Research Assistant, Cardiac Sciences

Position Overview

The Department of Cardiac Sciences in the Cumming School of Medicine invites applications for a Research Assistant. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 6 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

This position reports directly to cardiac surgeon investigators leading clinical research such as randomized trials and cohort studies within the Section of Cardiac Surgery and the Department of Cardiac Sciences with the Cumming School of Medicine, Foothills Campus and is focused on innovation, translation and clinical outcomes. 

The research assistant will require flexibility in their daily hours as patients enrolled in the studies will need to be seen in the mornings prior to surgery.  On surgical days this may require a 6am start time.  The research assistant will also interview and consent patients in pre-operative assessment clinic and post-operatively on the ward, thus the successful candidate will be comfortable working in an ambulatory setting and may be required to flex their schedule to include weekends.

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
• Record findings to collaborate on publications within the field of the research in both a national and international level
• Conduct patient randomization, retro and prospective data collection and analyses
• Perform standard trouble-shooting within the study SOPs
• Conduct literature review, surveys, laboratory experiments and other research for us in scholarly publications when required to
• Reliable and safe operations in a laboratory and clinical setting
• Use of various biological samples (eg. tissues, blood, urine, etc)
• Establishes and maintains effective, productive relationships with staff, peers, immediate supervisor and senior management and with the campus community
• Manages own time effectively and ensures immediate reports to manager is kept informed of activities, and progress of work
• Demonstrated strong communication, team and customer service skills, and an ability to exercise judgment within established guidelines
• Understanding of safety codes, standards, and systems related to specialization

Qualifications / Requirements:

• University Degree or Masters Degree in health sciences or kinesiology or other relevant education related to Cardiovascular Science
• Minimum 2 years of technical research and clinical trial experience
• 1 to 3 years of related technical experience within the research area of Cardiac Surgery
• Perform detailed design, documentation, and implementation of moderately complex technological systems
• Experience with data collection and tracking, measuring, and reporting outcomes is an asset
• Will have technical knowledge in cardiac anatomy and surgical approaches including traditional sternotomy and minimally invasive approaches
• Provide technical support for other team members through advice on technical and clinical trial issues
• Experience in facilitating and delivering presentations is an asset
• Knowledge of theory and practical application of SOPs
• Must be open to learning and development, and be willing to accept new challenges and assignments
• Work with various biological samples (eg. blood, tissues, urine, etc)
• Demonstrated strong communication, team and customer service skills, and an ability to exercise judgment within established guidelines
• intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), PRISM statistical analysis, and REDCAP database software
• Knowledge of University core business systems is desirable
• Knowledge of AHS privacy, security and compliance regulations is required
• A positive attitude and the ability to work independently and as part of a team are critical to success
• WHMIS

Application Deadline:  February 15, 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.