Clinical Research Coordinator Application

There are two areas of focus for our research, including (1) understanding the role of inflammation in depression and (2) assessing and treating reward dysfunction in depression and co-occurring disorders. Clinical research coordinators (CRCs) assist with our NIH- and foundation-funded studies aimed at advancing our understanding of immune dysfunction in depression and in assessing and treating reward dysfunction in depression. Studies led by Dr. Naoise Mac Giollabhui include mechanistic clinical trials in which depressed individuals exhibiting high levels of inflammation are randomly assigned to an intravenous infusion of a TNF inhibitor or placebo so that the link between downstream immune changes and improvements in specific depressive symptoms can be better understood. A range of modalities are being used to assess inflammation and depressive symptoms, including phone-based cognitive assessments, passive mobile monitoring, integration of skin-based biosensors as well as more traditional clinical and immunological assessments (e.g., isolation and RNA sequencing of immune cell populations, diagnostic interviewing etc.). Studies led by Dr. Amanda Collins include developing and evaluating digital therapeutics (DTx), or smartphone-based interventions, to treat reward dysfunction in co-occurring disorders, including depression, as well as the assessment of reward dysfunction using a multimodal approach (e.g., ecological momentary assessments, passive sensing data, behavioral tasks). Research coordinators will work under the mentorship of Dr. Naoise Mac Giollabhui and Dr. Amanda Collins at Massachusetts General Hospital. These positions are particularly well suited for individuals seeking to gain research and clinical experience prior to graduate or medical school.

 

Duties & Responsibilities:

Responsibilities will include: data collection and management; clinical interviewing; participant recruitment, retention, and reimbursement; supervision of undergraduate volunteers; literature reviews; phlebotomy, blood processing, immune cell population isolation techniques, and IRB submissions and modifications. There may be opportunities to conduct independent research, submit presentations to national conferences, and prepare manuscripts for publication.

 

Qualifications:

Qualified applicants must have a bachelor's degree, strong writing, organizational, and interpersonal skills, and be able to work autonomously as well within a collaborative team environment. Experience with data management and statistical software (e.g., SPSS, REDCap, Mplus, R) and with writing scripts in Python are preferred but not required. Psychology, sociology, and pre-med majors are encouraged to apply, but all are welcome. Prior research, particularly independent research projects, or clinical experience is strongly recommended.

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Application Information:

This is a one-year position, which may be extended through a second year based on performance and PI funding. Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and CV through this link. Any questions regarding this position may be directed to us at mghmoodandbehaviorlab@gmail.com. The deadline is rolling with a summer start date. As of March 20th, we are no longer accepting applications.