Internship Investigating Pain and Empathy

About the project

Do humans and rats feel the same when they witness others in pain?   
How do different physiological measures (such as electromyography, skin conductance, and heart rate variability) reflect our emotional response to another’s suffering? Do they capture similar or distinct nuances of empathy? This study focuses on understanding how humans respond physiologically to vicarious pain, using electrical stimulation to induce pain while adjusting intensity to each participant’s tolerance. By comparing multiple physiological measures, we aim to determine if they are redundant or complementary in capturing the emotional impact of seeing someone else in pain—insights that will be cross-examined with parallel research in rats.

What you will be doing

• Data collection
• Assistance with maintaining and calibrating physiological monitoring equipment
• Data preprocessing

What we’re looking for

• Experience with physiological data collection (e.g., skin conductance, electrocardiogram, electromyogram, electroencephalogram) in a research setting
• Familiarity with data analysis software (e.g., MATLAB) or willingness to learn
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent academic experience)
• Flexibility and availability to adapt to participants’ schedules
• Comfort and confidence in interacting with human participants
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Previous experience working with human participants is a plus
• Eagerness to learn new techniques and methods related to the research
• English speaker (additional languages are a plus, but not required)