"Research Assistant (Gastroenterology & Hepatology)"

Job Description

The National University of Singapore invites applications for a Research Assistant for work in the Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, for the study “From Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis to Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Investigating Familial Risks, Molecular Mechanisms for Biomarker Development and Therapeutic Insights”. Our research laboratory actively interrogates liver diseases, primarily Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We conduct clinical research involving patient cohorts, as well as cutting-edge wet- and dry-lab work to identify biomarkers, develop novel therapeutics, and design cost-effective care pathways. Our team is internationally recognized and well published in this field, and collaborates closely with local and overseas partners, industry, and multiple clinical trial networks. Appointments will be made on a 1-year contract basis in the first instance, with the possibility of extension.

Purpose of the post

The Research Assistant (RA) will be responsible for, and work closely with the Principal Investigator and study team members to ensure the successful and timely completion of multiple grant projects. The RA’s principal role is to provide integrated research, clinical, coordination, and administrative support, including serving as study coordinator and primary liaison with collaborators who perform molecular analysis including single-cell and spatial experiments for the project.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The Research Assistant will liaise with relevant personnel in the hospital, university, and collaborating laboratories to streamline recruitment, biospecimen flow, and data collection, and will be accountable to the Principal Investigator (PI). The RA is expected to:

1. Oversee the general management and day-to-day coordination of the multiple projects across sites.
2. Provide administrative and secretarial support, including organizing regular investigator and collaborator meetings, preparing agendas and minutes, and maintaining clear communication with research team members, external laboratories, and industry partners (if any).
3. Assist with ethics and grant applications, renewals, safety documents, and ongoing regulatory and grant administration.
4. Undertake day-to-day running of the project at the study site(s), including collaboration with clinical teams, recruitment and consent of subjects, conducting study procedures according to protocol, and data collection at hospitals and, where applicable, participants' homes.
5. Study coordinator duties:
   • Plan, organize and coordinate the workflow of study projects to ensure compliance with study protocols and timelines.
   • Recruit, screen and consent participants, and track enrolment targets.
   • Perform study activities as required by protocol and coordinate patients' schedules, study visits and investigations.
   • Maintain proper study documentation for all study-related activities according to regulatory and institutional standards (e.g. case report forms, source documents, drug/accountability logs where applicable, and regulatory binders/investigator site files).
   • Prepare for and participate in monitoring visits and quality assurance audits conducted by study sponsors, institutional units, or regulatory bodies.
   • Coordinate biological sample collection, labelling, processing, storage and shipment according to study requirements and biosafety guidelines.
6. Project and collaborator coordination duties:
   • Serve as operational contact for external collaborators and core facilities performing single-cell, spatial transcriptomics and other advanced assays, including arranging sample trans