PhD in communication sciences and disorders, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, computer science, or a related field

• Interest in research on autism, fragile X, and genetically related conditions

• Evidence of research productivity (e.g., peer-reviewed publications)

Preferred Qualifications/Competencies:

• Experience in language-related research and evidence of research independence

• Research and clinical training related to neurodevelopmental conditions are strongly preferred

• Skillsets on neurophysiological, computational, AI (broadly defined), and data science analytic approaches are an advantage

• Excellent communication and writing skills

• Fluency in Mandarin and written Chinese will be helpful for cross-linguistic work

Interested applicants should email their application to Andrea Burchfield at andrea.burchfield@northwestern.edu.

For full consideration, please submit application materials by January 30, 2026. Please submit: (1) a cover letter that makes clear how your work is relevant to research programs in the lab; (2) a current CV; (3) up to two publications or manuscripts most relevant to the lab’s scope of research. You will also be asked to provide the name and contact information for 2–3 people willing to submit recommendation letters on your behalf.

Clinical Research Assistant Position

Our laboratory is seeking research assistants to work on ongoing NIH-funded research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS). Positions are full-time position, and require a two-year commitment, with the possibility of an extension.

Principal Responsibilities:

The position will involve work on projects investigating the neurocognitive and genetic basis of autism, as well as studies of etiology across a variety of communication disorders. Depending on experience, the position involves opportunities for engagement at all levels, from recruitment and testing children, adults, and families to dissemination of findings in presentations and manuscripts. Successful applicants have the opportunity to serve in a leadership role coordinating research activities and supervising project staff ,depending on level of prior research experience.  

Qualifications/Competencies:

Position qualifications include having a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, communication sciences, neuroscience, linguistics, or a related field; experience with autism or related neurodevelopmental conditions; proficiency with experimental and statistical skills; ability to work independently and in a team environment on multiple tasks and projects, and to share one’s expertise with and train others; as well as excellent organizational skills. Opportunities to contribute to grant and manuscript submissions depend on interest and skill level, including strong scientific writing skills and experience with project management. Information about the Neurodevelopmental Diversity Lab can be found at: http://ndl.northwestern.edu. 

To apply, please include a brief cover letter explaining your relevant background and interest in position, CV, and names and contact information for three references (please do not send letters) to: Andrea Burchfield, andrea.burchfield@northwestern.edu