Join the team

Undergraduate volunteers in the Kea Lab gain hands-on experience in research focused on child development. This role is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of developmental research within a supportive and collaborative environment.

Volunteers typically assist with tasks such as data entry and management, preparing study materials, conducting literature searches, and supporting ongoing research projects. There may also be opportunities to observe or assist with data collection and behavioural coding, depending on project needs.

The minimum commitment is one regular block of 4 hours per week for six months. This ensures continuity within projects and allows volunteers to build meaningful skills and experience over time.

This position is ideal for students considering postgraduate study in psychology, neuroscience, or related fields.

We are looking for undergraduate students who are reliable, detail-oriented, and motivated to learn, with a strong interest in child development and research.

We’re seeking a Research Officer with qualitative research experience to join a national research project on neonatal pain care for very preterm infants in Aotearoa.

The casual role (~3 hours/week) will run from July - Dec and suit postgraduate research students or early‑career researchers. The role involves conducting qualitative interviews with whānau and analysing interview data. Māori Research Officers will be supported through a Tuakana–Teina model, working closely with a Māori academic mentor as part of the research team.

Apply by sending a CV and brief EOI to keamail@aut.ac.nz

The KEA Lab welcomes PhD students interested in advancing research on early child development, with a particular focus on the biopsychosocial mechanisms linking early life experiences to mental health outcomes.

PhD students in the lab lead independent research programmes within a collaborative and supportive environment. This includes designing and conducting studies, managing and analysing longitudinal data, and applying advanced statistical methods to examine developmental trajectories. Students are expected to contribute to publications in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at national and international conferences.

Research in the lab focuses on understanding how early experiences—such as preterm birth and prenatal stress—shape emotional and behavioural development, as well as identifying factors that promote resilience, including caregiving environments and positive parent–child interactions.

PhD candidates are expected to engage consistently with the lab, contributing to ongoing projects while developing their own programme of research over the course of their degree.

We are looking for highly motivated, independent, and analytically strong students with a clear interest in developmental science and a commitment to research that has both scientific and real-world impact.

Current projects:

• Parent-child reminiscing and parent-child future talk: linking the neural basis to youth mental health

• Neonatal pain management and long-term developmental outcomes for children born very preterm

• What can we do to help expectant families in the wake of a disaster? Does this help their child’s development for years to come

• Using novel real-time tracking to understand child developmental outcomes associated with prenatal stress