Program Research Coordinator - Vancouver, Canada - The University of British Columbia

Description

Job Summary

The Vision of the BC Brain Wellness Program is Brain Wellness, Beyond All Boundaries.

We are leveraging the collective power of clinical care, lifestyle programs, education, and research to design a comprehensive and integrated approach to brain wellness for people with chronic brain conditions, care partners and healthy agers.

The BC Brain Wellness Program is an interactive effort to establish clinically relevant lifestyle approaches to complement medical treatment in the clinics at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. By combining clinical care with interventions that support healthier lifestyles, the BC Brain Wellness Program team hopes to improve and sustain quality of life for people living with brain disorders and their care partners, as well as to offer healthy agers the opportunity to enhance their wellness and engage in preventative lifestyle measures.

The BC Brain Wellness Program brings together the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Clinic at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health. Expertise is drawn from many fields including the School of Music, Physiotherapy, Kinesiology, Neurology, Psychiatry, Neurosciences, Nutrition as well as several community partners.

The position is for a contract program research coordinator (16 hours per week). The program research coordinator will mainly work with the in-person exercise programs, and will focus on the implementation and analysis of research, the development of case studies, participant outcome measure assessments, the management and oversight of daily operations and finances of the program, and the hiring and supervision of all paid program instructors, as well as 4th year Kinesiology student volunteer instructors. The individual will design, perform, analyze, and interpret complex experiments within the program. The individual will be responsible for writing these novel protocols, while troubleshooting any applicable complex equipment or system problems. The individual will need to be trained and have experience in using a wide variety of programming languages for data and statistical analysis. The individual will need to have experience in and be responsible for the writing of ethics and grant applications. The individual will ensure accurate and confidential assessments are performed from a variety of tests, ensuring they are aware of the brain wellness exercise program standard practices. The individual will need to be trained and certified in the UPDRS assessment for Parkinson's disease, as well as any other necessary certification courses for outcome assessments for a range of brain diseases. The individual will also ensure patient confidentiality as well as clinical data reliability during the implementation and analysis of research and development of case studies. The individual will be responsible for the hiring of program instructors, assistants, and volunteers. The individual will schedule, train, and supervise all instructors and assistants of the program, ensuring they are properly supported in accordance with the brain wellness exercise program standard practices.

Organizational Status
The individual will work closely in a multidisciplinary team environment, and have access to electronic medical records. They will work with the exercise team lead.

Work Performed

• Develops, researches, and writes novel research protocols, case studies, and safety procedures.
• Modifies and performs complex experiments and case studies within the program.
• Incorporate the use of objective balance assessments into the BWP assessment battery (for example SWAYSTAR system to assess trunk postural sway)
• Manages tbe progress of research projects and activities.
• Operates and troubleshoots specialized complex equipment used within the program.
• Conducts data analyses using various coding languages (Matlab, R).
• Conducts statistical analyses using various programs (SPSS, JASP).
• Interprets both data and statistical analyses and writes reports in a clear and concise manner.
• Presents research data to various employees and stakeholders.
• Writes ethics and grant applications.
• Designs and writes operating procedures for the program.
• Determines any workflow improvements and researches new technology and equipment.
• Manages, audits, and oversees the finances and billing of the program's in-person classes. Responsible for assisting in the management of the budget, inventory, and staff administration of the classes and recommending large purchases.
• Conducts in-person assessments on program participants, including the UPDRS assessment for all Parkinson's disease participants.
• Responsible for the hiring of all Brain Wellness in-person exercise class instructors and assistants.
• Responsible for the scheduling and supervision of paid instructors, assistants, and volunteer KIN 482 student instructors.
• Provides ongoing training to employees on new and existing technology.
• Assists in the development of exercise programs for in-person classes based on applicable research conducted.
• Supports the administration of classes through Jane EMR.
• Supports Brain Wellness Program's web design to gain participant traction.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Poor decisions/errors in judgment may compromise the BWP, breech the trust and confidentiality of research participants, and may result in financial loss to the PI, the Centres, and the University. Even simple typographical mistakes may result in distress to stakeholders and be damaging to the program and the reputation of the team and Director. They may influence the ability of the PI to meet critical deadlines and affect funding applications and ongoing program obligations.

Supervision Received
The individual will work closely with staff, clinical investigators, clinicians, clinical fellows, nursing and multidisciplinary staff as well as students at the BC Brain Wellness Program. Overall supervision will be provided by the Program Director and Team Lead in Exercise Programs and Education.

Supervision Given
The individual will be responsible for the supervision of Brain Wellness Program in-person instructors, assistants, and KIN 482 student volunteer instructors.

Minimum Qualifications
Completion of a university degree in a relevant discipline or technical program and a minimum four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Some positions may require a graduate degree.

- 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

Preference is given to those with a graduate level degree (Masters, PhD) in a scientific or engineering field where a thesis was completed, and research training was provided. Previous experience working in clinical research is preferred. The applicant must be able to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot specialized equipment involved in research. The applicant must have certification and training in the UPDRS for Parkinson's disease, and preference is given to certifications completed for other outcome assessments across a range of brain diseases. Preference is given to those who have experience in managing and overseeing daily operations and finances of a laboratory. Proficiency in the development and recommendation of operating procedure workflow improvements is preferred. Proficiency in English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Ability to compose simple, clear, concise business letters. Effective communication skills. Ability to exercise tact and discretion with others in the obtaining and giving of information. Previous experience in a clinical setting and exercise instruction is preferred. Excellent interpersonal skills are required. The applicant must be able to collect, analyze, and present data in a concise and logical manner. The applicant must be sensitive to the issues faced by individuals living with neurological disease and be able to communicate compassionately with patient participants. The need for accuracy in reporting and attention to detail cannot be overstated. Organizational skills are important, including the ability to prioritize workload. The applicant needs to be well-organized in the training, hiring, and scheduling of employees. The applicant must have the ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities, and the flexibility to adjust to changing work plans, schedules and deadlines. We require a self-motivated team member with passion and enthusiasm for improving clinical care with the ability to work well in a team environment as well as be proactive at work. The desire to make a positive difference in the lives of participants and their families is essential. The applicant must enjoy working as part of a large multidisciplinary team. However, they will also have the ability to work independently once they have demonstrated the ability to show initiative. After a probationary period, they will be expected to step up and take an active role in project planning and support. Working between the public and University presents some communication challenges. Hence, the applicant must be adept in written and verbal English. Computer skills are of crucial importance: word processing (Word), creating presentations (PowerPoint) and database (Access, Excel) experience is required. Data analysis techniques including the application of coding languages (Matlab, R, Python) and statistical analysis techniques (SPSS, JASP) are required. Web design, scheduling software (Omnify), WorkDay, Standard Level First Aid, and CPR are assets.