Post-Bac Clinical Research Assistant

• Eating Disorders Research

About the Organization

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

About the Role

The Multidisciplinary Eating Disorders Research Collaborative (MEDRC) at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Holsen Lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital is seeking a full-time post-bac clinical Research Assistant with a strong interest in neuroscience and quantitative methods including data analysis or computer science. The individual will assist with a study focused on the neurobiology of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in adults, including clinical, neuroimaging (fMRI/sMRI), and neuroendocrine metrics, and may have the opportunity to be involved in other clinical research studies in the MEDRC and Holsen Lab.

Under the supervision of the principal investigators, the post-bac clinical research assistant will carry out a broad range of neuroimaging, biostatistics, and computer science-based research activities and procedures. This is a great position for those wanting clinical research experience before applying for graduate school or medical school.

Our team has a strong track record of mentoring research assistants who have gone on to pursue medical school or doctoral programs in clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, neuroscience, public health, and bioinformatics. You can find out more about our lab at https://holsenlab.bwh.harvard.edu/

Fostering diversity in the scientific research workforce is a key goal of the MEDRC and the Holsen Lab. Thus, additional funding, support, and mentorship is available for individuals from a diverse background, including those from groups demonstrated to be underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Interact with adult participants during clinical study visits in the MRI environment
• Collect neuroimaging data during clinical study visits
• Contribute to the collection, coding, management, and analysis of serologic and behavioral data
• DICOM unpacking, conversion of data to NIfTI (BIDS) format
• Creation of bash scripts for data organization
• Visual inspection of structural and functional data quality
• Editing and running MATLAB-based SPM12 preprocessing scripts
• Quality assessment of motion for functional data
• Editing and running first- and second-level models in SPM12 and fMRIPrep

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Uploading data to the NIH Data Archive
• Preparing detailed agendas and data updates for meetings
• Conducting structured clinical interviews for psychiatric disorders, including eating disorders, mood disorders, and suicidal ideation. Training and supervision with a clinical psychologist provided.
• Processing (aliquoting, centrifuging) blood samples collected during study visits
• Assist in logistical coordination and preparation before study visits

Required Skills, Abilities, and Competencies

• Have a strong background and interest in neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, psychology, biology, mathematics, statistics, or computer science
• Be in good academic standing with a strong GPA
• Strong computer and statistical skills
• Programming skills (previous R experience is required)
• Comfort with Linux environment
• Experience using R, MATLAB, SPM12, or fMRIPrep
• Experience with data entry in REDCap
• Careful attention to details
• Good organizational and communication skills
• Working knowledge of clinical research protocols
• Ability to demonstrate respect and professionalism for subjects' rights and individual needs
• Ability to work independently and as a team player
• Analytical skills and ability to resolve technical problems
• Ability to interpret acceptability of data results
• Working knowledge of data management program

Job Details

• Location: 1620 Tremont Street, Boston, MA
• Work Type: Onsite
• Employment Type: Regular, Full-time
• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40
• Work Shift: Day (United States of America)
• Pay Range: $20.16 - $29.01/Hourly
• Grade: 5

At Mass General Brigham, we believe in recognizing and rewarding the unique value each team member brings to our organization. Our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and any offer extended will take into account your skills, relevant experience if applicable, education, certifications and other essential factors. The base pay information provided offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications; however, it does not encompass all elements contributing to your total compensation package. In addition to competitive base pay, we offer comprehensive benefits, career advancement opportunities, differentials, premiums and bonuses as applicable and recognition programs designed to celebrate your contributions and support your professional growth. We invite you to apply, and our Talent Acquisition team will provide an overview of your potential compensation and benefits package.

Equal Opportunity

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran's Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact Human Resources at (857)-282-7642.

Mass General Brigham Competency Framework

At Mass General Brigham, our competency framework defines what effective leadership "looks like" by specifying which behaviors are most critical for successful performance at each job level. The framework is comprised of ten competencies (half People-Focused, half Performance-Focused) and are defined by observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. These competencies are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, mobilize employees across our system, and establish a strong talent pipeline.

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