Summary

Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby PhD, MA in The Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine is seeking an experienced full-time Research Assistant for a 2-year project aiming to test an integrated patient decision support platform for LVAD therapy for heart failure, combining a patient decision aid with a newly developed personalized risk and survival prediction tool. Individuals interested in issues at the intersection of ethics and decision making will find this project of great interest. The individual hired will work with an interdisciplinary team of researchers including bioethicists, decision scientists, medical anthropologists, and clinicians. The individual will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the study of the use and impact of this platform (especially the personalized risk predictor component) in a multi-site study at 6 partnering clinical sites across the U.S. Special emphasis will be on the two local in-person Houston/Texas Medical Center sites and working closely with the clinical teams at those sites to ensure study success.

The Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy promotes an intellectually stimulating and collaborative environment conducive to academic excellence. The Center cultivates a culture of intentionality, respect, inclusivity, and collaboration. We offer intellectual, social, and professional development opportunities to promote a meaningful work experience. We are reflective and mindful of issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion in both interactions with one another. This position has the possibility for hybrid work arrangements.

For more information about Baylor College of Medicine and the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, visit our website at www.bcm.edu/ethics.

Job Duties

• Manage day-to-day activities of the project, including IRB protocols, managing project files and organizing project activities, and meetings.
• Provide overall project management and coordinate with co-investigators, collaborators, contractors, and staff to move project forward.
• Schedule and organize project meetings, including developing agendas and running the meetings.
• Develop and maintain relationships with clinical coordinators at 6 partnering clinical sites
• Manage the development of interview guides and conduct interviews with patients, caregivers, and clinicians.
• Oversee data collection from partner sites during the study, ensure the quality of data, and identify and address issues around data collection as they arise.
• Prepare progress reports for key stakeholders, funders, and clinicaltrials.gov.
• Prepare and assist with preparation of presentations for dissemination of findings.
• Provide research and writing support, including conducting comprehensive literature and assisting with manuscript preparation and authoring/co-authoring.
• Maintain and update project website.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Two years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social sciences, public health, or bioethics.
• Experience in project coordination, clinical research and/or qualitative interviewing.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for data tracking and reporting.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship building, and verbal communication skills.
• Capable of multi-tasking effectively, prioritizing complex deliverables, and working independently and collaboratively to meet deadlines.
• Candidate should be a motivated, driven, pro-active problem solver.
• Candidate should be extremely dependable and detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Demonstrated analytical and written communication skills, including proficiency in scholarly writing.