Dr. Elan D. Louis, a professor at Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, is interested in hiring two full-time paid research associates (RAs) who will be involved either the Risk Factors Underlying Essential Tremor (RULET) Study or the Family Study of Essential Tremor (FASET). These studies are attempting to uncover the causes for two of the most common neurological disorders—essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. The RAs will travel within the US to conduct in-person visits, which include phlebotomy and videotaped neurological examinations. The RAs will learn about aspects of clinical research from study design to data collection and publication, how to recognize a range of involuntary movements, and are strongly encouraged to conduct independent research. B.A./B.S. degree, driver’s license, and interest in learning phlebotomy required. Start date June 1st, earlier preferred if possible.
If interested, please send a cover letter and resume to Ruby Hickman at: ruby.hickman@yale.edu.
Description
Dr. Elan D. Louis, a Professor at Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, is interested in hiring two full-time, paid post-baccalaureate trainees. The trainees will be involved in either the Risk Factors Underlying Essential Tremor (RULET) Study or the Family Study of Essential Tremor (FASET). These studies are attempting to uncover the causes for two of the most common neurological disorders—essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease.
These NIH funded studies draw on the expertise of clinical neurologists, neurotoxicologists, and neuropathologists, and partner with motivated essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease communities. They are unique in scope and, if successful, could identify modifiable risk factors and genes for these diseases.
This is the perfect position for a motivated person who has graduated with a BS or BA and who is interested in obtaining additional clinical research training before applying to graduate or medical school.
As part of their educational experience, the post-baccalaureate trainee will learn about the underlying environmental and genetic causes of neurological diseases, the research methods that are used in the clinical evaluation of patients with a broad range of tremor disorders, methods of assessing environmental and dietary exposures in neurological patients, and methods of analyzing clinical data and finding patterns in clinical data.
The post-baccalaureate trainee will learn about numerous aspects of clinical research from study design and planning, questionnaire development, preparation of materials for internal review board review, and selection of appropriate methods to evaluate and track study subjects. They will also learn from the PI how to recognize a range of involuntary movements in the study participants. Opportunities for independent research will be available to the post-baccalaureate trainee and are strongly encouraged. Thus, the post-baccalaureate trainee will learn how to prepare and publish a peer-reviewed paper on which they are first-author in a peer-reviewed journals.
It is expected that the educational experience will serve as a useful platform for their application to graduate school in the health sciences. That is, it will serve as an educational link between their undergraduate experience and their future academic/educational advancement into a masters or doctoral program in health sciences.
Job Responsibilities
This is not a clinical trial but is part of a prospective clinical-epidemiological study. The post-baccalaureate trainee’s activities will include the performance of in-person neurological assessments and videotaped neurological examinations with patients across the United States, as well as telephone interviews with both the patients and their family members. The post-baccalaureate trainee will also learn from the PI how to recognize a range of involuntary movements in the study participants and report their findings back to the PI; hence, they will serve as the “eyes and ears” of the PI in the field. Travel will be required on a regular basis, roughly 2-3 days per week, as participants reside all over the US. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills are required. It is mandatory that the post-baccalaureate trainee commits at least 1 year for this position.
Qualifications
-BS or BA is required
-Driver’s license required
-An educational agenda that involves learning about human-subjects research and a desire to learn the skill sets involved in designing and conducting such research.
-Phlebotomy experience or willingness to learn phlebotomy.
-Experience conducting phone interviews with neurological and elderly patients.
-An educational agenda that involves learning about human-subjects research and a desire to learn the skill sets involved in designing and conducting such research.
-Phlebotomy experience or willingness to learn phlebotomy.
-Experience conducting phone interviews with neurological and elderly patients.
