Research Specialist Jobs in Pennsylvania

Join the Sleep, Affective Neuroscience, and Development laboratory team! Our lab studies how sleep-circadian processes affect brain maturation and mental health risk over adolescent development. We are seeking a full-time Research Specialist to contribute to participant recruitment and data collection for two NIH-funded projects studying age-related changes in sleep and mental health in young people (children, adolescents, young adults). The Research Specialist will recruit and screen participants; run standardized clinical, neurobehavioral, and sleep/circadian assessments; and aid in data processing. This individual will work closely with a lab coordinator, other research staff, and the data manager, as well as with the staff of the Sleep and Behavioral Neuroscience Center.

This position is grant funded.

Responsibilities:

• Recruit, screen, schedule, and compensate adolescent and young adult participants
• Conduct standardized study assessments involving screening interviews, questionnaires, sleep-circadian measures, and computer tasks
• Able to maintain a flexible schedule including evening and weekend hours to accommodate participant assessments
• Assist with data-related duties (data entry, quality control, processing, management) in collaboration with a data manager and systems analyst
• Ensure accurate, efficient, and complete data collection and study documentation
• Assist, as needed, with project administrative tasks
• Provide supervision and oversight to undergraduate directed research students working on the protocol
• Demonstrate respect and sensitivity to study participants. Interact skillfully with adolescent, young adult, and clinical populations
• Handle sensitive clinical and research data in compliance with University, State, and federal requirements

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Psychology, Neuroscience, Sociology or related research field
• Minimum of one year of work experience in a research project and/or related clinical setting is required
• Familiarity with computers and common software packages required
• Working knowledge of research methodology strongly preferred
• Complete and pass online ethics and research practice training modules as required by the University of Pittsburgh and the National Institutes of Health. Completes other trainings as required by UPMC
• Perform in accordance with system-wide competencies/behaviors

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

• Act 31 Child Abuse Reporting with renewal
• Act 33 with renewal
• Act 34
• Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran