Research Assistant - Trapp Lab - Psychiatry

Research Assistant - Trapp Lab - Psychiatry

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa is seeking a Research Assistant to join the laboratory of Dr. Nicholas Trapp. The Research Assistant will be responsible for coordinating day-to-day clinical research activities by assisting, preparing and submitting the appropriate Human Subjects Review forms and application materials to the Institutional Review Board, assisting with subject recruitment, scheduling, retention, and enrollment; preparing and overseeing data entry; maintaining routine compliance with regulatory agencies; training and assisting new lab members with their projects. The Trapp Lab's current projects aim to better understand the neuroanatomical and circuit-based pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, with an emphasis on the development and optimization of stimulation-based neurotherapeutics. Research methods include structural and functional neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and clinical trial design.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:

• Exhibit satisfactory knowledge of research techniques and procedures relating to the performance of clinical research, especially that related to neuropsychiatric disorders and neuromodulation techniques including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and frameless neuronavigation.
• Display excellent interpersonal sensitivity and communication skills by developing and maintaining a positive working relationship within an interdisciplinary research team.
• Demonstrate excellent organizational skills and documentation in a research setting.
• Assist in the preparation of regulatory submissions and updating of documents to necessary agencies.
• Collaborate with Principal Investigator and the study team in the development, execution, administration and maintenance of protocols and clinical studies. As skills develop, provide input into descriptions of complex research procedures.
• Responsible for scheduling participants for procedures or follow up as required by the study protocol or design, arrange for follow-ups with study participants and maintain records of their visits and interviews.
• Update and maintain lab manuals for onboarding and training lab members.
• Obtain informed consent and other required regulatory documents and monitor participant experience for reportable events.
• Participate in the collection, and entry of data into clinical trial research data systems.
• Perform data management and analysis with standard software.
• As skills develop, coordinate with staff or students engaged in data collection to provide instruction on techniques, as well as consultation on project work.
• Assist with the preparation and submission of documents related to research protocol annual reviews, modifications, Adverse Events, Safety Reports and other reportable events to IRB, as needed.

Supervision is received from Dr. Trapp, in the Department of Psychiatry. May be called upon to interview and train new staff on clinical trial and testing procedures and supervise implementation of research protocols. May supervise and/or facilitate the progress of students working on research projects.

Classification Title: Research Assistant Department/Division: Psychiatry, Trapp Lab Staff Type: Professional and Scientific Pay Level: 3A Type of Position: Full-time, Specified Term, 12 months with possibility of extension

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 1 year of clinical research experience.
• Baseline knowledge of statistical software, such as SPSS, RStudio or MATLAB.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully multitask by effectively allocating time and managing involvement in several research projects.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex information with attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in psychology, neuroscience, or other health sciences.
• Experience with individuals with various neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, or epilepsy.
• Prior experience performing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) on human subject participants.
• Experience collecting various physiological measures such as electroencephalography (EEG), autonomic measures (galvanic skin response), and electrocardiograms (ECG).
• Prior knowledge and experience with designing and implementing REDCap projects and Qualtrics surveys.
• Knowledge of University of Iowa policies, procedures, and regulations.