Research Assistant, Addiction Psychiatry

Boston Medical Center (BMC); Boston (MA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Tuition reimbursement and remission

Insurance: medical, dental, vision

6.5 weeks paid time off

Career development opportunities

Pioneering biomedical research

Job summary

Boston Medical Center in Boston, MA seeks a Research Assistant for Addiction Psychiatry to support an NIH-funded study. The role includes recruitment, data collection, and consent processes for youth aged 13–26, with an emphasis on overdose prevention education during routine care.

The RA will assist in data management, literature searches, and grant-related tasks, potentially translating to Spanish and supporting manuscript preparation as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required by time of hire.
• Experience in clinical research or public health preferred.
• Fluent in English; Spanish skills a plus.
• Ability to recruit subjects and maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Assists in data collection and provides feedback on study’s progress.
• Recruits subjects to participate in the study using approved methodologies and referrals.
• Enrols study participants, explains procedures, and obtains informed consent.
• Schedules appointments, conducts reminders, and handles participant reimbursement payments.

Skills

Excellent English communication

Spanish bilingual

Cultural sensitivity

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Statistical software

Job description

Position: Research Assistant, Addiction Psychiatry

Department: Psychiatry Research

Location: Boston, MA

Schedule: 40 hours per week, On-site

Position Summary

The Research Assistant (RA) will support a new NIH-funded study, Ready 2 Respond: a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of a brief universal overdose prevention intervention in pediatric primary care. Health care providers will deliver an educational intervention to adolescents and young adults ages 13 to 26 on substance use safety information, including how to recognize and respond to an overdose, during routine appointments. Youth will be recruited from clinics across several Boston-area health centers. The study aims to address youth overdose risk by increasing youth knowledge on the risks of emerging drugs, such as illicit fentanyl, and better prepare youth to protect themselves and those around them from overdose.

Conducts patient recruitment, administers questionnaires, abstracts medical records, maintains patient databases, performs administrative tasks, assists in grant preparation, performs literature searches and participates with the research team in preparation of data and other reports. May also assist the principal investigator with translation to Spanish, interpreting experimental results, and in preparing and writing manuscripts.

Job Responsibilities

• Assists in data collection and provides feedback on study’s progress.
• Recruits subjects to participate in the study by using approved methodologies, such as, reaching to healthcare providers for referrals, visiting clinics, sending mailouts, using approved advertisements, etc.
• Conducts the enrollment of study participants, including explaining research procedures, and obtaining informed consent of subjects and/or their families.
• Schedules appointments of study participants; conducts reminder phone calls and/or sends mailouts. Obtains and distributes payment vouchers for participant reimbursements/participation.

Administrative

• Responsible for the administrative aspects of the research study, including: managing program records and handling communication needs of the program.
• Prepares and maintains Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals and correspondence, including amendments and renewals as necessary.
• Perform administrative duties associated with the study’s Data Monitoring and Safety Board, tracking and reporting adverse events and collecting data specified by the DSMB. Responsible for all other administrative duties related to research activities.

The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required

Education

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree is required by time of hire.

Experience

• Prefer experience in clinical research, public health experience or working with youth and families.
• Previous experience with recruiting subjects, with an understanding of the ethical and technical conduct of research preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written).
• Bilingual candidate preferred, fluent in spoken and written English and Spanish.
• Cultural sensitivity and comfort with a wide range of social, racial and ethnic populations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (i.e. MS Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook) and web browsers. Experience with statistical software a plus.
• Must be able to maintain strict confidentiality of all personal/health sensitive information.

Job Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Tuition reimbursement and tuition remission programs
• Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• 6.5 weeks of paid time off
• Career Advancement/Professional Development: Access a wealth of ongoing training and development opportunities that will not only enhance your skills but also expand your knowledge base especially for individuals pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research.
• Pioneering Research: Engage in groundbreaking research projects that are driving the forefront of biomedical science.

About The Department

As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn’t dictate health.

Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to [e-mail] or call 617-638-8582 to let us know the nature of your request.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans

Compensation Range

$16.35- $22.84

NOTE

This range is based on Boston-area data, and is subject to modification based on geographic location.