Clinical Research Assistant I- Shimamura Lab - Boston Children's Hospital

This position is with the Bone Marrow Failure Program under Dr. Akiko Shimamura. Dr. Shimamura leads several international registries and research studies focused on improving diagnosis and treatment for bone marrow failure disorders including Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, severe chronic neutropenia, aplastic anemia, and others. Coordinators are responsible for consenting patients and serving as a point of contact, coordinating sample shipments, extracting data from medical records for a research database, and more. They will get the opportunity to learn about clinical research, delve into patient medical histories, and observe clinical care visits. The successful candidate will be self-motivated, be able to multi-task, and have a high attention to detail.

This Clinical Research Assistant I will be responsible for: 

• Consents and recruits patients for research studies through personal interviews and written communications with patients/families. Provides detailed background information regarding studies to families, communicates all policies and procedures, and responds to all inquiries. Evaluates suitability of prospective study candidates and makes selections based upon clinical knowledge of each study.
• Serves as liaison to the families/patients in the research studies, conducted at both on site and off site locations, guiding and advising them throughout each phase of the study. Coordinates follow up visits as necessary. Acts as a resource to study participants, addressing any concerns they may have. Troubleshoots resolution of any issues that may arise throughout the study.
• Coordinates and prepares the necessary documentation for Institutional Review Board IRB and Committee on Clinical Investigations CCI submissions, together with the Private Investigator of the study.
• Creates and prepares data collection statistical reports and analytical summaries for distribution to study research team for review and analysis. Writes articles and summary papers of studies for submission to medical journals, as may be necessary/requested.
• Participates in the training of newly hired research study assistants, as required.
• Coordinates activities between the hospital and research laboratories to ensure correct testing/processing and send out instructions specific to the study. Communicates project policies and procedures to personnel. Monitors and reviews data collection and data entry, and informed consent procedures ensuring consistency of application for each study.
• Performs other miscellaneous administrative duties as assigned or required.

In order to qualify, you must have: 

• Bachelor's degree in STEM or Psychology 
• Analytical skills to gather and interpret data in which the information or problems are moderately complex to complex.
• Well-developed communication skills in order to provide critical information to patients, effectively deal with conflicting views or issues, and the ability to mediate fair solutions.
• Advanced writing skills.

Boston Children’s Hospital offers competitive compensation and unmatched benefits including flexible schedules, affordable health, vision and dental insurance, child care and student loan subsidies, generous levels of time off, 403(b) Retirement Savings plan, Pension, Tuition and certain License and Certification Reimbursement, cell phone plan discounts and discounted rates on T-passes. Experience the benefits of passion and teamwork.