Research Assistant (SRI) - Biological Sciences - Casual 2026-18830

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Toronto; On-site; CAD 45,000 - 65,000; Part time

Job summary

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto seeks a part-time clinical research support role focused on cervical recruitment for a Mount Sinai Hospital cervical program. You will coordinate clinic sessions, obtain consent, manage cervical sample workflows, and ensure accurate logs under supervision.

Reporting to the Drewlo Laboratory, you will train new staff, maintain procedures, and provide weekly progress updates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, health sciences or a related discipline; a relevant MSc is an asset.
• Experience with clinical research recruitment, participant communication, study documentation and biological sample handling.
• Experience in pregnancy research, cervical sample workflows or obstetric outpatient clinics is an asset.
• Ability to follow established protocols, maintain accurate and traceable records, recognize discrepancies and communicate them promptly.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and ability to train colleagues in established procedures.
• Availability for Thursday clinic coverage and approximately one additional day per week, with scheduling agreed with the research team.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate assigned clinic sessions with the clinical team, prepare study materials and supplies, and identify potentially eligible participants using approved study criteria.
• Approach participants and support recruitment and informed consent in accordance with approved study procedures, training and delegated responsibilities.
• Coordinate cervical sample collection with authorized clinical staff and manage labelling, receipt, transport, processing and storage under established protocols.
• Maintain accurate screening, consent, recruitment and sample logs; enter study data promptly and reconcile specimen identifiers with the corresponding records.
• Train incoming students and staff in established recruitment, documentation and sample workflows; maintain written instructions and complete a documented handover.
• Provide a brief weekly update on clinic coverage, recruitment, samples and training progress. Promptly report missed collections, discrepancies and protocol deviations to the supervisor.
• Protect participant confidentiality and follow applicable research ethics, privacy, laboratory safety and site access requirements.

Skills

Clinical recruitment

Participant communication

Study documentation

Sample handling

Team training

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences

MSc asset

Job description

One of Canada's Top 10 Research Hospitals, Sunnybrook Research Institute is developing innovations in care for the more than 1.3 million patients the hospital cares for annually.

Sunnybrook Research Institute is the research enterprise of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. Research spans three Toronto-based campuses, eight programs and three scientific platforms. Our main aims are to understand and prevent disease, and to develop treatments that enhance and extend life. Our vision is to invent the future of health care. Each year, we conduct about $100 million in research across 500,000 square feet, including in the world’s first Centre for Research in Image-Guided Therapeutics.

The Drewlo laboratory studies placental biology and pregnancy complications. This position will maintain recruitment and sample workflows for the cervical research program at Mount Sinai Hospital while incoming team members are trained. The anticipated need is approximately two days per week for up to three months, covering clinic activities and associated laboratory work.

Initial Mount Sinai coverage will focus on Thursdays, coordinated with Dr. John Kingdom and the clinic team. Other scheduled time will support sample handling, documentation and training at Sunnybrook Research Institute and/or Mount Sinai. The role reports to Dr. Sascha Drewlo and works with Pinki Nandi and the clinical research team.

Summary of Duties

• Coordinate assigned clinic sessions with the clinical team, prepare study materials and supplies, and identify potentially eligible participants using approved study criteria.
• Approach participants and support recruitment and informed consent in accordance with approved study procedures, training and delegated responsibilities.
• Coordinate cervical sample collection with authorized clinical staff and manage labelling, receipt, transport, processing and storage under established protocols.
• Maintain accurate screening, consent, recruitment and sample logs; enter study data promptly and reconcile specimen identifiers with the corresponding records.
• Train incoming students and staff in established recruitment, documentation and sample workflows; maintain written instructions and complete a documented handover.
• Provide a brief weekly update on clinic coverage, recruitment, samples and training progress. Promptly report missed collections, discrepancies and protocol deviations to the supervisor.
• Protect participant confidentiality and follow applicable research ethics, privacy, laboratory safety and site access requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, health sciences or a related discipline; a relevant MSc is an asset.
• Experience with clinical research recruitment, participant communication, study documentation and biological sample handling.
• Experience in pregnancy research, cervical sample workflows or obstetric outpatient clinics is an asset.
• Ability to follow established protocols, maintain accurate and traceable records, recognize discrepancies and communicate them promptly.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and ability to train colleagues in established procedures.
• Familiarity with research ethics and confidentiality requirements; completion of required study and site training before undertaking assigned duties.
• Availability for Thursday clinic coverage and approximately one additional day per week, with scheduling agreed with the research team.