Job Description

Job Category BCGEU Okanagan Support Staff
Job Title Research Assistant
Department UBCO | Sakakibara Laboratory | Southern Medical Program | Faculty of Medicine
Posting End Date August 28, 2025
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End Date August 31, 2026
There are four (4) positions available for this role. Successful candidates will be hired into one of these openings based on qualifications and fit.
These positions are part-time roles and expected hours are to 10-20 hours per week.
Please include a cover letter with your application.
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:
This position will undertake a variety of research-related activities in the Okanagan Stroke Research Lab at the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management. Research activities will include training participants enrolled in the Power Exercise for Stroke Recovery (POWER) Pilot Trial. In this study, participants engage in 30, 90-minute exercise training sessions over 10 weeks. The Research Assistant will be responsible for creating exercise prescriptions (i.e., setting workloads), overseeing the exercise sessions, and following up with participants via telephone. Additional activities will include exercise training log data entry and supervising junior staff and volunteers.
Other general, research activities will include recruiting, interviewing and assessing patients, as well as phoning patients regarding chronic disease management and telehealth programs. Typical research activities will also be expected (literature searches, database management, data entry). This position may also analyze and synthesize research data and use this information to write reports and contribute to grant applications.
ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS:
This position will work at the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management. This position will report to Dr. Brodie Sakakibara.
WORK PERFORMED: This position will receive training to coordinate and assist in the POWER study and other projects. After the training, they will work on a number of health-related projects.

• Supervise participants during their exercise sessions
• Create exercise prescriptions (e.g., set workloads, disability-specific adaptations)
• Data entry for all exercise training logs
• Follow-up with participants via phone (e.g., missed sessions, scheduling)
• Recruit, interview and assess patients participating in rehabilitation studies
• Perform literature searches, data extraction and database maintenance
• Develop media/materials to disseminate research to clinicians (knowledge translation)
• Actively participate in research team meetings to define and plan research participant recruitment strategies, protocols and goals.
• Support the work of research trainees.
• Support the general administration of the OK Stroke Research Lab's activities, including preparation and submissions of publications and grants, scheduling meetings and research activities, organizing meetings and travel.

CONSEQUENCE OF ERROR:
Inappropriate interactions with study participants could result in negative health outcomes, and patients and their families becoming frustrated, angry or seeking compensation.
Inappropriate interactions with university staff could result in termination of studies, thus impacting the long-term viability of the studies.
Inattention to paperwork detail (errors on forms) could jeopardize the results of clinical trials.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
This role will be supervised by Dr. Brodie Sakakibara and research trainees. The supervisors may at times not be on-site that the candidate is working; thus, this role must be fully competent and independent in their ability to follow the study protocols.
SUPERVISION GIVEN: None
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum

• High school graduation, some additional training in a related field and a minimum 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.

Preferred

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline or Graduation from a technical college or institute. A University/college degree in a program related to rehabilitation, disability or other healthcare discipline.
• Previous relevant training in research data gathering and analysis in university and healthcare settings and experience in drafting reports and other research documents.
• Experience with seniors and those with chronic conditions. Ability to work with older adults with disability.
• Strong communication skills, ability to work alone and as a member of a team.
• Excellent organizational skills and writing skills, as well as be self-directed.
• Demonstrated organizational and problem-solving skills.