Research Study Assistant

Department: MED-Mesulam Ctr Cog Neur & Alz
Salary/Grade: NEX/9

Background

The Northwestern University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (NUADRC) Clinical Core study is a longitudinal, observational study. We observe and collect data on participants over a long period of time, but there is no intervention.

Participants attend annual visits with their study partners that typically last two to five hours. During these visits, we collect data that includes memory and thinking tests, brain imaging scans, and blood samples. A participant can choose to participate in brain donation at their time of death. We have participants enrolled that are experiencing healthy aging and those who suffer from dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Northwestern University is one of 37 sites in the United States funded by the National Institute on Aging. All data is de-identified and shared with a national database. There are currently over 15,000 participants in this study nationally with approximately 500 of them actively enrolled at Northwestern University. Once they enroll, most participants are referred to other research studies being led by investigators within the Mesulam Center or the greater Northwestern University scientific community.

Job Summary

The Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease at Northwestern University is hiring a Research Study Assistant for the NUADRC Clinical Core study. The ADRC is enrolling participants to better understand cognitive aging, neurodegeneration, and dementia. At the Mesulam Center, we care deeply about advancing science and creating a safe, supportive space for our participants. Some of our healthy controls are as young as 50 and as old as 110. Many of our patients have atypical or rare forms of dementia such as primary progressive aphasia and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia.

We are looking for an individual who has a passion for science and helping others. This individual will play a critical role in our day-to-day operations of the study including scheduling research visits, completing remote and in-person research visits, collecting and entering data, and assisting with participant recruitment and retention in community outreach. We are looking for an individual who has the following: strong written and oral communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, ability to work well with others, detail-oriented, and the ability to work independently and as part of team. Priority will be given to individuals with prior human participants research experience. We are expecting this person to be on-site Monday-Friday approximately 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.

You can learn more about this position by contacting Kate LaFroscia (Research Project Manager of the NUADRC) at kathryn.lafroscia@northwestern.edu.

Please note this role completes all activities by strictly following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & all relevant current local, state, & federal laws, regulations, guidance, policy & procedure developed by the NU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), & the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH).

Specific Responsibilities:

Technical

• Recruits study participants.
• Reviews & obtains informed consent.
• Schedules study visits with participants.
• Conducts interviews with participants and their study partners &/or caregivers..
• Scores neuropsychological test.
• Collects survey data.
• Reviews medical records.
• Consults with nurses & physicians to determine pretreatment & eligibility requirements of protocol from completion to registration of participants.
• Administers surveys and questionnaires.
• Performs data entry.
• Facilitates communication with key personnel & participants to maintain study flow.

Administration

• Maintains detailed records of results which may include collecting, extracting & entering data; &/or preparing basic charts & graphs for presentation to team meetings where consensus diagnosis is reached

Finance

• May process reimbursements for travel expenses.
• May prepare reports for participant compensation.

Miscellaneous

• Serve on-call in a rotating position for capturing participants' brain donations at their time of death. On-call rotation lasts two weeks and occurs a few times per year.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications: (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as social or health science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• Must complete NU's IRB CITI training before interacting with any participants & must re-certify every 3 years.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Prior research experience at an undergraduate level or above, specifically with human research participants.

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• A bachelor's degree in a health-related field.
• Neuropsychological testing &/or survey administration.
• Experience working with older adults with &/or without cognitive impairments.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Accuracy and strong attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Personable and highly organized.
• Proficient at data entry and navigating electronic data capture systems, specifically REDCap.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $17.05-$26.65 per hour. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.

#LI-ER1