Research Assistant I - ON SITE

Vanderbilt University Medical Center • Nashville, TN

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) at Vanderbilt Health is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Research Assistant 1 to join a dynamic research group focused on clinical decision support (CDS), patient safety, and the application of machine learning and data science to improve inpatient and outpatient clinical care. This position will support multiple active research projects led by a physician-informatician, including work on prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), predicting and preventing inpatient hypoglycemia, quality improvement initiatives, and clinical tool development. The Research Assistant will work across the full project lifecycle—from data collection and chart review through data analysis, tool development, stakeholder coordination and dissemination support. This role is an excellent opportunity for individuals considering future careers in medicine, clinical research, or medical informatics. Our group sits at the intersection of patient safety, quality improvement, and health information technology. Active and anticipated projects include: Developing and validating machine learning models to predict hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients prescribed insulin, Building and evaluating clinical decision support tools integrated into Epic, Vanderbilt Health's electronic health record (EHR), Conducting a randomized trial of CDS interventions to improve lipid lowering therapy in primary care, Exploring applications of large language models to clinical care, Quality improvement projects (e.g., assessing FRAX utilization for osteoporosis screening, developing prediction models for urinary tract infections in patients on SGLT2 inhibitors). We are at a remarkable moment in medicine: recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models offer unprecedented opportunities to make care smarter, safer, and more effective for patients and the clinicians caring for them. Our team is at the forefront of applying technology to improve real-world patient care. As a Research Assistant, you will: Gain hands-on experience across multiple clinical research projects in a world-class academic medical center, Work alongside physicians, data scientists, and informaticians in the largest biomedical informatics department in the world, Develop a deep understanding of clinical research methods, EHR data, and healthcare quality improvement, Receive mentorship and professional development support in a collaborative, mission-driven environment, Access to weekly academic seminars, providing ongoing exposure to cutting-edge research in clinical informatics, AI, and medicine, Build a strong foundation for future careers in medicine, research, informatics, or data science.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-motivated, industrious, and able to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and adhere to HIPAA standards when working with patient data (training will be provided)
• Ability to work onsite at Nashville office
• Familiarity with basic programming or data analysis (e.g., Python, R, SQL) is preferred; advanced coding skills are not required, but are a plus.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced coding skills are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Perform structured medical record reviews to verify data accuracy and support the development and validation of clinical prediction models
• Identify and document data discrepancies or anomalies, supporting overall research quality
• Perform analyses of clinical data
• Coordinate user-centered design sessions with multidisciplinary stakeholders, including scheduling, preparation of materials, and follow-up
• Assist with distribution and collection of user surveys evaluating new clinical tools
• Support coordination of research activities across collaborating departments and institutions
• Track project timelines, tasks, and deliverables to keep multiple concurrent projects on schedule
• Assist with literature reviews, manuscript preparation, and presentation materials
• Support IRB submissions and regulatory documentation as needed
• Assist with quality improvement analyses and data summaries

Benefits

• health
• disability
• retirement
• wellness offerings

What This Job Offers

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