Research Assistant, Paediatrics

Position Overview

The Department of Paediatrics in the Cumming School of Medicine invites applications for a Research Assistant. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately12 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

Reporting to the Principal Investigator.

The Research Assistant will work with the Principal Investigator and other research personnel/teams in the NICUs and other designated neonatology research areas (obstetrics floor and clinic).

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Under general supervision & direction of the PI, develop and implement original experiments within the guidelines of the research
• Adapt existing programs to new datasets and perform analysis independently. Communicate with the different disciplinary teams involved in a project as well as with subjects and patients to schedule experiments
• Perform literature review on a specific question to enable the PI to get a quick overview over a research topic and thus adapt a research project accordingly
• Conduct literature review, surveys, laboratory experiments and other research for use in scholarly publications as required
• Obtaining consents from parents for research projects
• Obtaining study samples and processing these for storage/analysis; Obtaining blood samples from adults in certain studies
• Assist with the study protocols/procedures done in NICUs
• Prepare packages of information to be given to research families as needed
• Collect data on inpatient study subjects and enter data into a comprehensive database; Assist with development of database for studies
• Prepare summaries of the data for presentations and reports, including preparation of reports for multicenter studies
• Oversight and supervises in the data collection and entry for ongoing studies and maintain a secure database for an ongoing clinical trial
• Will advise other members of the program including research nurses, post-doctoral residents, research assistants, and other collaborators

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Bachelor or Master Degree in the discipline of Biological or related Sciences

• Minimum 1 year recent, related experience

• Working knowledge of perinatal physiology, neonatal respiratory control is desirable

• Should feel comfortable in managing equipment to record and analyze respiratory responses under control and experimental conditions

• Prior clinical research experience will be an asset

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills are required including interacting with parents

• Basic knowledge of research methods, epidemiologic principles, and statistics. Knowledge and experience of STATA/SPSS or SAS would be an asset

• Demonstrated ability for professional report writing. Proficiency in literature search strategies

• Working knowledge of medical terminology will be an asset

• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite

• Knowledge of the University of Calgary processes and procedures is desirable

Application Deadline:  February 9, 2023

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Technical Job Family, Phase I.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website. For more information visit Careers in the Cumming School of Medicine.

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.