Department: School of Public Health

Location: Dallas, TX

Position Type: Full Time/ Non-Exempt

Position Summary:

The research associate will assist the Principal Investigator (PI) and Project Lead Coordinator on a 5-year grant supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities with research tasks and established protocols. This study will allow the PI and investigative team to (1) identify the socioecological characteristics associated with patient-directed completion or non-completion of metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS); (2) determine the short (6-month)-, mid (12-month) and long (24-month)-term change in these characteristics and how they relate to weight loss and comorbidity resolution in an ethnically diverse patient population. In particular, the Research Associate will assist the PI/Project Lead Coordinator in all institutional regulatory board (IRB) submissions, amendments and continuing reports. He/she will also assist the study team with coordinating recruitment at each of the weight loss surgery educational seminars. He/she will coordinate with the surgery team to schedule patients for all of their follow up visits. The Research Associate will also be responsible for maintaining contact with all study participants throughout the 2 years or more they will be enrolled in the study. He/She will develop and maintain an active database to track all study participants for their follow up visits. He/She will be comfortable contacting study participants well in advance and work with their schedule to ensure they are able to make their follow up appointments, whether it be those patients who have completed MBS or a non-MBS comparison group. He/she will assist the PI/Coordinator and study team with all abstract preparations and submissions as well as manuscripts for publication. This is an excellent opportunity for professional growth and development for the right candidate

Position Key Accountabilities:

Certification/Skills:

Considerable knowledge in basic and sophisticated equipment.

Preferred:

Excellent written and verbal skills and knowledge of SAS, JMP and R statistical software. Knowledge and high comfort level working with Excel and Word software. Must be detail-oriented and well organized. Bilingual (English/Spanish). Interest and background in health disparities, eating disorders and obesity. Available to work evenings and weekends as necessary

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in a related field with three (3) years of related research experience including experience in a lead research role; or
Master's degree in a related field with one (1) year of related research experience including experience in a lead research role; or
Doctorate degree.

Minimum Experience:

Years of experience varies based on education level.

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects. This position may include work involving potentially hazardous chemical, biological or radioactive agents.

Security Sensitive:

This job class may contain positions that are security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of Texas Education Code § 51.215