Staff - Non Union

Job Category

Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile

Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 1

Job Title

Research Assistant Technician 1

Department

Cresswell Laboratory Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre Division of Neurology| Department of Medicine | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$4,109.47 - $4,507.06 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

September 7, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Jul 15, 2025

Salary will be prorated to 0.80 FTE (30hrs/wk).

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Appel-Cresswell Lab within the UBC Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre (PPRC), Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH), is seeking a part-time (0.8 FTE) Research Assistant (RA) to be involved with movement disorder research projects.

The incumbent will be responsible primarily for recruiting research participants for this lab’s studies involving people living with Parkinson’s. Primary study recruitment duties include pre-screening eligible patients from the electronic medical records (EMR), checking for permission-to-contact, screening potential participants by telephone, maintaining a contact tracking log, answering general email & telephone queries about the studies, and forwarding appropriate participants to assigned study leads for further review. In addition, the RA will provide secondary duties including but not limited to: administrative assistance and data entry (REDCap, Excel) in other Appel-Cresswell studies as needed.

The Research Assistant will work onsite at the PPRC, UBC, Vancouver, BC.

Organizational Status
The Research Assistant will report to the Principal Investigator (PI), Research Manager, and Research Associate; the RA will interact with graduate students, Fellows, administrative staff, or other hospital staff. This position requires frequent communication with patients and study participants, and will be the primary contact for general queries from the community about the lab’s studies; the RA will also regularly inform the PPRC staff and collaborators about the studies to maintain active recruitment. Secondary duties may include but not limited to assisting with ordering lab supplies (biospecimen collection tubes, etc.) as requested by research staff, and assisting with data entry when primary duties are quiet. Once trained, the RA will work independently to screen and recruit research participants according to general study criteria, with primary direction as needed from the PI. The RA will meet with the team on a weekly basis; decision-making will be done in consultation with the PI, Research Manager, and Research Associate.

Work Performed

• Reviews electronic medical record (EMR) charts for recruitment of appropriate research participants, in a respectful and confidential manner.
• Recruits and screens potential movement disorders patients by telephone according to general study criteria, and forwards appropriate persons to the study leads for further detailed screening.
• Addresses any general study queries from the community or from other research personnel.
• Maintains a communication tracking log of contacted participants.
• Regularly checks Lab email and recruitment sources (REACH BC, contact from study posters, etc.) to ensure confidential and timely telephone or email contact with interested participants.
• Maintains contact with collaborators (onsite clinicians, related clinics, research fellows, etc.) to actively recruit participants.
• Corresponds in a timely manner with the PI or study team, as needed.
• Monitors and troubleshoots any concerns in consultation with the PI or team.
• Assists with overall facilitation (sending out consent forms for review, data entry, study preparation, etc.) of other Appel-Cresswell Lab projects.
• Performs other administrative tasks, as needed.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors made could influence the ability of the Principal Investigator to meet critical deadlines, as well as compromise the results of research projects and affect funding applications, thereby impacting the credibility of the Investigator. Poor decisions may be damaging to the reputation of and cause financial loss to the PI, PPRC, and the University.

Supervision Received
The Research Assistant will report to the PI, Research Lab Manager, and Research Associate.

Supervision Given
None, but may initiate new lab team members in the basic procedures of study recruitment.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation and a minimum one year 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

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (Health Science, Public Health, Neuroscience) or an equivalent combination of education or experience.
• Experience in interacting with patient populations in a respectful and confidential manner.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, specifically verbal telephone communication, plus proven written communication ability.
• Experience in clinical research and knowledge of research ethics.
• Completion of TCPS-2 and related privacy courses.
• Experience with REDCap and Excel.
• Self-motivated with demonstrated ability to show initiative and sound judgment.
• Proven organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize workload.
• Flexibility to adjust to scheduling changes.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, in a respectful manner.