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An exciting opportunity is available for a motivated Research Assistant (RA) to join a high-impact surgical research program. We are launching an innovative pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) addressing pragmatic clinical questions in Trauma & Emergency General Surgery.
This role offers a unique blend of administrative trial management and frontline clinical engagement. You will be instrumental in the foundational stages of the study before transitioning into an active clinical research role within the hospital.
Key Responsibilities
Phase 1: Trial Development & Site Start-up
- Foundational Knowledge Synthesis: Assist with literature reviews and synthesis to help summarize prior work and refine relevant research questions.
- Protocol Support: Assist in the development, drafting, and refinement of study protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Regulatory Management: Prepare and manage Research Ethics Board (REB) applications and ongoing provincial/institutional compliance documentation.
- Site Coordination: Liaise with the broader Canadian collaborative to coordinate site start-up activities and ensure all logistical requirements are met.
- Clinical Rounds: Attend daily clinical rounds alongside the Trauma and/or Emergency General Surgery teams to maintain high visibility and integration within the surgical service.
- Patient Identification: Review patient charts and consult with the clinical team to identify potential trial participants in real-time.
- Recruitment & Consent: Assist with the formal enrollment process, including explaining study parameters to patients and obtaining informed consent.
- Data Collection: Ensure accurate and timely entry of clinical data into study databases.
- Education: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a health-related field (e.g., Life Sciences, Epidemiology, Nursing, or Public Health).
- Experience: Previous experience as a Research Assistant or Research Coordinator in a clinical setting is required. Familiarity with design, approvals, and conduct of RCTs is required. Experience performing systematic literature reviews is a significant asset, as is comfort working with MS Office and REDCap.
- Regulatory Knowledge: Experience navigating REB systems (e.g., CTO or TAHSN boards) and a firm understanding of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines; GCP, TCPS2 certification is an asset.
- Clinical Comfort: Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced acute care environment. You should be comfortable interacting with patients and multidisciplinary surgical teams. Experience working with health records/electronic medical records is an asset.
- Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for both professional protocol writing and patient-facing recruitment.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodation for disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please indicate this in your cover letter.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is strongly committed to inclusion and diversity within its community and welcomes all applicants including but not limited to: visible minorities, all religions and ethnicities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
