VCHRI: Research Assistant

Organizational status

This position reports directly to the Director, VCHRI CRU who will oversee and guide the research assistant in all research activities. The research assistant will interact with other members of the VCHRI CRU/research teams as well as other hospital groups & health care professionals including clinicians/researchers, coordinators, students, sponsors, auditors, volunteers, and study participants.  The Research Assistant will work independently on a day-to-day basis while also collaborating as part of a team. They will work closely with and also take direction from the Research Facilitator.

Work performed

• Provides clerical assistance, including answering phones, booking appointments, scheduling meeting, scheduling tests, and participant reimbursements.
• Assists with logistics and procedures for study participant visits, including but not limited to conducting informed consent, collecting vital signs, participants study follow-up calls; administering of study questionnaires and review medical charts for past medical history and current medications.
• Responsible for data collection, data entry, documentation of process, ongoing monitoring of data quality, and ensuring that data is accurately and timely entered into databases, completion of data queries.
• Assists with recruitment activities, development of recruitment materials, phone screening, pre-screening assessments, study communications with potential participants.
• Maintains research stock supplies, monitors/updates inventory. Logs and monitors the usage of services and supplies, ensuring accurate records are maintained for all clinical trial activities. This includes tracking inventory levels (such as lab kits), documenting requisitions, and coordinating with vendors to ensure availability of essential materials.
• Perform quality assurance monitoring of equipment and space.
• Performs clinical and laboratory clean up tasks. Assists in basic maintenance of research equipment, addressing equipment failures and maintaining/documenting yearly calibrations.
• Prepares sample collection kits for study visits, performs blood collection, centrifuges blood samples, aliquots plasma/ serum/urine and other simple laboratory processing tasks.
• Prepare documents, samples and other materials for proper handling and shipping, which includes scheduling couriers, ordering dry ice, and packaging samples.
• Operates a variety of equipment such as but not limited to centrifuges, incubators, and monitors fridges and freezers to ensure temperatures meet min/max requirements to comply with regulatory and/or study requirements.
• Assists with ethics submissions using UBC RISe (Research Information Systems). This may include assisting with the development or gathering of documents and relevant information required for the ethics submissions.
• Actively participates in team meetings, provide regular updates on research activities; establishes effective communication with all team members; ensures timely notification to the VCHRI CRU Director (and VCHRI CRU Research Facilitator as appropriate) of issues or problems.
• Works collaboratively with members of the VCH research community and VCHI CRU Team.
• Participates in departmental training programs (of the VCHRI CRU)
• Collaborate with other research team members within the VCHRI CRU and provide support when needed.
• Performs other research tasks as assigned and provides research support as directed by the VCHRI CRU Director and more senior team members.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Research Assistant should understand that:

As a delegate of the qualified investigator, the Research Assistant warrants that his/her performance in the conduct of clinical trials and research projects will strictly conform to appropriate regulations: 1) maintaining professional behaviour and respect for study participants and team members; 2) the UBC Clinical Research Ethics Board; 3) B.C. Privacy Act; 4) Health Canada, International Conference on Harmonization, Tri-Council Policy Statement, Good Clinical Practice; and 5) U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Lack of careful attention to regulatory guidelines and approvals can lead to suspension of further clinical research and/or funding for the investigator/physician as well as the hospital and University. Poor communication skills could jeopardize study participants’ participation and continuation in studies and could reflect badly on the research group and the University with sponsors and referring/community physicians. The VCHRI CRU Director relies on the research assistant to alert him/her to problems and unexpected events concerning study participants and trial conduct. These include but are not limited to: 1) Poor study enrolment; 2) failure to complete work according to deadlines, 3) unexpected or excessive workload or administrative hurdles; 4) additional or non-budgeted requests from sponsors; 5) recurrent problem or concerns raised by clinical staff.   Clinical mistakes made by the Research Assistant could be life threatening to participants. Ensuring study participant safety includes: 1) accurately judging study eligibility 2) being prepared for any side effects (expected or unexpected) and 3) updating clinical skills and knowledge to meet the demands of clinical complexity.

Supervision received

Directly supervised by the VCHRI CRU Director, from oral/written instructions and to established procedures. Direction may also be provided by my senior team members as well. The Research Assistant must be able to complete the various study tasks independently.

Supervision given

None.

Minimum Qualifications

Completion of a relevant technical program or a university degree in a relevant discipline and a minimum three 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 Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline or Graduation from a technical college or institute.
• Current Venipuncture certificate. Current CPR Certification (or willingness to obtain certification).
• Experience working with people in a health care, academic, and/or research environment with knowledge of medical, clinical and research terminology.  Knowledge of International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) and Good Clinical Practice (ICH GCP) Regulations, Health Canada Div 5 and TCPS2 Certificate.
• Training in WHMIS, Chemical Safety, Biological Safety and Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG). Ability to operate job related equipment - i.e. centrifuge, incubator, -80 freezers, etc.
• Demonstrated ability with computers and to effectively use MS Word, Excel, Power Point, spreadsheets, databases, and electronic communications at an intermediate level.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to exercise a high level of tact, discretion, sensitivity, and respect with a diversity of people.
• Ability to exercise good judgment, prioritize workload and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines. Demonstrated ability to maintain a high level of efficiency, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise initiative and maintain confidentiality. High motivation, initiative, and ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule. Ability to think critically, analyze, interpret data and respond in a broad range of activities with a high level of independence. Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities.
• Exceptional organizational skills.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the job.
• Demonstrated initiative and the willingness to work closely with members of a research team to ensure problems are resolved quickly and appropriately.
• Experience with using UBC RISe (Research Information System) an asset, to assist with ethics submissions.