Clinical Research Assistant I-Center for Autism Research, Early Connections Project

SHIFT:

Day (United States of America)

Seeking Breakthrough Makers

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.

At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care—and your career.

CHOP’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection, and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating, and retaining diverse talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children.

We strongly encourage all candidates of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.


A Brief Overview

The Center for Autism Research (CAR) has a three-part mission: to better understand autism in order to develop effective interventions and supports through research; to serve the needs of autistic individuals and their family members through education and guidance throughout the lifespan; and to train the next generation of master clinicians and scientists in state-of-the-science best practices for autism screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

Working at CAR provides the opportunity to be a part of innovative, break-through research on a complex developmental disorder. Most studies at CAR involve behavioral evaluations, brain imaging, and/or genetics aimed at explaining the underlying mechanisms of this complex condition.

We are seeking a full-time Clinical Research Assistant I (CRA I) for a grant-funded project in Drs. Whitney Guthrie and Casey Zampella’s research lab at CAR. This project is focused on the development of new computer vision-based methods of identifying toddlers on the autism spectrum, and validation of this new tool in community, primary-care settings. We are specifically focused on recruiting families from minoritized backgrounds, so interest and experience with diverse patient populations is a plus. CRAs will be actively involved in recruiting families from primary care settings, working with families and study clinicians to conduct study visits, and managing study data.

Primary CRA duties include (but are not limited to): assisting in all aspects of participant recruitment and data collection, including working with primary care providers to identify eligible and interested families, discussing the study with families and obtaining informed consent, working with families to schedule study visits and data collection telephone calls, and collecting data through various study paradigms in the lab or in community settings. Additional data management duties include organizing data collected through paper and pencil or online questionnaires and tests; performing data entry; behavioral video coding; and assisting with IRB protocol amendments, poster presentations, and publication preparation as needed (including conducting literature reviews, creating figures, etc.). Prior experience with some or all of these duties is a plus but not necessary; many Research Assistant duties can be learned on the job. Successful applicants will be fast learners who enjoy working in both research and clinical/community environments. As noted above, CRAs will work primarily with families from minoritized backgrounds, so previous lived and/or professional experience with minoritized families is preferred.

The ideal candidate is also highly organized, has excellent interpersonal and communication skills, is self-motivated and curious, and works well in a team environment.

The CRA will work as part of a team that is committed to culturally sensitive and responsive research methods, working toward intentionally reflecting diverse identities throughout all aspects of its research process. Our team is composed of clinical psychologists, physicians, and computer scientists. The Center for Autism Research (CAR) is a collaborative environment; we are looking for a self-motivated team player with excellent problem-solving and interpersonal skills to support our research efforts.

This position offers valuable clinical research experience in preparation for applying to graduate school. As a member of CAR, the CRA will have the opportunity to participate in outreach events and attend lectures and seminars on recent findings in autism research, allowing exposure to scientific and clinical leaders in the field.

This is a fully onsite position that will split thei