Autism Assistant and Neuroscience Research Coordinator

The Speech and Social Neuroscience Laboratory headed by Daniel Abrams, Ph.D., in collaboration with the Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory (PI: Vinod Menon, Ph.D.) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University is seeking a full-time and onsite Autism Assistant and Neuroscience Research Coordinator (ACRC). The ACRC will primarily focus efforts on current studies exploring brain function underlying social and language functioning in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and adults with Alzheimer’s Disease, in addition to brain changes after social skills intervention for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.    

The ACRC candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with our interdisciplinary team including researchers from multiple scientific and engineering disciplines, including cognitive neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, bioinformatics, computer science, electrical engineering, and biomedical engineering. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to brain imaging studies of cognitive and social function and dysfunction, development, and learning disabilities. The successful candidate will participate in all aspects of research in the lab, including: acquisition and analysis of functional and structural brain imaging data, assembling, administering, and scoring neuropsychological assessments, screening and recruiting participants, obtaining informed consent, scheduling participants for assessments, tracking progress of the study and behavioral data, and verifying data and entering pertinent information into our database. A minimum commitment of two years is required. Stanford offers a highly competitive salary with excellent health and retirement benefits. 

The candidate must be organized, problem solving oriented, have strong communication skills, and thrive within team environments. 

Duties include: 

• Assisting in the implementation of fMRI protocols to gather functional and structural brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging data.
• Assist in determining eligibility of, and gather consent from, study participants according to protocol.
• Determine eligibility of and gather consent from study participants according to protocol.  Assist in developing recruitment strategies.
• Assist in coordinating collection of study specimens and processing.
• Assist in collecting and managing patient and laboratory data for clinical research projects.  Assist in managing research project databases and complete study documents/case report forms.
• Assist in ensuring compliance with research protocols, and review and audit case report forms for completion and accuracy with source documents.  Prepare regulatory submissions and ensure institutional Review Board renewals are completed.
• Assemble study kits for study visits, monitor scheduling of procedures and charges, coordinate documents, and attend monitoring meetings with sponsors.
• Verifying data and entering pertinent information into REDCap database for statistical analysis.
• Assist in monitoring expenditures and adherence to study budgets and resolve billing issues in collaboration with finance and/or management staff.
• Interact with the principal investigator regularly, ensuring patient safety and adherence to proper study conduct.
• Assist in ensuring essential documentation and recording of patient and research data in appropriate files per institutional and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in monitor visits and regulatory audits.

* - Other duties may also be assigned

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DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• BS/BA degree in Psychology, Speech, Hearing, or Communication Sciences, Human Biology, Neurosciences, or related fields.
• Previous experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder in a clinical, educational, and/or research setting.
• Previous research experience in speech, language, or cognitive neuroscience
• Previous experience performing brain imaging data acquisition, neuropsychological assessments, and signal processing.
• Ability and desire to work well with children and older adults.
• Ability to commit to a minimum of 2 years working in our lab

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EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE (REQUIRED):

• Two-year college degree and one year of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of experience, education, and training.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (REQUIRED):

• General knowledge of medical terminology.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS*:

• Frequently stand, walk, twist, bend, stoop, squat and use fine light/fine grasping. 
• Occasionally sit, reach above shoulders, perform desk-based computer tasks, use a telephone and write by hand, lift, carry, push, and pull objects that weigh up to 40 pounds.
• Rarely kneel, crawl, climb ladders, grasp forcefully, sort and file paperwork or parts, rarely lift, carry, push, and pull objects that weigh 40 pounds or more.

* - Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

•  Position may at times require the employee to work with or be in areas where hazardous materials and/or exposure to chemicals, blood, body fluid or tissues and risk of exposure to contagious diseases and infections.
•  Some work may be required on weekends based on research requirements and business needs.
• This position is based in Stanford’s Research Park.

The expected pay range for this position is $25.96 to $31.25 per hour. Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.

* - Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.