Research Coordinator

Stanford PMHW; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health is seeking a Clinical Research Coordinator to lead operational coordination across psychiatry, ophthalmology, radiology, and psychology teams. You will manage referrals, imaging scheduling, and participant tracking for brain-based precision medicine studies.

Applicants should have a relevant Bachelor's degree with 2+ years in research operations, and be skilled at coordinating complex workflows within a fast-paced academic medical setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with 2+ years of experience in research operations within clinical settings
• Experience navigating clinical research platforms and coordinating referrals across departments
• Strong organizational, communication, and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills
• Familiarity with imaging workflows and informed consent processes may be beneficial

Responsibilities

• Coordinate clinical research studies and operational workflows from start-up through close-out across multiple collaborating departments
• Manage participant flow across clinical evaluations, imaging visits, and research appointments with complex scheduling
• Coordinate patient referrals and longitudinal participation across a portfolio of clinical trials involving precision mental health interventions
• Schedule and track functional brain imaging sessions aligned with study protocols and treatment timelines
• Assist in informed consent processes and recruitment strategies
• Collect and manage research data and participant assessments for precision medicine studies
• Develop and maintain clinical/operational workflows and SOPs across departments
• Collaborate with investigators, clinicians, imaging teams, and study staff to ensure protocols are implemented smoothly
• Build relationships with clinical research collaborators and referring providers across psychiatry, ophthalmology, radiology, psychology
• Serve as a liaison with Stanford PMHW, hospital administration, imaging facilities, and community partners
• Support launch and development of interdisciplinary translational research initiatives
• Identify opportunities to expand the Center’s network of collaborators

Skills

Coordination

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

Tools

Epic/EHR

Job description

The Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health is focused on advancing precision medicine approaches for mental health. Our research is centered on developing brain-based classifications that improve understanding of the individual and inform personalized treatment selection. This Clinical Research Coordinator role will serve as a central operational and relationship-management position within the Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health.

Major responsibilities will include the development, coordination, and ongoing management of a broad network of clinical research collaborators and referral partners affiliated with the Center. These collaborators span multiple clinical and research disciplines, including psychiatry, primary care, ophthalmology, radiology, and psychology. The role will involve building strong working relationships across departments, supporting referral pathways into clinical research studies, facilitating communication among stakeholders, and helping ensure efficient coordination across partnering clinical sites and teams. Our clinical research studies incorporate functional MRI as a foundation for brain-based treatment personalization.

One focus in the center will be the launch and operational development of a new interdisciplinary initiative jointly led by the Stanford Center, the Department of Psychiatry, and the Department of Ophthalmology. This initiative will focus on coordinating patient referrals and longitudinal research participation across a series of clinical trials using our personalized fMRI approach, linked with advanced interventions and multimodal assessment approaches. A core component of the CRCA role will include coordinating the scheduling and tracking of functional brain imaging sessions timed to align with treatment protocols and study milestones, including pre-treatment, during-treatment, and post-treatment imaging assessments. Interventions across these studies will include Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), ketamine-based treatments, and related emerging therapeutics.

The position will require exceptional organizational skills, strong interpersonal and communication abilities, comfort working across multidisciplinary clinical environments, and the ability to manage complex scheduling and research coordination workflows in a fast-paced academic medical setting. The role will be based within a team that values cooperation, fairness, efficiency, conscientiousness, and diversity of thought and background.

Interested candidates should include in their application:

1. A cover letter addressing the requirements of the role, motivation to contribute to research in precision mental health, and how their education and experience relate to the position described above.
2. Resume or CV
3. In the cover letter or Resume/CV, please include the names of at least three referees.

The position is open until filled. However, because of funding timelines and project milestones, we are seeking to fill this position as soon as possible.

The supervising PI for this position is Leanne Williams. Learn more about the Center at Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health. For specific inquiries about the position: [e-mail] .

Specific Tasks Include:

• Coordinate clinical research studies and operational workflows from study start-up through close-out across multiple collaborating departments and clinical programs.
• Manage participant flow across clinical evaluations, imaging visits, and research appointments, including complex scheduling and cross-departmental coordination.
• Coordinate patient referrals and longitudinal participation across a portfolio of clinical trials involving precision mental health interventions, including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), ketamine, and related treatments.
• Coordinate scheduling and tracking of functional brain imaging sessions aligned with study protocols and treatment timelines, including pre-treatment, during-treatment, and post-treatment assessments.
• Determine eligibility of and obtain informed consent from study participants according to protocol requirements; assist in developing and implementing recruitment and referral strategies integrated within clinical workflows.
• Collect participant assessments and research data for precision medicine studies, including administering questionnaires and supporting protocol-specific evaluations.
• Collect and manage functional magnetic resonance imaging and related assessments for participants in precision medicine in mental health and neuroimaging studies.
• Develop, implement, and maintain clinical and operational workflows, standard operating procedures, referral documentation, and research-clinical integration processes across collaborating departments.
• Collaborate with investigators, clinicians, imaging teams, and study staff to ensure research protocols are operationally feasible, efficiently implemented, and well integrated into clinical care settings.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with clinical research collaborators, clinic managers, nurse coordinators, administrative teams, and referring providers across psychiatry, primary care, ophthalmology, radiology, psychology, and related disciplines.
• Serve as a liaison between the Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health, partnering departments, hospital administration, imaging facilities, and community collaborators.
• Support the launch and ongoing operational development of new interdisciplinary translational research initiatives and clinical-research partnerships.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen and expand the Center’s network of clinical research collaborators and translational programs.
• Ensure compliance with research protocols and regulatory requirements; review and audit study documentation for completeness and accuracy and prepare Institutional Review Board submissions and renewals.
• Navigate Stanford Health Care systems, including Epic/EHR and scheduling platforms, to support coordination between clinical care, imaging operations, and research activities.
• Monitor expenditures and operational needs related to project activities and study coordination.
• Serve as a primary contact for research participants, collaborators, clinical partners, funders, and regulatory agencies.
• Other duties may also be assigned.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (including science, psychology, nursing) with 2+ years of relevant experience in research operations within clinical settings, coordination of research participants and/or research coordination within an academic medical center or academic hospital setting.
• Demonstrated experience navigating the applied, hands-on operations of doing research within a clinical setting and/or academic medical settings (for example, EPIC, referral management, coordination with clinicians).
• Highly organized with demonstrated examples of project ownership and follow through.
• Prior experience in psychiatry, behavioral health, or neuroscience clinical settings.
• Experience with neuroimaging acquisition or willingness to learn