Research Specialist

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 41,000 - 50,000; Part time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking a Research Specialist to manage auditory perception experiments in listeners with normal hearing and cochlear implants. The role includes coordinating lab activities, maintaining databases (REDCAP, OnCore, eBinders), and updating lab protocols for cochlear implant recipients.

The candidate will train staff, recruit subjects, and maintain software code for AEPO experiments and data analysis, contributing to lab publications and IRB communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Neuroscience, CSD or related field.
• Experience with direct stimulation and electrophysiological measures in cochlear implants preferred.
• Experience writing code to analyze auditory perception data and coordinating experiments.

Responsibilities

• Operates, cleans, and maintains research equipment and area; tracks inventory and orders supplies.
• Performs literature reviews and writes reports.
• Provides operational guidance to unit staff and student workers.
• Reviews and interprets data; prepares presentations and reports for internal/external audiences.
• Participates in development and implementation of research methods and materials.
• Conducts experiments per established protocols; collects data and monitors results.

Skills

Cochlear implant electrophysiology

Data analysis coding

Laboratory coordination

IRB coordination

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Neuroscience, Communication Sciences and Disorders, or related field

Tools

MATLAB

R

Prism

REDCAP

OnCore

eBinders

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category

Academic Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Research Specialist

Job Summary

The Waisman Center is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases throughout the lifespan. One of 15 centers of its kind in the United States, the Waisman Center encompasses laboratories for biomedical and behavioral research, several scientific research cores, and a clinical biomanufacturing facility for the production of pharmaceuticals for early stage human clinical trials. In addition to its research efforts, the Center provides an array of services to people with developmental disabilities, offers numerous educational and outreach programs to young children and their families, and trains scientists and clinicians who will serve our nation in the future.

This position will work within the Gibbs Auditory Encoding and Processing Optimization (AEPO) Laboratory (PI: Bobby Gibbs). The AEPO lab's goal is to increase the benefit of signal enhancement algorithms such as noise reduction when auditory neural encoding is altered. The lab focuses on multiple types of altered encoding, including sub-optimal electric stimulation (as occurs for cochlear implant recipients) and older age. Links are analyzed between enhancement algorithms, speech cue discrimination in noise, and objective (electrophysiological and behavioral) indices of auditory encoding. The AEPO lab also uses machine learning and automated speech recognition models to ultimately guide enhancement algorithms based on different neural degeneration profiles.

The Research Specialist will assist with ongoing research projects related to auditory perception experiments in listeners with typical acoustic hearing and listeners with cochlear implants. The Research Specialist will lead the coordination of research experiments in the lab and supervise undergraduate workers. Primary responsibilities will include maintaining research databases using REDCAP, OnCore and eBinders, maintain AEPO lab protocols (which include unique considerations for cochlear implant recipients), training staff to adhere to our protocols, updating inventory, coordinating subject recruitment, and maintaining software code unique to AEPO lab experiments and data analysis. Additional responsibilities will include Internal Review Board (IRB) correspondence and providing timely research synthesis for lab publications.

This position is a part-time to full-time position with a full-time equivalency (FTE) of 75% - 100% (an estimated 30-40 hours per week).

Key Job Responsibilities

• Operates, cleans, and maintains organization of research equipment and research area. Tracks inventory levels and places replenishment orders
• Performs literature reviews and writes reports
• Provides operational guidance on day-to-day activities of unit or program staff and/or student workers
• Reviews, analyzes, and interprets data and/or documents results for presentations and/or reporting to internal and external audiences
• Participates in the development, interpretation, and implementation of research methodology and materials
• Conducts research experiments according to established research protocols with moderate impact to the project(s). Collects data and monitors test results

Department

Waisman Center

Compensation

$45,879 minimum; Salary is negotiable and will be based on education, experience and skills. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts and retirement benefits.

Required Qualifications

• Previous experience with direct stimulation and electrophysiological measures in cochlear implants.
• Previous experience writing code to analyze auditory perception data.
• Previous experience coordinating research experiments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience assisting with auditory perception research experiments in listeners with typical hearing, cochlear implants, and cochlear implant simulations (vocoders).
• Experience using research databases (REDCAP, OnCore, eBinders).
• Experience using MATLAB, R, and plotting software such as Prism.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Neuroscience, Communication Sciences and Disorders, or related field is required.

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.

Contact Information

For questions regarding this position or posting, please contact Jessica Soper, HR Generalist, at [e-mail] or [phone].

Relay Access (WTRS)

7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.