Research Assistant

The Behavioral Immunology Laboratory in the Department of Psychology has an opening for a full-time time Research Assistant. The incumbent will play a key part in running study visits with participants taking part in an NIH-funded study examining how early life experiences impact the physical health of men (the PaTH study).

Responsibilities will include scheduling participants and running them through a complex protocol that will take from 2 to 4-5 hours. Aspects of the protocol will take place in the study laboratory on the University of Pittsburgh’s Oakland Campus and in some cases at participants’ homes. The protocol also includes online questionnaires, telephone interviews, and, on occasion, data collection in participant’s home. Data being collected include psychological, physical, and health measures. The incumbent will support participants in completing all aspects of the study protocol. To aid in this effort, the incumbent will oversee undergraduate research assistants and work closely with the project coordinator. In addition to participating in data collection, this position also involves data entry and organization using REDCap, assisting in the processing of data, attending staff/laboratory meetings pertaining to the overall maintenance of the study and lab spaces. The ideal candidate should be responsible, able to function in and help maintain a safe working environment within OSHA and IRB regulations, and capable of ensuring the wellbeing of participants. In addition, the candidate must have excellent organizational skills and pay special attention to detail. They also must have good interpersonal skills and the ability to sensitively interact with human participants. Submission of a resume and cover letter are required to be considered for this role.

Job Summary

Assists with and adheres to Institutional Review Board (IRB) renewal, modification, and approved protocols. Recruits research subjects and conducts interviews and research assessments.

Essential Functions 

Essential functions of the incumbent include conducting and coordinating study visits with participants, overseeing a team of undergraduate research assistants, processing blood samples assisting with the transportation of blood samples to Central Labs as needed, managing the REDCap database and carry out basic data manipulation (e.g., cleaning and recoding variables) and statistical analyses (e.g., running descriptives, analyzing distributions), and communicating with the PI team to create databases needed for their analyses. The incumbent must be physically able to conduct in-home visits.  

Physical Effort 

The physical effort required of this position is minimal and includes sitting and standing during study visits and occasionally walking participants to the URL, which is approximately a half mile from the laboratory where the majority of assessments will take place. The incumbent must be physically able to travel to study participant’s homes and conduct in home assessment. The incumbent will not be expected to lift or carry any equipment over 25 pounds.

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Assignment Category Full-time regular
Job Classification Staff.Clinical Research Coordinator I
Job Family Research
Job Sub-Family Clinical Research
Campus Pittsburgh
Minimum Education Level Required Bachelor’s Degree
Minimum Years of Experience Required No experience required
Will this position accept substitution in lieu of education or experience?  Combination of education and relevant experience will be considered in lieu of education and/ or experience requirement.
Work Schedule Monday – Friday variable
Work Arrangement On-Campus: Teams that work on campus, in an office, or in a lab.
Hiring Range TBD Based Upon Qualifications
Relocation Offered No
Visa Sponsorship Provided No
Background Check For position finalists, employment with the University will require successful completion of a background check
Child Protection Clearances Not Applicable
Required Documents Resume, Cover Letter
Optional Documents Not Applicable