Research Assistant I

Job Title: Research Assistant I

Grade: 13

Salary: $10,415-$12,646.6

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a Research Assistant I Position. This is a part-time Research Assistant position (20% effort) in the Horga Laboratory at the New York State Psychiatric Institute / Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The Horga Laboratory investigates the neurobiological and computational mechanisms underlying psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia and related cognitive processes, including sensory and reward-based learning, decision-making, and belief formation. The laboratory uses behavioral, clinical, computational, and neuroimaging methods to study these processes in individuals with and without psychiatric conditions. The research assistant will provide administrative, operational, and research support for ongoing human-subjects studies. The position will involve day-to-day study coordination, maintenance of research documentation and study records, regulatory support, clinical assessments, data management, and coordination among research staff.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and organizational support for ongoing research studies
• Maintain study records, databases, tracking systems, and research documentation
• Assist with IRB materials and other regulatory documentation
• Coordinate study-related schedules, meetings, deadlines, and laboratory activities
• Perform clinical assessments, data entry, data organization, and quality-control procedures
• Maintain shared laboratory files, study materials, and organizational systems
• Support communication and coordination among research staff and collaborators
• Assist with general laboratory operations and other research-related tasks as needed

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent four-year college degree in psychology, neuroscience, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior research or administrative experience in an academic, clinical, or research setting.
• Experience with research databases, data management, regulatory documentation, or REDCap.
• Familiarity with human-subjects research procedures and IRB requirements.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and recordkeeping skills, with attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Proficiency with standard office software and familiarity with research programming or data-analysis tools.
• Interest in psychosis, schizophrenia, cognitive neuroscience, or computational psychiatry.

Work Location

1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032

The Mission of the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. RFMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities. To this end, RFMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring that RFMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees' unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. RFMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

The Research Foundation is a private not-for-profit corporation and is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. Excellent Benefits Package. Affi"}