Research Specialist, DOM Global Health

Directed by Dr. Gene Bukhman, the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity develops, implements, and evaluates integrated care delivery models to address severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases in highly constrained health systems. The most prominent of those models is PEN-Plus, a proven integrated healthcare delivery strategy for delivering complex care to people living with such conditions as type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and rheumatic and congenital heart disease in rural sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The Center for Integration Science is a collaboration of Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Partners In Health. The Center for Integration Science is also the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center for Integration Science and Service Delivery. It further serves as one of two co-secretariats for the 22-country NCDI Poverty Network, as well as its advocacy initiative, the PEN-Plus Partnership, which unites a range of leading health organizations internationally, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control, the American Heart Association, the American Society of Hematology, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, JDRF International, Partners In Health, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa.

To accomplish its ambitious mission, the Center for Integration Science provides technical, policy, advocacy, and financing support for national NCDI poverty commissions in Network countries as they progress through a four-phase theory of change. This theory of change starts with situation analysis and ultimately leads to the implementation of PEN-Plus at a national scale.

The Research Specialist will work under the direction of the Research Director who leads a small collaborative research team. Research Specialist will receive supervision and mentorship and will work closely with all members of the research team. In addition, the candidate will liaise and assist practitioners and researchers based at Harvard Medical School's Department of Global Health and Social Medicine and at Partners In Health's Boston headquarters and four sites in Africa and Haiti to evaluate the impact of innovative models of integrated care for severe NCDs that particularly impact the poor at young ages. (S)he will be supervised by the Senior Research Scientist and report to Dr. Bukhman when necessary.

The Research Specialist will:

• Work as a key member of the research team alongside the M&E, programs, training, and regional advisor teams

• Develop detailed concept notes, IRB documents, research proposals, and study protocols
• Lead development of data collection tools
• Conduct literature reviews, including scoping reviews, using prior training in epidemiology, considering issues of study design, analysis, and sources of error (random error, bias, and confounding)
• Lead online creation, implementation, and management of multi-country surveys using REDCap or Qualtrics
• Assess data submitted by site partners for completeness and quality, troubleshooting with partners as needed
• Lead preparation of IRBs including creating submission materials and supporting international partner sites with local IRB submissions

• Conduct data analysis and reporting of preliminary findings independently or collaboratively as appropriate under supervision of the Director of Research
• Lead writing and submission of peer-reviewed research manuscripts
• Train researchers at associated sites in research techniques including basic statistics, REDCap, and qualitative methods
• Train research assistants in conducting systematic reviews and qualitative research methods
• Collaborate with research partners at international sites in data collection and research activities
• Support development of additional research dissemination materials such as presentations for internal, partner, funder, and external audiences
• Work on funding proposals

Time breakdown

Time on specific research streams are project-dependent, but generally breaks down as follows:

• Creation and management of surveys (10%)
• Conduct literature reviews and analysis of qualitative research (40%)
• Manuscript writing (20%)
• Other activities (IRB and manuscript submissions, admin, other) (10%)
• Training site-based researchers (20%)

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• MPH in epidemiology or related field and minimum five years of direct research experience including:
• Experience with grant, research protocol, and manuscript writing
• Experience with literature reviews and meta-analysis
• Experience with survey design and implementation

Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent communication, verbal, writing, and presentation skills
• Strong interpersonal skills to work with collaborators, stakeholders, and team members
• Exceptional organizational skills, ability to prioritize multiple tasks, and careful attention to detail
• Demonstrated writing ability
• Experience using analytical techniques
• Commitment to health equity
• Experience and interest in vulnerable populations globally
• Demonstrated professionalism and respect for human subject research

EEO Statement

BWH is an Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.