Research Coordinator, HOPE Lab, School of Medicine

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCUs sponsored research the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education.

Position Summary and Primary Responsibilities:
Dr. Ruth Brown and the HOPE Lab has anopening for a grantfunded Research Coordinator position focused on mentalhealth and developmental regression in youth and adults with Down syndrome. TheHOPE Lab is dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of peoplewith intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through research to enhancethe awareness of mental health symptoms improve measurement and improveservice delivery so that people with IDD can experience healthy outcomescommunity inclusion and wellbeing. The HOPE Lab is positioned within theVirginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics (VIPBG)() and the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School ofMedicine. VIPBG is worldrenowned for its contributions to the geneticepidemiology of behavior and psychopathology. The VCU School of Medicine is apremier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accountingfor almost half of VCUs sponsored research the School of Medicine isinternationally recognized for patient care and education.

The Research Coordination position ispart of a multisite grantfunded study to develop a caregiverreported ratingscale of Down syndrome Regression Disorder. This study will utilize mixedmethods including a community advisory board qualitative interviews onlinesurveys medical records reviews and clinical diagnostic interviews.

The Research Coordinator will workindependently and as a member of a diverse team including supervision ofundergraduate research assistants. The study coordinator will report directlyto and assist the Principal Investigator (PI) and Postdoctoral Fellow on arange of studyrelated tasks (administrative supervisory and participantcontact duties as well as data cleaning and analysis). Hours are flexible basedon study needs and timelines and can be done in a hybrid inperson and teleworkenvironment.

Typical duties will include schedulingand monitoring of research activities and timelines; conducting participantinterviews administering studyrelated assessments and recordingobservations; coordinating the management storage and reporting of study dataacross study sites; monitoring data to maintain quality control; purchasingsupplies and tracking expenditures; summarizing study results; preparingreports.

The Research Coordinator will ensureadherence to all protocols and regulations set by the internal review board(IRB) for the research project; prepare and submit necessary documentation forIRB approval including research proposals consent forms and progressreports; stay updated on changes in IRB policies and guidelines andcommunicate these updates to the research team; ensure ongoing compliance withIRB standards; serve as the primary liaison between the research team and IRB;and facilitate training sessions for research staff on IRB procedures andcompliance requirements.

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project need continued
availability of sponsored funding and performance.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelors degree or equivalent experience preferably in psychology or a closely related field.
• At least 12 years of experience in a humansubjects research setting preferably in a clinical or academic environment including familiarity with internal review board processes ethical guidelines and compliance regulations.
• Strong history of professional experience with people with Down syndrome autism spectrum disorders or other developmental disabilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for interacting with diverse groups including research participants team members and regulatory bodies.
• Demonstrated proficiency in managing multiple tasks timelines and documentation requirements with a high level of attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills for liaising with multiple study sites supervising a diverse team and working with participants including those with disabilities
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect professionalism and civility with a population of faculty staff and students from various backgrounds and experiences or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Hiring Standards:

• Previous experience in communityengaged research.
• Previous professional or personal experience with Down syndrome or other intellectual or developmental disabilities.
• Fluent in Spanish.
• Experience with online data collection platforms such as REDCap or Qualtrics
• Previous supervision experience or team lead experience and interest in a supervisory role as part of the role will be the training and management of research assistants.

Position will remain open until filled.

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veterans period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!

Dr. Ruth Brown

Required Experience:

IC