Clinical Research Assistant II

Summary

This clinical research assistant position offers an incredible opportunity to build research and project management skills that will benefit any future career path. The research assistant will work closely with two pediatric otolaryngologists on projects related to pediatric swallowing, congenital malformations of the nose and throat, chronic rhinosinusitis, and smell function. This position offers tremendous education on the research process, database creation and management, statistics, and manuscript writing. In addition, this role offers the opportunities to collaborate with a diverse group of clinical professionals and to attend medical conferences within the department and nationally. 

Principal Responsibilities and Growth Opportunities

• Manage multiple clinical research projects at once.
• Learn to navigate the electronic medical record systems used at Boston Children’s Hospital. Read through medical documentation to collect relevant data.
• Recruit and consent patients for research studies through personal interviews and written communications as necessary.
• Draft study protocols for approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Learn to manage and review the IRB process for the department together with other research assistants.
• Consult with clinical teams as well as research support staff to meet study goals and protocol requirements.
• Use REDCap Electronic Data Capture service to create and manage online databases. 
• Monitor data collection for quality and HIPAA compliance.
• Perform descriptive statistics on data, with opportunities to learn more advanced statistical programming if desired (Excel, SPSS, SAS, R, etc)
• Collaborate with other research team members to prepare data collection, statistical reports, and analytical summaries for review and analysis.
• Prepare abstracts and manuscripts for submission to medical journals and national conferences. 
• If interested, can shadow primary investigators and other physicians in clinic and operating room.
• Perform other miscellaneous administrative duties as assigned or required.

Minimum Knowledge and Skills Required

• Work requires a Bachelor’s degree in an appropriately related discipline, preferably in a Life, Health, or Social Sciences field. New/recent college graduates with an interest in pursuing medicine are desirable. 
• At least one year of research experience is required.
• Work requires strong skills in critical analysis to gather and interpret data.
• Work requires well-developed communication skills in order to manage projects with people across many different professions. 
• Work requires well-developed organizational skills in order to manage multiple projects at various stages of completion.
• Work requires advanced writing skills for preparing IRB submissions, abstracts, and drafting manuscripts. 
• Must be able to work autonomously.
• A two-year commitment to the position is preferred, but candidates with a one-year commitment will be considered.
• This position is primarily remote, with ability to commute to the Boston site of Boston Children’s Hospital as needed 
• International applicants must have a H-visa or green card to apply. 

Start Date: May/June 2024

Application Deadline: March 31, 2024

Please email ORLResearch@childrens.harvard.edu with a cover letter and resume, as well as with any questions. You may address your cover letter to Sarah Francisco. Please include “RAII SF” and your full name in the subject line of the email.