Lead Clinical Research Coordinator, Psychiatry Molecular Imaging

UT Southwestern Medical Center • Dallas, TX

3d

About The Position

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Molecular Imaging in Psychiatry Program seeks a Lead Clinical Research Coordinator to help build and lead the operational backbone for PET and MRI studies designed to clarify the biology of psychiatric and neurologic disease and accelerate the development of imaging biomarkers to meaningfully improve diagnosis and treatment.
The Lead CRC will provide primary stewardship of tightly coordinated visits, managing imaging and clinical data, ensuring regulatory compliance, and collaborating with teams in Psychiatry, Radiology, and the Advanced Imaging Research Center. This role may include 1–2 direct reports, offering leadership experience and a clear pathway for continued career growth as the program expands. The role also offers high ownership, direct exposure to advanced imaging operations, and opportunities to contribute to publications, conference abstracts, and other dissemination activities as studies mature. Ideal candidates bring strong communication skills, confidence in complex imaging settings, and a track record of proactive, independent execution. Previous Experience with Molecular Imaging Protocols is highly preferred

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in medical or science related field
• 4 years of clinical research experience with Bachelor's Degree
• May consider additional years of experience or advanced degree in lieu of education or experience, respectively.
• (BLS) BASIC LIFE SUPPORT may be required based on research study protocols or affiliate location requirements.
• (CPRAED) CPR AED may be required based on research study protocols or affiliate location requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in the UTSW clinical research mentoring program is highly desirable, and participation in the UTSW clinical research mentoring program may count as additional experience.
• Experience supporting PET or MRI research studies, particularly involving investigational radiotracers or pharmacokinetic modeling.
• Familiarity with Institutional Review Board (IRB) and FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) regulatory processes.
• Prior exposure with arterial or venous blood sampling in human studies.
• Working knowledge of REDCap or equivalent databases and familiarity with imaging data management systems or NIH Data Archive submissions.
• Previous experience with Molecular Imaging Protocols
• ACRP of SOCRA certification a plus.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, screen, consent, and schedule research participants according to IRB-approved protocols.
• Coordinate complex PET/MR imaging visits and blood sampling procedures in collaboration with chemistry, imaging, and clinical teams.
• Provide compassionate participant support, including assistance for individuals with cognitive impairment or psychosis, ensuring safety and comfort during all study procedures.
• Conduct accurate data entry, de-identification, and quality control for imaging and clinical data.
• Collaborate with imaging physicists to review PET/MR data for completeness and quality assurance.
• Prepare datasets for upload to the NIH Data Archive and maintain appropriate data documentation.
• Track and document biospecimen processing, including arterial plasma samples and radiotracer metabolism assays.
• Maintain regulatory documentation for IRB, FDA (IND), and institutional audits; assist with submissions, renewals, and amendments.
• Ensure compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), HIPAA, and radiation safety requirements.
• Serve as liaison between psychiatry investigators, PET/MR technologists, radiochemistry staff, radiology fellows, physicists, and biologists to coordinate scheduling and communication.
• Contribute to development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for imaging workflows, data handling, and participant logistics.
• Assist in training and onboarding future coordinators as the research team expands.
• Maintains required subject documentation for each study protocol.
• Directly interacts with clinical research participants, as required, for the research study (non-clinical and clinical procedures). Interacts via telephone, telehealth or in-person.
• Coordinates regulatory documentation for research studies that includes maintaining information to comply with industry standards, University policies, FDA requirements or other hospital policies.
• Coordinates and schedules procedures as per research study. A non-licensed coordinator may pend study order sets with oversight by PI.
• Screens, recruits, enrolls and follows subjects according to research protocol guidelines (non-clinical and clinical procedures). May also assist with the consent processes.
• Maintains and coordinates data collection information required for each study that may also include developing CRF's (case report form) or data collection tools.
• Assists in developing and implementing research studies, may include writing clinical research protocols.
• Conducts research procedures according to the protocol with proper training and check offs to maintain scope of service.
• May provide supervision to other members of the research team as necessary.
• May perform research billing activities, as needed, based on size of department (including linking patient calendars
• Monitors patient safety by reviewing records and ensuring appropriate reporting per protocol and HRPP standards.
• Assists PI/supervisor with daily activities of the research team and functions as a liaison between clinical research investigators and various organizations/departments and agencies including, but not limited to HRPP, FDA, Sponsored Programs, and affiliated hospitals.
• Coordinates data management and collection for national (larger/more complex) research studies.
• Serves as lead in preparing annual reports for federal, state, and or/or local agencies on assigned studies.
• Prepares protocols for Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission. May also submit amendments and continuing review documents.
• Assists and monitors and/or maintain research study budgets. Assists the PI with the fiscal management of the trial. Ensures that the patient care charges are allocated appropriately for various research studies.
• Provides in-service training to all study team members and communicates to involved groups.
• Reviews research study protocols to ensure feasibility requirements of the study.
• Assists in developing website or other social media for marketing/recruiting based on assigned clinical research study.
• Enters data in the assigned clinical trial management system, electronic medical record and/or other required data entry systems.
• Duties performed may include one or more of the following core functions: a) Directly interacting with or caring for patients; b) Directly interacting with or caring for human-subjects research participants; c) Regularly maintaining, modifying, releasing or similarly affecting patient records (including patient financial records); or d) Regularly maintaining, modifying, releasing or similarly affecting human-subjects research records.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100%25 coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level