Research Assistant I

University of Arkansas System•Little Rock, AR

About The Position

The Research Assistant will facilitate human behavior and neuroscience research efforts at the Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC), contributing to ongoing projects and future research plans. The role manages the BIRC’s open and reproducible neuroimaging science practice, including maintaining and managing databases for existing and new studies. It also supports standardized medical research data-analysis pipelines and offers opportunities to develop advanced data analytics skills and contribute to scientific publications. The position supports day-to-day research activities, including recruiting, screening, enrolling, and assessing participants and helping BIRC projects meet enrollment goals. Work may include acquiring data with MRI or fNIRS technology and training in BIRC research regulatory compliance practices. The Research Assistant works with BIRC faculty, staff, research participants, and administrative support.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, psychology, communication, data science, or a related field.
At least one year of research experience.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products and a technology-oriented approach.
Ability to collaborate with Neurology and Psychology clinics to support ethical practices and consistent research data collection.
Ability to assess participant safety in the MRI environment, including researching implants or devices and conducting thorough screening.
Ability to identify and resolve or report problems and crises involving participants.
Interest in acquiring skills to implement clinical, sociodemographic, cognitive, affective, and behavioral assessments of child, adolescent, and adult participants.
Familiarity with Python for writing code to support neuroimaging data pipelines.

Nice To Haves

Fluency in Python; it is preferred but not mandatory.
Knowledge of other computational languages.

Responsibilities

Manage the BIRC’s open and reproducible neuroimaging science practice, including maintaining, improving, and implementing pipelines that convert neuroimaging data to the standardized BIDS format using Python.
Conduct supervised behavioral and neuroimaging data analyses, including regression analyses relating task performance to demographic variables.
Conduct quality assurance analyses of neuroimaging data and extend behavioral analyses to model task-related changes in brain activity.
Support analyses of structural and functional MRI data.
Enroll, screen, and assess participants for ongoing BIRC studies.
Screen potential participants for eligibility, schedule initial intake assessments, and send reminder calls and texts as needed.
Conduct informed consent, participant clinical interviews, and assist with self-report measures while ensuring compliance with study protocols.
Monitor participants in study follow-up to ensure accurate and timely collection of longitudinal data.
Assist with data acquisition, including behavioral tasks and psychophysiological, MRI, or fNIRS data collection.
Support enrollment goals by carrying out recruitment strategies, including outreach to community partners and potential participants.
Complete research documentation and maintain accurate research records and participant tracking information.
Manage and enter data, maintain REDCap electronic data capture, and establish databases for new projects.
Back up the Research Coordinator in participant compensation using petty cash accounts and maintaining compensation records.
Work effectively with BIRC faculty, staff, research participants, and administrative support.
Perform other duties as assigned.