GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

We seek a highly proficient Spanish-speaking Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) to join the MGH Early Brain Development Initiative, a collaboration among Psychiatry and other clinical departments aimed at discovering new early-life interventions that reduce risk for mental illness in young people. The CRC will primarily contribute to studies focused on prenatal and early-life exposures that impact brain development, including but not limited to:

• The Brain health Begins Before Birth (B4) Study: a longitudinal birth cohort study recruiting patients in the beginning of pregnancy and administering surveys during every trimester of pregnancy and through the first ten years of the child's life. Survey topics include physical and mental health, pregnancy and childbirth experiences, pandemic-related stress, and the child's health and development after birth. This study also includes extensive chart review of families with young children who are showing altered neurodevelopmental trajectories and correlating outcomes with events during pregnancy and early life.
• Antenatal Wearable Sensors to Observe the Maternal Environment (AWeSOME): a pilot study involving continuous data monitoring during pregnancy using a wearable wristband (Empatica EmbracePlus).
• The Folic Acid Qualitative Study (FAQS): a qualitative study aiming to determine the extent to which health systems-level obstacles (e.g., provider knowledge and practice) influence delivery and uptake of periconceptional folic acid supplementation in community health settings.

The CRC must have fantastic interpersonal communication skills and a high comfort level with recruiting patients of diverse backgrounds, administering surveys in-person and over the phone, and conducting qualitative interviews and/or focus groups. There may be future opportunities for the CRC to collect biospecimens from pregnant and/or recently postpartum patients and conduct in-home study visits. In addition, the CRC will have ample opportunity to contribute to and/or lead analyses of data from the studies listed above, as well as with other research going on in the Early Brain Development Initiative concerning modifiable resilience factors to adverse child and adolescent brain development.

The CRC will report to the Early Brain Development Initiative's director, as well as the program manager. Applicants to this position must be high performers, well-organized, and capable of working independently to help maintain project databases. Additionally, fluency in Spanish is required for this position as the CRC will be engaging with Spanish-speaking study participants and translating study materials.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Implementation of research protocols with the program manager and research support team, including: 1) remote surveys and clinical assessments; 2) clinical, cognitive, and biomarker-based assessments in the first years of life; 3) biospecimen collection during pregnancy and childbirth; 4) virtual focus groups involving providers, patients, and community stakeholders; and 5) implementation trials for early life interventions
• Helping to design, implement, and lead a pediatric follow up study for a longitudinal birth cohort, including coordination of community events, writing newsletters, and continual communication with families
• Recruitment and weekly check-ins with participants in a pilot study of wearable wristbands during pregnancy and potentially early childhood
• Administrative tasks such as calling potential and current participants on the phone; answering emails on the shared study inbox; documenting study progress; and tracking participant survey completion and payment on a shared Microsoft Teams spreadsheet
• Recruit and work closely with pregnant people, parents, and young children
• Administer surveys to pregnant people and parents online, over the phone, and in person in English and Spanish
• Translate occasional study materials from English to Spanish
• Conduct qualitative research activities such as interviews and focus groups
• Ensure compliance with federal and IRB regulations
• Assist with IRB submissions, amendments and continuing reviews
• Assist with preparation of grant applications and manuscripts, including data analyses, literature searches and drafting of text
• Collects & organizes patient data
• Maintains records and databases
• Uses software programs to generate graphs and reports
• Assists with recruiting patients for clinical trials
• Obtains patient study data from medical records, physicians, etc.
• Conducts library searches
• Verifies accuracy of study forms
• Updates study forms per protocol
• Documents patient visits and procedures
• Assists with regulatory binders and QA/QC procedures
• Assists with interviewing study subjects
• Administers and scores questionnaires
• Provides basic explanation of study and in some cases obtains informed consent from subjects
• Performs study procedures, which may include phlebotomy.
• Assists with study regulatory submissions
• Writes consent forms
• Verifies subject inclusion/exclusion criteria
• Performs administrative support duties as required

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

Spanish fluency is required for this position. The CRC should also be proficient in using administrative software (Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint) and have either experience in or willingness to learn about clinical research protocols, electronic data capture systems (namely REDCap), and statistical analysis software (namely SPSS and R). Prior experience in Epic or other EMR systems a plus.

In addition, the candidate should:

• Be well-organized, self-motivated, and attentive to detail
• Multi-task, problem-solve, and manage time/work-load with minimal supervision
• Have excellent interpersonal communication skills to effectively communicate with a multidisciplinary team and research participants from diverse backgrounds
• Work independently and interact with patients and colleagues at all levels of the institution
• Demonstrate respect and professionalism for subjects' rights and individual needs

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's degree required
• Coursework in psychology, neuroscience, public or community health, child development, Spanish, or related discipline preferred

EXPERIENCE:

• Prior experience in research, health care, psychology, neuroscience, public or community health, child development, Spanish, or related discipline preferred.
• Those with a minimum of 1-2 years of directly related work experience will be considered for a Clinical Research Coordinator II position.

Massachusetts General Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. Applications from protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged.