Position: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Department: Research - Infectious Diseases

Location: Boston, MA

Schedule: 40 hours per week, On-site

POSITION SUMMARY:

The BU CHART Post-Doctoral Research Fellow will be a member of the Boston University School of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases. The Research Fellow will partake in a clinical, transnational or basic research project under an assigned participating faculty mentor of the training program. They will be responsible for designing, conducting, and analyzing a study, obtaining a comprehensive understanding of design issues, IRB considerations and manuscript preparation. The Research Fellow will work closely with a mentoring team which consists of (1) the Program Director or Associate Program Director; (2) Primary Research Mentor(s); and (3) an Advisor/Mentor not directly involved in their current research project.

The Post-Doctoral Research Fellow will be responsible for research and development in collaboration with Principal Investigator and research staff working on study projects, making detailed observations, analyzing data, and interpreting results. The Research Fellow will prepare technical reports, summaries, protocols, and quantitative analyses, and maintain familiarity with current scientific literature. May also be asked to participate in scientific conferences and contribute to scientific journals. The Research Fellow will participate in the Research in Progress (RIP) conferences, complete annual progress reports, and present at in-person Research Oversight Committee (ROC) meetings.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for a variety of specialized research activities. Collaborates in conjunction with the principal Investigator and research team members in the development of study protocols.
• Ensures that established protocols are implemented, maintains protocol integrity, monitors participant’s status assuring safety, and plays a significant role in the education of clinical staff and clinical trial participants.
• Working with the PIs, determines whether potential participants meet protocol inclusion criteria and assists with research subjects recruitment.
• Prepares all correspondence to the Institutional Review Board for all research projects.
• Responsible for maintaining the research database, collection and input of all clinical data, and responding in a timely manner to all authorized queries related to the clinical research data.
• Maintains knowledge and familiarity with current scientific literature and contributes to the process of a project within his or her scientific discipline, including investigating, creating, and developing new methods and technologies for project advancement. 
• Prepares technical reports, summaries, protocols, and quantitative analyses.
• Prepares reports of completed projects for publication in technical journals, for presentation to agency requesting project, and/or for use in further applied or theoretical research activities.
• Assist investigators in grant writing and submission, manuscript preparation and submission, literature searches, literature review and summary.
• Identifies any issues or potential issues, and assists with development and implementation of solutions in a timely manner.
• For clinical trials, assumes responsibility for third-party insurance payor approval which may include writing appeal letters of medical necessity, corresponding and providing information requested, such as, evaluation summaries from consulting physicians, test reports, lab reports, program information, peer-reviewed articles related to disease and treatment.
• Serves as a liaison and reference to physicians, investigators and other staff members with questions regarding data collection and protocol, procedures and requirements.
• Participates in conferences related to the clinical research projects.
• Participates in staff meetings/initiatives including appropriate quality improvement and education activities, or if unable to attend non-mandatory activities, accepts responsibility to review meeting minutes and becomes knowledgeable of issues discussed.  Performs other related duties as required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Requires MD and/or PhD  

Experience:

• Candidates with experience or interest in HIV/AIDS clinical research are particularly invited to apply.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written) and interpersonal skills are required to interact with internal and external contacts in a courteous and customer service manner.
• Ability to communicate effectively in formal and oral presentations.
• Superior analytical skills, to critically evaluate the information gathered from multiple sources, decompose high-level information into details and to translate statistical data to a more general level of understanding.
• Ability to be self-directed and able to set priorities and balance numerous responsibilities.
• Ability to anticipate objections and plan appropriate responses; ability to perform and lead effectively in stressful situations and to solve problems as they occur.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (i.e. MS Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook) and web browsers.  Experience with statistical analysis tools a plus
• Must be able to maintain strict protocols of all confidential or sensitive information

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn’t dictate health.

Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to Talentacquisition@bmc.org or call 617-638-8582 to let us know the nature of your request.

Compensation Range:

This range offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications. However, our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and a broad range of factors is considered when making an offer. This includes education, experience, skills, and certifications/licensures as they directly relate to position requirements; as well as business/organizational needs, internal equity, and market-competitiveness. In addition, BMCHS offers generous total compensation that includes, but is not limited to, benefits (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) savings matches, paid time off, career advancement opportunities, and resources to support employee and family well-being. 

NOTE: This range is based on Boston-area data, and is subject to modification based on geographic location.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans

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