Research Assistant II, Pediatric Neurology

Boston Medical Center - Boston, MA

Full-time - Entry Level

Boston, MA

Hospitals

About the position

The Division of Pediatric Neurology at Boston Medical Center and the Epilepsy Foundation New England have recently launched a consortium that aims to improve services for youth with epilepsy and co-occurring disorders as they transition into adulthood. The consortium is seeking a full-time Research Assistant II (RA2) to support multiple clinical studies and pilot trials within this unique patient population. Under the direction of Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Laurie Douglass, the RA2 will oversee the administrative aspects of the research grant(s) and interact with study subjects, clinical research coordinators, study investigators, work study students and other research staff. Duties include but are not limited to, assisting with patient recruitment, scheduling study visits, administering questionnaires, creating and filing case report forms, entering and updating data, maintaining databases, running reports, storing samples, and performing other administrative tasks in support of the clinical studies. The RA2 maintains contact with the participating sites to insure complete and timely data collection, maintains patient profiles, assists with documenting financial and budgetary needs of the grant, and supports the research team with the preparation of data and other reports. Oversees work of Research Assistants, along with training and orientation. Develops and implements patient recruitment strategies and changes to study protocols. The RA2 will also assist the PI in planning for and developing conference abstracts, poster presentations, and academic manuscripts. This may include conducting literature reviews and performing some data analysis or other tasks as needed.

Responsibilities

• Provides assistance in the development of reports, presentations, and data analysis.
• Assists in data collection and provides feedback on study's progress.
• Recruits subjects to participate in the study by using approved methodologies.
• Conducts the enrollment of study participants, including explaining research procedures, and obtaining informed consent.
• Schedules appointments of study participants; conducts reminder phone calls and/or sends mailouts.
• Conducts interviews, facilitates focus groups, and administers surveys with study participants.
• Reviews the data collection forms for each enrollee for completion and quality.
• Checks work of junior staff performing data entry to ensure timely and accurate entry.
• Conducts literature searches.
• Assists Investigators with manuscript and presentation preparation and research.
• Makes independent judgements of suitability of potential participants for clinical trials.
• Develops and implements patient recruitment strategies.
• Evaluates and recommends changes to study procedures as appropriate.
• Oversees work of junior research assistants, students or volunteers assisting with the grant project.
• Performs administrative duties associated with the study's Data Monitoring and Safety Board.
• Responsible for the administrative aspects of the research study, including managing program records.
• Prepares and maintains Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals and correspondence.
• Obtains and distributes payment vouchers for participant reimbursements/participation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree is required. Major in a field related to the research highly preferred.
• Master's Degree is preferred. With a Master's Degree, no work experience is required.
• 2-5 years of experience and have demonstrated sound independent judgement and competencies in research methodologies.
• Experience with recruiting subjects, with an understanding of the ethical and technical conduct of research.
• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written) are a must.
• Excellent Spanish communication skills (oral and written) strongly preferred.
• Cultural sensitivity and comfort with a wide range of social, racial and ethnic populations.
• Analytical skill and ability to resolve technical problems and interpret acceptability of data results.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and Access and PowerPoint.
• High degree of computer literacy; experience using quantitative data analysis software helpful (e.g., SPSS, SAS, Minitab).
• Experience with statistical analysis tools a plus.
• Ability to perform basic data management tasks (coding, data entry, data cleaning, retrieval).
• Ability to perform basic data analysis and reporting (in words, numbers and graphics).

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Tuition reimbursement and tuition remission programs
• Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• Career Advancement/Professional Development: Access a wealth of ongoing training and development opportunities.
• Pioneering Research: Engage in groundbreaking research projects.