Research Assistant Jobs in District Of Columbia

Job Title: Research Assistant - CONTRACT Company: Midtown Personnel Location: Washington, DC Description: A federal Agency inWashington, DC has the need for six (6) additional staff members toworkon an 18-month project:this Agency is conducting a study to examine Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans. The study will be 18 months in duration and will evaluate up to 800 Veterans. Positions include: Clinical Neuropsychologist: Perform neuropsychological and psychological assessments of Veterans coming for research evaluations to the WRIISC Oversee and supervise neuropsychology research assistant and other research team members as required Administer and score self-report behavioral and neuropsychological measures Enter the psychological and neuropsychological research data into the appropriate databases Will administer pre-determined and protocolized individual self-report assessments, clinician administered psychological assessments, as well as paper and pencil and computerized neuropsychological assessments Knowledge and Skills required: Must be licensed and must provide evidence of professional mastery of psychological and neuropsychological assessment tools. Must demonstrate previous training and experience in using and administering a wide range of neuropsychological measures. Must have training and experience in administering and scoring the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), well known clinical measures to assess psychiatric status and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Polysomnographer: Under guidance of the Study Coordinator and Principal Investigator, the Polysomnographer will: Oversee the collection of sleep disorders information from subjects via administration of questionnaires, use of wrist actigraphy, and use of polysomnograph (PSG) Be responsible for managing the collection of these data at one of three separate sites (Palo Alto CA, Washington DC, East Orange NJ) Collect sleep/wake data using actigraphy: instruct subjects in the proper use of an actigraph, use computer programs to download data from actigraph, and score actigraph data in combination with written sleep logs Prepare and enter data into computer and run data editing, data analysis and database management software to generate summary reports and graphics Perform attended PSG to record brain waves (electroencephalography), eye movements (electro-oculography), muscle activity (electromyography) of face and legs, body position, heart rate, respiration, blood oxygen level and electrocardiogram. Performance of a PSG entails applying electrodes and other physiological activity transducers to monitor the physiological activity, and the recording and monitoring of the data collection during an overnight sleep study Score PSG data for sleep stages, leg EMG for periodic leg movements, respiration and oximetry for apneic events, and EKG for cardiac arrhythmias Interpret trends and relationships in the data Calibrate all electronic and electro-medical equipment, including: polygraph, oximeter, and actigraph Troubleshoot equipment and contact the appropriate services if/when repairs are needed Coordinate identical collection procedures at one of the three sites (Palo Alto, CA; Washington, DC; or East Orange, NJ) Maintain a secure database to which the DC and Palo Alto sites can upload data Maintain inventory of supplies and procure supplies and equipment Be able to recognize factors that are significant indicators of sleep disorders Knowledge and Skills Required: Knowledge of actigraphy to obtain ambulatory recordings of sleep/wake activity Knowledge of polysomnographic monitoring to obtain high quality recording of the following variables: electroencephalogram, electromyogram, electro-oculogram, respiration, electrocardiogram, and oximetry Ability to score polysomnographic records for sleep stages and to interpret physiological abnormalities indicative of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea and sleep-related periodic limb movement disorder; Knowledge of WINDOWS NT (or newer) operating system Knowledge of editing, data analysis and database management software such as MS ACCESS and MS EXCEL Communication skills including the ability to establish cooperative relationships with other VA medical, psychiatric and administrative services Ability to explain the goals and procedures of this program in a clear and supportive manner to patients and their caregivers Possession of Polysomnographic Technologist certification or have worked in a sleep laboratory and scored sleep records for at least five years, with progressive levels of responsibility Experience with and knowledge of electronic instruments used in a sleep laboratory The individual must be registered (credentialed) and able to independently score PSG records Site Coordinator: Administer informed consent to research participants Coordinate participant visit schedules, to include medical tests and procedures, meals and breaks, and local transportation Work closely with those responsible for participant travel to ensure a smooth transition for participants Serve as resource to both providers and participants, who have questions regarding study visits, procedures, reimbursement processes etc. Ensure data is collected according to protocol requirements Monitor MIND protocol to ensure site adherence to protocol requirements Identify problems related to the MIND study and negotiates corrective actions Submit applications and annual updates to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Research and Development (R&D) Committee Submit all required reports to the IRB and R&D committee which includes adverse events, training reports, changes to personnel, changes to protocol, etc. Perform other related duties as assigned Life Science Research Assistant: Oversee the biochemical specimen data collection related to the MIND Study Be responsible for managing the biochemical related data collected at one of three separate sites (Palo Alto CA, Washington DC, East Orange NJ) Prepare summaries and reports that will be provided to the MIND study team Comply with all VA policies and procedures regarding health and safety practices and regulations Knowledge and Skills Required BS in biology or related field Demonstrated abilities in molecular and biochemical techniques Understanding of data analysis techniques and analysis software Neuropsychology Research Assistant: Administer neuropsychological and psychological tests under supervision Conduct semi-structured interviews Oversee the collection of neuropsychological, psychiatric and physiological measures from participants Prepare and enter data into computer and run data editing, data analysis and database management software to generate summary reports and graphics Administer informed consent Knowledge and Skills Required Knowledge of research methods in psychological and biological sciences, including familiarity with basic principles of: Experimental psychology Basic data analysis Neuropsychological testing necessitates the ability to give instructions, elicit cooperation, assess the appropriateness of the subject's responses and if necessary, decide when testing must be repeated or discontinued. Interpersonal and verbal skills are required for: Explanation of the purpose of the study and to provide informed consent Ensuring subjects' continued participation Ability to keep accurate records and attention to detail required Ability to format data accurately for entry into computer system Word processing and database management experience Macintosh/PC experience required Research Assistant: The study Research Assistant will be assigned to the Markers for Identification, Norming and Differentiation (MIND) study and will work collaboratively at one of three separate MIND study sites. He/she will work directly with the Study Coordinator to manage a large, multi-faceted clinical and health services