TRiCAM Laboratory Research Specialist

About the Job

The Translational Research in Cognitive and Affective Mechanisms (TRiCAM) laboratory in the University of Minnesota Department of Psychology seeks to hire a Research Specialist (8351SM: Research Professional 1-Social Science-Multidisciplinary) responsible for conducting human psychological research and coordinating scholars (to include students and other scientists) affiliated with the laboratory. The Research Specialist will work as part of a team to refine experimental protocols, and then to recruit, test and train research participants in completing the protocols.

The Research Specialist may also perform statistical analyses under the guidance of the PI and other members of the team to establish and maintain data integrity and to test various hypotheses. The laboratory is running a number of studies that involve patients with psychosis and other serious mental illnesses. This position is ideal for a college graduate interested in psychological or psycho-physiological research who wants to grow their career by engaging in experimental psychopathology, including patient interactions and data collection.

We especially encourage applicants from under-represented minorities to apply.

• Recruit research participants and manage their progression through a research protocol, including participants who come from psychiatric populations, such as those with psychosis.
• Contact individuals by telephone, email, Zoom, and via online recruitment platforms like Prolific; encouraging current and potential new research participants to engage in the research protocol, which may consist of the participant assessment steps described below, including clinical and cognitive assessments, behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) testing, and follow-up of participants.
• Schedule participants to complete the study and arrange associated logistical support (e.g., mailings, parking, payment).
• Understand the scientific goals and significance of the study and be able to explain those goals to participants in ways that are engaging and easily understood.
• Coordinate recruitment across other laboratories engaged in psychosis-related research.
• Reach out to community health providers to contact patient participants, make presentations about research participation, and follow-up with providers to confirm that they understand and whether they need more information.
• Develop and distribute fliers in local community posting boards

• Conduct clinical interviews with participants, which includes sensitive information assessing capacity to consent, assessing mental and physical health history, and gathering information on a participant's medication, resource utilization, and other general history.
• Support EEG data acquisition. Aid in setting participants up for EEG data collection, including providing participants with drug tests and breathalyzer alcohol tests, performing a vision test, fitting participants with an EEG cap, and confirming that appropriate data can be collected.
• Track the progress of research participants through the study protocol by monitoring database reports and current participant status.

• Assist in the management of institutional review board, federal and other regulatory compliance correspondence (10%), including
  • Adding, updating and removing study personnel, training materials, instruments, advertisements, and other recruitment materials.
  • Annually update the IRB's database with recruitment progress and other accomplishments from the past year.
• Facilitate communication between laboratory collaborators and other scientists.
• Attend and participate in regular lab meetings.

• Conduct quantitative analyses of relevant raw data and database queries, including participating in inter-rater reliability meetings, and maintaining and analyzing demographic data on the sample as it is being recruited to ensure research control alignment with the participant sample.
• Flag issues in need of further attention by the PI or other research personnel.
• Prepare relevant reports, such as for internal and external scientific meetings and regulatory requirements, such as making tables of sample demographic information, or statistical tests of group differences or relationship between symptom measures and cognitive functions.

Research Specialists directly report to doctoral-level research staff; the PI of the TRiCAM Laboratory will also regularly meet with research specialists. Each position is a 100%-time, 12-month civil-service position with possibility of reappointment annually until project aims are completed. Salary is competitive and commensurate with education and experience.

The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status,…