Research Associate, Population Sciences - Department of Oncology

Wayne State University; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayne State University is seeking a Research Associate with a strong background in population sciences and cancer epidemiology to join the Oncology department in Detroit. You will assist with design, data collection, and analysis for human subjects studies and collaborate across multi‑PI teams.

The role emphasizes managing datasets, coordinating regulatory documentation, and contributing to findings for conferences and journals while advancing cancer genomics projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in public health, psychology, social sciences, nursing, biology, or related fields.
• Advanced knowledge, predominantly intellectual in character, in a field of science or learning acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction.
• Experience conducting clinical or human subjects research is preferred.
• Experience with participant recruitment, informed consent, data collection, and maintenance of regulatory documentation is preferred.
• Excellent time management, organizational, and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and implementation of clinical research protocols involving humansubjects. Recruit and screen participants through approved methods, including outreach, surveys, and interviews.
• Collect, enter, and maintain accurate clinical and research data, including outcomes, surveys, and case report forms.
• Prepare and assist with presentations of research findings for professional, scientific, and academic conferences.
• Organize and summarize study results for submission to peer‑reviewed journals and regulatory documents.
• Coordinate study materials and supplies, support audits, and ensure confidentiality and data security.

Skills

R programming

Python

Unix/Linux

Cloud computing

Data visualization

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in public health, psychology, social sciences, nursing, biology, or related fields

MS in Statistical Genetics / Human Genetics with Computational Biology / Quantitative Epidemiology or BS with 3+ years of work experience equivalent MS-level understanding

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Research Associate, Population Sciences - Department of Oncology

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Research Associate, Population Sciences - Department of Oncology at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

Essential functions (job duties):

Supportthe design and implementation of clinical research protocols involving humansubjects. Recruit and screen study participants through approved methods,including outreach, surveys, and interviews. Conduct study visits and collectclinical and research data in compliance with Institutional Review Board(IRB), regulatory, and protocol requirements. Communicate regularly with thePrincipal Investigator and research team regarding study progress andparticipant status.

Collect, enter, and maintainaccurate clinical and research data, including outcomes, surveys, and casereport forms. Monitor data quality and completeness. Perform preliminary dataanalysis and generate graphs, charts, and tables to summarize results inaccordance with study protocols. Proofread and verify research data anddocumentation for accuracy.

Prepareand assist with presentations of research findings for professional,scientific, and academic conferences. Organize and summarize study resultsfor submission to peer-reviewed journals. Assist in drafting, factchecking,editing, and proofreading scientific manuscripts, study reports, andregulatory documents.

Maintain organized research records and study filesin accordance with regulatory and institutional requirements. Coordinatestudy materials and supplies, and support documentation for audits,monitoring visits, and regulatory submissions. Ensure workspaces remainorganized and compliant with confidentiality and data security standards.

Performother related duties as assigned.

Unique duties:

We seek a full-time, entry-level Research Associate with a strong foundation in computational genomics and a keen interest in cancer and epidemiology. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to various projectsutilizing -omic data (e.g., GWAS, sequencing, RNA-seq, ATAC-seq) and integrating publicly available datasets from All of Us, UK Biobank, and dbGaP. The focus will be on understanding susceptibility to and survival following hematologic malignancies. This position is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to strengthen their computational skills while developing deeper expertise in cancer genomics and epidemiology. - Under the direction of the PI, design, execute, and interpret genetic studies using diverse quantitative and binary traits from large-scale cohorts. - Collaborate with colleagues in various multi-PI research consortia, including presenting and discussing analysis results. - Stay up to date with advances in human genetic analysis methods and be able to discuss these developments with both experts and non-experts.

Qualifications:

Education:Bachelor's degree

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in public health, psychology, social sciences, nursing, biology, or related fields.

Requires advanced knowledge, predominantly intellectual in character, in a field of science or learning acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction.

Experience:Intermediate (3 to 4 years job-related experience)

Experience conducting clinical or human subjects research is preferred.
Experience with participant recruitment, informed consent, data collection, and maintenance of regulatory documentation is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Ability to work independently and manage multiple clinical research activities while adhering to study protocols, regulatory requirements, and timelines.Ability to analyze, summarize, and interpret clinical research data and communicate findings effectively in reports and presentations.Requires knowledge predominantly intellectual in character in a field of science or learning acquired through specialized instruction.Knowledge of scientific integrity principles, responsible conduct of research, and human subject protections (e.g., IRB requirements, confidentiality standards).Excellent time management, organizational, and documentation skills.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to interact professionally with research participants, clinical staff, and multidisciplinary research teams.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiarity with clinical research databases or electronic data capture systems is preferred.Ability to recruit and communicate effectively with diverse populations, including medically underserved communities.
Ability to identify workflow issues and recommend process improvements.

Preferred qualifications:

- MS in Statistical Genetics, Human Genetics with Computational Biology, Quantitative Epidemiology, or a relatedfield OR BS with 3+ years of work experience demonstrating an equivalent MS-level understanding of subjectmatter and skill set. - Experience with data QC, analysis, and interpretation of human biological data. Prior experience in human genetics (single variant and gene-based association analysis using WES/WGS/array genotyping data) is ideal, but candidates with relevant experience in adjacent fields and a willingness to learn areencouraged to apply. - Basic understanding of EHR data (e.g., UK Biobank, All of Us) and genomics databases (e.g., gnomAD, 1000 Genomes, TOPMed). Prior hands-on experience with these resources is preferred but not required. - Proficiency in R required; Python is also acceptable. - Working knowledge of Unix/Linux and cloud computing environments. - Strong interest in developing written and verbal communication skills for conveying analysis results to experts and non-experts. - Some experience with peer-reviewed publications and/or conference presentations is preferred.

School/College/Division:

H06 - School of Medicine

Primary department:

H0632 - Oncology

Employment type:

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Research

Funding/salary information:

• Compensation type: Annual Salary

Working conditions:

Typical work environment may include office, clinical, community, and/or research settings. May require evening or weekend hours to accommodate study participants. May require local travel for recruitment, community engagement, or professional conferences.

Job openings:

• Number of openings: 1
• Reposted position: No
• Reposted reason: None (New Requisition)
• Prior posting/requisition number:

Background check requirements:

University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.