Research Assistant

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile

Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 2

Job Title

Research Assistant /Technician 2

Department

Naturalistic Neuroimaging Lab | Department of Psychiatry | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$4,333.86 - $5,155.61 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

September 22, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

September 21, 2026

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

We are seeking a research assistant to be a member of the Naturalistic Neuroimaging Lab (PI: Tamara Vanderwal). Our lab uses complex, dynamic conditions to study neural and physiological responses in child psychiatric disorders, with a focus on adolescent depression. We primarily use movie-fMRI, but also conduct eye-tracking, behavioural, and other types of studies with children and youth of all ages. The lab is located at BC Children’s Hospital, and we run research participants both at BCCHR and sometimes at UBC.

This is a full time (1.0FTE) research assistant position that requires both technical aptitudes (e.g., basic coding, working with sensitive equipment) and people skills (e.g., working with children and families with mental health issues in a research setting). The RA will help facilitate the day-to-day working of the lab, with a focus on data collection and running experimental sessions with children and youth.

Organizational Status
The RA will be a member of the NNL and will report directly to Dr. Vanderwal.

Work Performed

The RA will work on many different research projects that are at different stages. They will help support various lab activities including knowledge translation and educational workshops, teaching, etc. Duties will change over time based on research cycles, and will include:

- Creating and updating REDCap databases
- Coordinating study visits and MRI scan sessions
- Consenting and assenting children and families, and running experimental study sessions both in the neurophysiological lab and at the MRI research facility. For example, this sometimes includes showing movies and task-based stimuli to the participant via a computer using specific software programs, attaching electrodes to a participant’s body to collect information about their heartrate or skin, or using eye-tracking technology. The RA’s job is to help the participant understand and feel comfortable with the study procedures, and to ensure that high-quality data is collected during the session.
- Conducting some stages of data preprocessing and basic statistical analyses
- Responsibility for proper storage and organization of research data
- Conducting literature searches, maintaining literature databases, providing summaries
- Helping with manuscript and grant writing, including figure preparation, tables, references, proofreading, preparing submission documents, etc.
- Assist PI with the development of lab processes, manuals, onboarding documents, and tracking of expenses. This includes making updates as instructed to lab onboarding materials and writing out step-by-step instructions for using certain equipment (basically documenting what they have been taught by the PI, graduate students, and their own learning from tutorials and manuals). These materials are used by students and trainees in the lab, and the RA will play a role together with students to keep these documents updated and useful.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The RA will work within well-defined guidelines and procedures, but will exercise judgment in establishing priorities and carrying tasks through to completion. Once trained, the successful applicant will work independently on assigned routine tasks. New or unusual problems will be referred to the Principal Investigator, and decision making will be done in consultation with the PI. Errors or poor judgement could negatively impact funding sources, collaborations, data quality, and possibly have safety or privacy consequences.

Supervision Received

Supervision Given
At times, the RA may be asked to supervise and work with undergraduate or high-school students who are spending time in the lab. For example, they might teach new undergraduate students how to run specific aspects of a study session, and would supervise those ongoing activities.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation, some additional training in a related field and a minimum two years of related experience or an equivalent combin