Research Assistant

Under the direction of the Principal Investigators and Research Program Managers, we are seeking a Research Assistant who will assist in the coordination and execution of activities that support the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity’s (JHCHE) research goals and research studies. The JHCHE works to promote equity in health for at-risk populations through advancing scientific knowledge, promoting sustainable changes in practice and policy, partnering with communities, raising public awareness of health inequities, and training scholars. In addition to supporting efforts of the JHCHE, the incumbent will also support the Mid-Atlantic Center for Cardiometabolic Health Equity’s (MACCHE) three cores: The Community Engagement Core (CEC), Investigator Development (ID) Core, and Administrative Core, along with four research studies. In partnership with the JHCHE and the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), in collaboration with Morgan State University and other local institutions, the goal of the MACCHE is to test the effectiveness of several evidence-based strategies for improving cardiometabolic health outcomes among disadvantaged populations, using community-based and patient-centered research principles that may be translated into clinical and public health practices.

The CEC serves as the MACCHE’s focal point for cultivating, organizing, and promoting bi-directional learning and communication between consortium partners and a robust cadre of multisectoral stakeholders. To accomplish this goal, we will employ best-practices in community-based participatory research to ensure that the voices and perspectives of marginalized communities are embedded into the fabric of MACCHE’s research and training initiatives.

The IDC has three specific aims: (1) To establish a pilot project program for postdoctoral fellows, early career faculty and other Early-Stage Investigators to support innovative research related to chronic disease disparities. (2) To create a multidisciplinary mentoring network and community for pilot project awardees. (3) To support Early-Stage Investigators with structured didactic training to promote ethical, scientifically rigorous, and reproducible research to address chronic disease disparities.

The Administrative Core will be responsible for guiding and coordinating shared data and intervention resources, CEC and IDC activities and supporting the three research studies. Constituted of experts in Clinical Medicine, Nursing, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Behavioral Science, Health Services Research, Implementation Science, and Community-Based Participatory Research, this core will be responsible for executing that overarching goal while using a comprehensive approach to health equity that includes research and translation, education and training, community engagement, and local to global learning.

The incumbent will work with adult community members, stakeholders, faculty, staff, and students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health. They will assist the JHCHE Program Managers and leadership with project coordination, public facing presentations, administrative support and other assigned duties.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop materials to help promote and recruit applicants to the MACCHE pilot project program, identify avenues (locations and processes) for enhancing the recruitment of underrepresented groups in biomedical research.
• Answer queries and provide technical information to Early-Stage investigators who wish to apply for pilot project awards.
• Maintain database of pilot project applicants and awardees, areas of research focus; track pilot project program progress and goals; generate reports for meetings.
• Provide technical support during pilot project application reviews; act as liaison to applicants, awardees, mentoring teams, and application reviewers.
• Completes monthly reports for MACCHE IDC and CEC for submission to Center PIs.
• Maintains knowledge of research study protocols.
• Monitor requests from the Health Equity Action Network (HEAN) Research Coordinating Center, attend consortium workgroup meetings, connect HEAN staff with appropriate MACCHE personnel, as applicable.
• Assists with maintaining an updated list of Community Advisory Board (CAB) members.
• Performs other CAB related duties including, but not limited to, attending in person quarterly CAB meetings, reminding staff of their roles during CAB meetings, sending out annual holiday gifts to CAB members, and creating honorarium letters after each meeting.
• Assists in the development of Center Updates and CAB meeting highlights for each CAB meeting.
• Assists in the development of presentations, publications, toolkits, flyers, letters and other materials for dissemination of r