JOIN OUR TEAM

Neurology Research Staff Assistant III – (job code 3178446)  

This position will assist the Director of the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery (CNTR) andthe BrainGate clinical trials in administrative and research grant management tasks. Under the directionof Dr. Leigh Hochberg, the position will be responsible for performing comprehensive administrativeservices and administrative duties to assist Dr. Hochberg, with occasional support of Dr. Sydney Cash,Dr. Brian Edlow, and Dr. Eric Rosenthal. Must be a high performer with well developed organizationaland communication skills capable of working fairly independently to produce consistently high qualitywork with minimal supervision and guidance, while seeking guidance as appropriate. Dailyresponsibilities will include maintaining Dr. Hochberg’s clinical and research calendars, schedulingmeetings, calendar management, preparing and distributing emails, forms, and reports which are often ofa sensitive/confidential nature, and coordinating activities with other researchers. Additional dutiesinclude maintaining the BrainGate research supplies, and processing patient and staff reimbursements. 

This position will also provide intermittent support to core CNTR faculty whose primary offices are atMGH-101 Merrimac St., including physician-scientist faculty (Dr. Hochberg, Cash, Edlow, Lin, Rubin,Rosenthal, and Young) and science faculty (Drs. Bodien and Paulk).

This position may require occasional (no more than one day per week) work at Brown University.

The position will possess expert knowledge of the BrainGate research and CNTR routine as well asunderstanding of the organization, programs and procedures related to the BrainGate and CNTR facultyand team. Interacts professionally with all levels of the organization including physicians, nurses,patients, visitors and others outside of MGH. Interacts closely with colleagues at affiliated medicalcenters and universities across the US. 

Click here for more information and to submit an application.

Clinical Neurotechnology Research Assistant – (job code 3183769)

We are seeking a motivated, energetic, responsible individual with an interest in neurotechnology to join a leading team of physicians, scientists, and engineers at the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, in the full-time role of Clinical Neurotechnology Research Assistant (CNRA) for our ongoing brain-computer interface research. The successful candidate will be on the front lines of this research, working with clinical trial participants with paralysis in their homes, and performing duties in concordance with FDA regulations and the investigational plan. In addition to collecting primary clinical data, the CNRA will work closely with a leading translational neuroscience group at Brown University in further developing effective brain-computer interfaces for persons with paralysis and limb loss.

Click here for more information and to submit an application.

Laboratory for Translational Neurorecovery Clinical Research Coordinator – (job code 3151088) 

Job Responsibilities:

The Laboratory for Translational Neurorecovery (LTNr) within the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery (CNTR) at MGH is seeking a clinical research coordinator to engage in cutting-edge neurorecovery research at Massachusetts General Hospital. The primary goal of this research is to understand neurorecovery after acute neurologic injury. The successful candidate will be directly mentored by the clinician-scientists and will become part of a highly active and productive community of neurologists, computational neuroscientists, and neuroengineers. They will gain direct experience in clinical activities and human neuroscience research.

– Recruit patients into recovery-focused clinical trials

– Work with research subjects directly and assess their motor recovery using standardized rehabilitation assessments

– Maintain stroke recovery research database

– Work to integrate neurotechnology (sensors, rehabilitation robotics, EEG, transcranial magnetic stimulation, smartphone applications) into rehabilitation assessments

– Perform supervised data analysis

Minimum Qualifications:

College graduates who have or will have earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, biology, or psychology by June 2021

Ability to comfortably and sensitively interact and perform clinical assessments with patients recovering from stroke in both in-hospital and outpatient environments

—

For more information about the MGH LTNr, please visit https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/research/david-lin-lab-translational-neurorecovery

Clinical Research Coordinator – (job code 3143155) 

Job Responsibilities:

The Laboratory for NeuroImaging of Coma and Consciousness (NICC, ComaRecoveryLab.org) at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery (CNTR, cntr.mgh.harvard.edu) is seeking a highly motivated individual to assist with ongoing and future clinical research studies. The research focus of this group is severe traumatic brain injury, which is a major cause of death and disability in the United States.  We seek to understand how people recover consciousness after traumatic coma and how clinicians can promote the recovery process.  Specific responsibilities will include the following:

