Research Assistant (Spinal Sarcopenia in Older Adults)

Health and Social Sciences Cluster

Singapore Institute of Technology

We are seeking a motivated and capable Research Assistant to join an exciting translational research project on spinal sarcopenia in older adults, with a focus on muscle degeneration, senescent progenitors, and regenerative failure. This role offers a unique opportunity to work across clinical research, functional assessment, imaging analysis, and laboratory investigation in a multidisciplinary academic environment.

The successful candidate will support a funded research project that aims to generate clinically relevant insights into ageing, muscle health, and spine-related conditions. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates who are passionate about meaningful research and wish to build strong experience in applied human and translational studies.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Principal Investigator and research team in the implementation and coordination of the project
• Assist with participant recruitment, scheduling, follow-up, and study administration in accordance with approved ethics protocols
• Conduct and document functional assessments and study-related data collection
• Retrieve, organise, and manage imaging data, and assist with image-based analysis
• Support laboratory workflows such as tissue handling, histology, immunofluorescence, qPCR, ELISA, and related analyses
• Maintain accurate databases, study records, and project documentation
• Assist with literature review, data cleaning, preliminary analysis preparation, reporting, and regulatory submissions
• Coordinate procurement of reagents, consumables, and research-related items
• Ensure compliance with laboratory safety, biosafety, and institutional research governance requirements

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in biomedical science, life sciences, physiotherapy, diagnostic radiography, medical laboratory science, or a related discipline
• Strong interest in translational, musculoskeletal, ageing, or clinical research
• Experience in clinical research coordination, patient-facing data collection, imaging analysis, or laboratory techniques will be advantageous
• Familiarity with histology, microscopy, immunofluorescence, molecular assays, or tissue-based workflows is preferred
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and professionalism
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; familiarity with ImageJ, SPSS, STATA, or equivalent tools is an advantage

Key Attributes

• Motivated, responsible, and able to work independently
• Careful and accurate in handling data, samples, and documentation
• Strong team player who can work effectively with academic, clinical, and student collaborators
• Willingness to learn and adapt in a dynamic multidisciplinary research environment

Why Join Us

This role offers valuable exposure to clinically relevant translational research with opportunities to develop experience in human studies, imaging, laboratory science, and multidisciplinary collaboration. The successful candidate will contribute to a meaningful project with real-world healthcare relevance while building a strong foundation for future research or postgraduate opportunities.

Contract Type

1-year contract

Work Location

Singapore Institute of Technology, with project activities at SIT and partner sites as required.