Research Assistant

Staff - Non UnionJob CategoryNon Union Technicians and Research AssistantsJob ProfileNon Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 1Job TitleResearch AssistantDepartmentCresswell Laboratory Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre Division of Neurology| Department of Medicine | Faculty of MedicineCompensation Range$4, $4,507.06 CAD MonthlyPosting End DateOctober 21, 2025

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

Job End Date

August 31, 2026

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

Salary will be pro-rated to 0.60 FTE

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

The Appel-Cresswell Lab within the UBC Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre (PPRC), Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH), is seeking a part-time (0.6 FTE) Research Assistant (RA) to be involved with movement disorder research projects.

The incumbent will be responsible for recruiting research participants for this lab's studies involving people living with Parkinson's, scheduling study visits, assisting with data collection, and general research administrative duties. Primary study recruitment duties include pre-screening eligible patients from the electronic medical records (EMR), checking for permission-to-contact, screening potential participants by telephone, maintaining a contact tracking log, answering general email & telephone queries about the studies, and forwarding appropriate participants to assigned study leads for further review. In addition, the RA will provide secondary duties including but not limited to: administrative assistance and data entry (REDCap, Excel) in other Appel-Cresswell studies as needed.

The Research Assistant will work onsite at the PPRC, UBC, Vancouver, BC.

Organizational Status
The Research Assistant will report to the Principal Investigator (PI) and Research Manager. The RA will interact with graduate students, Fellows, administrative staff, or other hospital staff. This position requires frequent communication with patients and study participants, and will be the primary contact for general queries from the community about the lab's studies; the RA will also regularly inform the PPRC staff and collaborators about the studies to maintain active recruitment. Secondary duties may include but not limited to booking study visits, assisting with data entry, and consenting participants. Once trained, the RA will work independently with primary direction as needed from the Research Manager. The RA will meet with the team on a weekly basis; decision-making will be done in consultation with the PI and Research Manager.

Work Performed

• Reviews electronic medical record (EMR) charts for recruitment of appropriate research participants, in a respectful and confidential manner.
• Recruits and screens potential movement disorders patients by telephone according to general study criteria, and forwards appropriate persons to the study leads for further detailed screening.
• Addresses any general study queries from the community or from other research personnel.
• Maintains a communication tracking log of contacted participants.
• Regularly checks Lab email and recruitment sources (REACH BC, contact from study posters, etc.) to ensure confidential and timely telephone or email contact with interested participants.
• Maintains contact with collaborators (onsite clinicians, related clinics, research fellows, etc.) to actively recruit participants.
• Assists with overall facilitation (sending out consent forms for review, data entry, study preparation, etc.) of other Appel-Cresswell Lab projects.
• Attends weekly lab meeting and weekly research rounds.
• Corresponds in a timely manner with the PI or study team, as needed.
• Monitors and troubleshoots any concerns in consultation with the PI or team.
• Performs other administrative tasks, as needed.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors made could influence the ability of the Principal Investigator to meet critical deadlines, as well as compromise the results of research projects and affect funding applications, thereby impacting the credibility of the Investigator. Poor decisions may be damaging to the reputation of and cause financial loss to the PI, PPRC, and the University.

Supervision Received
The Research Assistant will report to the PI and Research Lab Manager.

Supervision Given
None, but may initiate new lab team members in the basic procedures of study recruitment.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation and a minimum one year of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (Health Science, Public Health, Neuroscience) or an equivalent combination of education or experience.
• Experience in interacting with patient populations in a respectful and confidential manner.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, specifically verbal telephone communication, plus proven written communication ability.
• Experience in clinical research and knowledge of research ethics.
• Completion of TCPS-2 and related privacy courses.
• Experience with REDCap and Excel.
• Self-motivated with demonstrated ability to show initiative and sound judgment.
• Proven organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize workload.
• Flexibility to adjust to scheduling changes.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, in a respectful manner.

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