Job Description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 1

Job Title Research Assistant

Department Field Laboratory Division of Neurology | Department of Medicine | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range $3,579.58 - $3,929.83 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date February 10, 2023

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

Job End Date Apr 2, 2024

This position is located within a health-care facility. Therefore, this position requires successful verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by the provincial health mandate.

Job Summary
The successful candidate will work with a PI-initiated observational clinical study at the Vancouver Stroke Program. The candidate will work with research staff in the recruitment, assessment and follow-up of clinical study patients in accordance with approved research protocols, applicable regulatory requirements, ethical guidelines and Good Clinical Practice guidelines. The candidate will be primarily situated at the UBC Centre for Brain Health and the UBC Hospital, working on the execution of a longitudinal study looking at risk factors for stroke and cognitive impairment in adults living with Congenital Heart Disease.

As part of the Vancouver Stroke Program, the candidate will be working under the general direction of both the Principal Investigator and the Study Manager.

Organizational Status
The Vancouver Stroke Program (VSP) Clinical Trials Unit is an academic coordinating centre for locally-initiated as well as Canadian and international clinical trials in stroke treatment, prevention and rehabilitation. This position will also work closely with collaborators at the Pacific Adult Congenital Heart (PACH) Clinic based at St. Pauls\xe2\x80\x99 Hospital, which is a resource for the assessment and care of adults living with Congenital Heart Disease.

Work Performed

• Responsible for the screening and enrollment of eligible study participants
• Obtains written and verbal consent from eligible study participants and/or caregivers
• Coordinates study procedures, performs study assessments schedules participants\xe2\x80\x99 study visits
• Collects data and submits adverse event or Serious Adverse Event reports as per applicable research protocol
• Maintains accuracy, accessibility, and confidentiality of study files and study participants\xe2\x80\x99 records
• Assists in the coordination and submission of required documentation to obtain authorizing signatures from various applicable internal and external departments for approval to conduct clinical trials
• Assists in obtaining appropriate institution approvals to conduct clinical trials or research studies.
• Prepares and completes appropriate documents, including but not limited to informed consent forms, recruitment materials, and ethics submissions including applications, annual renewals and study protocol amendments.
• Completes and maintains study CRFs and study regulatory documents
• Assists in creating basic research study progress report
• Facilitates, schedules and attends study team meetings to provide updates on progress and conduct of the research studies and clinical trials
• Prepares related materials for presentations about the research studies and clinical trials conducted at the VSP at relevant meetings, conferences, and/or academic events
• Maintains and enters data in VSP stroke database and research databases (e.g. REDCap)
• Creates source documents, CRFs and/or database to be used for data collection
• Assists in research data analysis
• Assists research coordinators, Program Manager and Study Investigators in the administration of various active research projects and creation of summary reports of research progress
• Communicates regularly with Study Manager and Principal Investigators
• Carry out any other related duties as required in keeping with the qualifications and requirements of the position

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors of incorrect decisions will affect the integrity of the Research Program and may negatively affect the quality of the clinical trials conducted, health of participating subjects or caregivers, and/or the relationship with collaborators. This position requires a very organized, detail-oriented individual with good communication skills and clinical experience in related discipline.
The candidate must work within general guidelines and apply knowledge of procedures and regulations to establish priorities. All research sites and their records are subject to audits by applicable regulatory authorities (such as Health Canada and the US FDA), internal audits by the study Sponsor and audits by the UBC Clinical Research Ethics Board.

Supervision Received
Works under the general direction of the Principal Investigator and Study Manager. Receives specific instructions on unusual problems and matters that depart from established guidelines; routine duties are carried out under general supervision.

Supervision Given
None but may explain work operations to others.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation and a minimum one year of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline or graduation from a technical college or institute
• The successful candidate will be comfortable and have experience in communicating with patients in acute care and outpatient settings, as well as over the phone or via teleconferencing (e.g. Zoom)
• Previous experience working with patients, caregivers and health providers
• Previous experience administering basic neurocognitive assessments (MoCA, MMSE etc.) is highly valued
• Previous experience working in clinical research or a medical environment
• Familiarity with interpretation of scientific literature and performing basic data analyses