Research Assistant /Technician 2

University of British Columbia•Vancouver, BC

1d•CA$4,334 - CA$5,156•Hybrid

About The Position

This position provides support to the Teresa Liu-Ambrose’s Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Health (AMC) Lab. Under the direct supervision of Teresa Liu-Ambrose, the role provides ongoing administrative and research support for research activities related to healthy aging in the AMC Lab. The AMC Lab functions under the umbrella of the Department of Physical Therapy, the DM Centre for Brain Health, and the Centre for Aging SMART at VCH. The candidate will be primarily responsible for participant recruitment, schedules, data collection, database creation, data management, and data checking under the supervision of Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose and will work with the Research Coordinator on a daily basis. Other research facilitation activities are described below. The position will work directly and report to the Faculty member who is mounting the study. This will involve working with developed systems and procedures, following direction from the Research Coordinator and Director of the research program (will not be working independently, will be working as a part of a team, under direction).

Requirements

High school graduation
Some additional training in a related field
A minimum of two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Nice To Haves

University degree in a relevant discipline
Minimum of two years of experience in a university clinical research laboratory focused on clinical research
Experience in neuroimaging – acquisition and analyses
Previous research experience in geriatrics, cognitive aging, and working with larger neuroimaging datasets
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Excellent organization skills
Solid and demonstrated experience in clinical research
Experience working within larger teams (i.e., team members across institutions)
Experience managing larger data sets
Knowledge of basic neuroimaging pipelines (e.g., Freesurfer, FSL)
Knowledge of age-related changes in physical and cognitive abilities
Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
Laboratory maintenance and development experience
Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment
Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines
Exercise discretion, tact, and confidentiality
Demonstrated ability to receive and respond to critical feedback for the sake of improving job performance
Technical proficiency using various word processing software, spreadsheet programs, presentation software, data bases and Internet
Knowledge user of REDCap, MS Teams, and Microsoft Office

Responsibilities

Manage and process MRI scans acquired by the CLSA Healthy Brains, Healthy Aging, including learning pre-set pipelines and conducting careful QC of data.
Recruit older participants with multiple co-morbidities, with a specific focus on those with mild cognitive impairment or mobility impairments; this may require making home visits.
Work with the Research Coordinator to launch research studies, including developing SOPs, data capture forms and databases, training modules/manuals; scheduling, interviewing new personnel/volunteers, and trialling and refining protocols.
Provide oversight to data collection, ensuring data are being collected, stored, and managed according to protocol, including completion of scheduled observations and checklists, documenting deviations, and reporting them back to the Director.
Monitor all adverse events reported in the different studies, document them, and have them reviewed by each study’s data and safety monitoring committees.
Monitor and document intervention adherence (e.g., class adherence) and provide regular updates to the Director.
Assist in the delivery of interventions when required (e.g., staffing shortages, illnesses).
Create and manage confidential data capture, ensuring accuracy/validity of data entered, timely download of e-files, and proper storage of both e-files and physical files, adhering to approved ethics.
Collect data according to protocol and enter data with minimal error under direct supervision from the Director.
Train and oversee undergraduate or volunteers to perform data collection and entry per protocol.
Make telephone calls to recruit or collect data, ensuring timeliness and completeness.
Liaise with research participants and research collaborators to develop positive and informative relationships.
Liaise and coordinate with the Research Coordinator, AMC research staff, graduate students, WorkLearns, and volunteers to complete tasks efficiently and accurately.
Support the activities of the AMC Laboratory by supervising and training undergraduate trainees, including WorkLearns and volunteers, in basic tasks.
Interview WorkLearns and volunteers, and in consultation with the Research Coordinator and Director, make hiring decisions.
Assist the Director in lab management activities, such as tracking inventory and supplies, purchasing supplies, organizing files, and CV updating.
Assist Research Coordinator or Director with ethics applications, including amendments and annual renewals.
Assist Research Coordinator or Director with planning and booking of facilities for research seminars and conferences.