Job Summary

Reporting to the Principal Investigator (PI), the Research Assistant (RA) will play a critical role in ongoing research projects. The RA’s primary responsibilities will be related to a randomized controlled clinical trial examining the effectiveness of a completely-online, parent-mediated Naturalistic Developmental Behavioural Intervention for parents of young children recently diagnosed with autism. The primary responsibility of the RA will be to recruit families and assign families to either the primary intervention or the control intervention-thus, you should feel comfortable interacting with parents of young autistic children. The RA will also ensure that families are keeping up with the program and filling out all of the online outcome measures, as well as scheduling interviews with the parents regarding their children’s progress in daily living skills. The laboratory focuses on the study of neurodevelopmental disorders (such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD) and psychiatric disorders (such as depression and anxiety). The RA may have the opportunity to get involved with other studies such as studies measuring quality of life in autistic emerging adults, examining cognitive and perceptual strengths of autistic adolescents, and investigating predictors of anxiety and depression across the course of COVID-19. This position would be ideal for an individual looking to acquire more research experience before applying to graduate/medical school.

The schedule for this position requires the RA to work Monday to Friday 8-4 or 9-5 as preferred by the individual.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Liaise with recruitment centers across Ontario to obtain participants to enroll in the study.
• Randomly assign participants to either the primary or control intervention groups.
• Participate in enrolment of research participants in current research studies and assist with coordination of all parts of the research study required in implementation of the study protocols.
• Schedule of research participants for online interviews of parents with other research assistants.
• Ensure that parents keep up with the intervention program.
• Ensure that parents fill out all the surveys for the study in a timely fashion.
• Maintain/modify standard techniques within the laboratory to be shared with other lab personnel. Apply regulations and standards, to ensure integrity of information, and compliance with ethical and safety guidelines.
• Under the general direction of the PI, assist in the supervision and support of undergraduate research volunteers.
• Facilitate study participant compliance through regular communication (e.g., email, phone, in person) in order to maximize protocol adherence.
• Assist in data collection functions (mail outs, questionnaires, etc.).
• Perform basic administrative services, such as scheduling, making appointments, word processing, faxing, copying, and filing. Prepare and/or initiate correspondence, notes and memos.
• Undertake other duties as assigned in support of the lab.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Three-year post-secondary program in a relevant field, including Psychology, Education, Health Sciences, Life Sciences or Social Sciences.
• Experience working with a patient population an asset, especially with parents of children with developmental disabilities.
• Experience working in a research and/or an office environment is considered an asset.
• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

SPECIAL SKILLS:

• Respects diversity and promotes inclusion in the workplace.
• Interpersonal and communications skills (both verbal and written) to interact with a diverse audience in a professional manner and to provide clear and accurate information.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize workload, and deal with multiple demands.
• Ability to work collaboratively with professionals in a team-oriented environment.
• Time management and organizational skills, as well as the capacity to take initiative, solve problems and suggest solutions.
• Writing, basic editing and proofreading skills, with an ability to pay attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Office and computer skills including knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, database and publishing software (Microsoft Office and Qualtrics). Ability to learn new software packages as required.
• Previous experiences and skills in a research setting is considered an asset.

DECISION MAKING:

• Prioritize time and determine most efficient use of personal resources within set of priorities outlined by the PI.
• Decide how to distribute information, what method to use, and who to send it to.
• Assist in the generation of various documents and reports and provide input where appropriate. Participate and act as resource person in the production of laboratory operating procedures. Determine appropriate formatting for simple to complex documents.
• Respond to general enquiries, providing reasonable answers, or a means to find an answer if necessary. Redirect problems to Principal Investigator.