GENERAL SUMMARY/OVERVIEW:

McLean Hospital is a comprehensive psychiatric hospital committed to providing easy access to superior quality, cost-effective mental health services in the Boston area, Massachusetts and beyond. Since 1811, McLean Hospital has been a world leader in the treatment of mental illness and chemical dependency, research into the cause of mental illness and the training of generations of mental health care providers. McLean's multidisciplinary programs treat a broad range of psychiatric illnesses across the full continuum of care.

Working under the supervision of the Principal Investigator (Kristin Javaras, DPhil, PhD) and following established policies and procedures, the laboratory assistant will provide assistance on research studies in the area of eating disorders and eating behavior. These studies will include: (1) a federally-funded neuroimaging study in young adult women with and without binge-eating disorder; (2) a study examining the feasibility of using wearable technology to assess eating behavior in the real world in young adult women; (3) a study examining the validity of diagnoses of anorexia nervosa in electronic health records; and (4) a study examining the validity of a newly-developed questionnaire to assess lifetime history of eating disorders. Specific responsibilities may include: managing participant recruitment, screening, and tracking; assisting with participant assessment, task administration, imaging scans, and other physiological measurements; maintaining and updating data generated by the studies; reviewing electronic health records; performing data processing and data analysis; working to prepare a database of food images for release and publication; performing literature searches and reviews; contributing to the writing of manuscripts and grant applications; supervising student visitors; and handling administrative tasks.

Please note that the position will involve working some weekday evening hours, as needed to accommodate participant schedules, and also working either a Saturday or Sunday in place of weekday, in order to conduct all-day participant visits.

This position offers an excellent opportunity for recent college graduates looking for clinical research experience before applying to graduate programs (particularly in the areas of clinical psychology, counseling psychology, health psychology, or neuropsychology) or medical school.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides assistance on research studies as per study guidelines and protocols.

2. Prepares for and conducts participant visits, which includes preparing participant binders, using EPIC to order fMRI scans and pre-screen participants, preparing and serving participant meals, administering interviews, questionnaires, and computer-based tasks, leading MRI simulator sessions, serving as a judge for the social stressor paradigm, helping situate participants in the MRI scanner, collecting saliva samples and physiological data, and interacting with participants for a long period of time.

3. Assists with electronic health record review and related data entry.

4. Works to prepare a database of food images, including editing images and entering image-related data.

5. Develops, organizes, and/or maintains study databases. Responsible for data validation and quality control, data processing, and some data analysis.

6. Completes and maintains all research documentation, including appropriate documentation of study visits.

7. In conjunction with the Principal Investigator, develops and implements research protocols and Institutional Review Board applications.

8. Performs literature searches.

9. Assists with preparation of presentations and written manuscripts for publication.

10. Assists with preparation of new grant applications.

11. Performs research-related administrative tasks, such as ordering supplies, paying invoices, doing expense reports and financial tracking, etc.

12. All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

• BA or BS Degree required.
• Must have at least one year of related clinical research experience.
• Prior coursework in psychology, neuroscience, or related subjects is strongly preferred. Relevant clinical research experience is strongly preferred. Experience with neuroimaging is desirable.
• Work will occur primarily during normal business hours but will include up to four weekend days a month and occasional evening hours (based on participant scheduling).

SKILLS / ABILITIES / COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

• Passion for mental health research (including psychology, health sciences, neuroscience, and related disciplines).
• Ability to demonstrate professionalism and respect for participants' and colleagues' rights and individual needs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills are required for working with study participants and research collaborators.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize a variety of tasks.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• High degree of comfort with technology.
• Analytical skills and the ability to resolve technical or research problems and interpret the acceptability of data results.
• Ability to exhibit the flexibility and resolve required to conduct rigorous, cutting-edge research.
• High degree of computer literacy and knowledge of word processing and data management software (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• High degree of motivation and the ability to work independently.
• Works well with others.
• Knowledge of clinical research protocols.