Human Intracranial Neuroscience Research Assistant I

Site: The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

 

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

 

 

Job Summary

GENERAL SUMMARY
The Mapping & Engineering Neural Dynamics (MEND) Lab at Brigham & Women’s Hospital is a human neural engineering laboratory that uses electrophysiological recordings and advanced imaging to understand the brain. We are particularly focused on diseases where brain activity is changed, like epilepsy, tremor, pain, and psychiatric disorders. Our research typically goes beyond simply “listening” to the brain by incorporating methods of changing brain dynamics, like electrical stimulation, to better treat these disorders.

We are looking for a motivated, detail-oriented, and talented individual to assist in the implementation of behavioral assessments and the acquisition and management of neural and behavioral data. The Research Assistant will work closely with neurosurgeon and neuroscientist John Rolston, M.D., Ph.D. (MEND Lab PI), other research scientists in the MEND Lab and associated labs and will routinely interact with patients. Given the complexity of the work involved, a minimum commitment of two years is preferred.

 

Qualifications

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Administration of cognitive tasks and questionnaires to patients undergoing intracranial monitoring for epilepsy treatment or electrode implantation surgery for treatment of movement disorders.
• Assists in writing research publications.  Performs independent literature searches and selects references for final publication. Prepares data and graphics.  Assists in presenting study findings to interested groups both inside and outside of the hospital.
• Perform administrative duties such as protocol design, data analysis, quality assurance, grant preparation, documentation for Human Studies approval, study progress reports, and manuscript preparation.
• Collection of neural and behavioral data, de-identification of data, processing, and management of the acquired data.
• Daily monitoring of patients and recordings to ensure a high-quality data collection. Weekends will be covered on a rotating schedule.
• Document and maintain specific protocol information and communications according to established guidelines.
• Record keeping of research activities and maintenance of research databases.
• Maintain confidential patient files including all correspondence, information, raw data and follow-up status of all study patients.
• Attend relevant clinical planning and lab meetings.
• Equipment and lab supply purchases, maintain communications with suppliers and purchase department.

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES

• The position requires independence, problem-solving capabilities, willingness and dedication to troubleshoot technical issues.
• Good command of English language, including basic medical and scientific terminology.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to interact effectively with many different people including patients, doctors, nurses, grant administrators and researchers.
• Exceptional organizational skills and the flexibility to handle multiple tasks and deadline pressures.
• Computer skills including configuration of operating systems, word processing and spreadsheets required. 
• Desired: Programming ability in MATLAB and/or Python, familiarity with neuropsychiatric / neurocognitive testing platforms and concepts.
• Desired: Working knowledge of data management concepts (experience with Redcap/Epic is a plus)
• Desired: Knowledge or willingness to learn the methods, materials, and equipment used in research activities.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required in a science or healthcare related field.  BA/BS degree in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, or a closely related field is preferred.

• New graduates with some relevant course/project work or those without any prior research experience will be considered for the research assistant position outlined above.
• Experience in behavioral testing, analytical skill, Matlab and/or Python programming and database management is desired.

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