"Research Assistant - Department of Oncology"

Research Assistant - Department of Oncology

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Research Assistant - Department of Oncology at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

Essential functions (job duties):

Perform laboratory based scientific techniques or clinical/population science (human subjects) research. Design and perform experiments, recruit participants for studies by developing surveys and interviewing candidates. Participate in implementing research objectives, ensuring compliance with all legal, regulatory and protocol guidelines. Assist staff with experiments/research protocols as required. Communicate with principal investigator and Postdoctoral scholars/fellows on the status of research.

Collect and log laboratory results, clinical outcomes and/or survey data. Evaluate and perform data analysis using graphs, charts or tables to highlight the key points of the research results collected in accordance with the research protocols as stipulated. Proofread and edit research data and documents to ensure accuracy.

Assist principal investigator with writing methods and summarizing/organizing data to be used in preparing and presenting presentations for professional, scientific and academic conferences and submittal to academic and scholarly peer-reviewed journals.

Maintain the laboratory work areas including routine maintenance on laboratory equipment as required. Order and organize required research supplies and records. Maintain cleanliness and organization of work station.

Perform other related duties as assigned.

Unique duties:

• Provide support to two NIH/NCI–funded investigators in the Department of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine. The RA will work across complementary epidemiologic research projects, with approximately 50% effort allocated to each principal investigator.
• Primary responsibilities include recruiting and enrolling study participants, coordinating participant follow-up, and maintaining clear, professional communication with community partners and clinical collaborators.
• Manage study databases; conduct data entry, cleaning, and quality-control checks; and assist with preparation of IRB documents and routine study reports.
• Additional duties include conducting literature reviews, summarizing scientific evidence, and contributing to manuscript drafting, tables, and figures for conference abstracts and peer-reviewed publications.
• Support day-to-day project operations and perform other research-related tasks as needed to ensure timely progress on funded studies.

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree

Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study, preferred. Requires advanced knowledge predominantly intellectual in character in a field of science or learning acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction.

Experience: Entry level (less that a year of job-related experience)

Experience performing basic research techniques or interacting with human subjects, preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Ability to work independently. Ability to analyze, summarize and interpret research findings and data in reports and spreadsheets and communicate results. Knowledge of scientific integrity principles. Excellent time management and organization skills. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated ability to work with others in a collaborative environment. Microsoft office software skills.

Preferred qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, or a related field; demonstrated experience in participant recruitment and study coordination; and prior experience with data management, including accurate data entry and quality-control procedures.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently while managing multiple responsibilities are essential.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills are required.
• A master's degree in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, or a related field; experience with data analysis or coding in R, SAS, Stata, or similar statistical software; prior work with diverse populations, particularly Hispanic and/or Middle Eastern and North African communities; and relevant language abilities (e.g., Spanish or Arabic).
• Familiarity with molecular or cancer epidemiology, biospecimen collection workflows, or IRB processes is desirable.
• Candidates with previous experience contributing to scientific manuscripts or abstracts are encouraged to apply.

School/College/Division: H06 - School of Medicine

Primary department: H0632 - Oncology

Employment type: Regular Employee, Job type: Full Time, Job category: Research

Funding/salary information: Compensation type: Annual Salary

Working conditions: Typical work environment may include a laboratory and/ or office environment. May require working non-standard business hours including evenings and weekends. May be required to travel to scientific conferences.

Job openings: Number of openings: 1, Reposted position: No