• Assists with informed consent and enrollment of patients and healthy control subjects
• Acts as a study resource for patients, families and staff
• Coordinates and/or performs all study procedures including acquisition of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, acquisition of electroencephalography (EEG) data, and administration of neurocognitive tests and functional outcome assessments during acute hospitalization and after discharge
• Prepares for study visits including organizing required documentation
• Assists with analysis of EEG, MRI, and cognitive data under the supervision of other team members
• Independently enters research data into study databases and ensures adherence to expected data lifecycle timeline
• Attends weekly and monthly departmental and job-specific meetings
• Maintains IRB and regulatory documentation for research studies
• Assists with other research-related administrative and scientific tasks as needed

Job Requirements:

The successful candidate will be highly motivated, eager to become comfortable interacting with patients and their families, and curious about coma and recovery of consciousness after severe traumatic brain injury.  A high level of maturity is essential, as the coordinator is given access to personal and confidential medical information. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks are essential.  Candidate must be self-motivating, independent in task completion, and comfortable accepting feedback and guidance from colleagues.

This position is ideal for someone interested in pursuing medical school or graduate studies in neuroscience, psychology, or clinical research.  It involves extensive patient interaction as a member of a clinical research team and offers opportunities for individual projects, presentations at conferences, and publication. Due to current COVID restrictions, some work will be conducted remotely. Full-time onsight work will resume when restrictions are lifted.

Minimum Technical Standards: Comfort with computers, specifically the Windows operating system, is essential.  Comfort in Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as the ability to learn how to use new software is also important. Experience with MATLab is preferred but not essential.

Minimum Experience and Degree Requirements: Bachelors degree and 1-2 years of experience in a clinical research setting are required. Coursework in neuroscience, psychology, biology, or other pre-medical or related fields is preferred.

Working Conditions:

• Inpatient and outpatient care settings, research laboratories, and administrative suites
• May work in clinical facilities with exposure to biological contamination, e.g., blood.

To learn more, please visit our websites:

Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery

Lab for NeuroImaging of Coma and Consciousness

Laboratory for Translational Neurorecovery Postdoctoral Fellow

We are seeking a highly-motivated individual to advance neurophysiological biomarkers of motor recovery after stroke. Experience with EEG acquisition and analysis is preferred, along with an interest in MRI and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). The goal of this study is to identify optimal neurophysiological biomarkers of upper extremity motor recovery that will directly inform the development of new neurotechnologies including Brain Computer Interfaces to improve upper extremity motor recovery.

This position is available for two years at Massachusetts General Hospital, under the primary mentorship of David Lin, MD. Additional mentorship will be provided by Leigh Hochberg, MD, PhD, Sydney Cash, MD, PhD, and Catherine Chu, MD.

Inquiries should be made directly to Laboratory for Translational Neurorecovery PI, Dr. David Lin (dlin7@mgh.harvard.edu).

Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellow

A postdoctoral position is available for a highly motivated neuropsychologist, cognitive psychologist, or experimental psychologist to study the long-term effects of repetitive blast exposure on United States Special Operations Forces service members. The goal of this study is to identify imaging, proteomic, and metabolomic biomarkers of blast injury that correlate with cognitive, behavioral, and neurological outcomes in Special Operations Forces service members. This position is for two years at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, MA, under the mentorship of Brian Edlow, M.D. (Director of the Lab for NeuroImaging of Coma and Consciousness at MGH), and Kristen Dams-O’Connor, Ph.D. (Director of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Brain Injury Research Center). As part of a multidisciplinary research team, the post-doctoral fellow will be responsible for administering, scoring, analyzing, and interpreting a broad battery of cognitive-behavioral tests. The fellow will also collaborate with a team of MRI, PET, proteomic, and metabolomic experts at the MGH Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging to interpret the cognitive-behavioral test results in the context of the biomarker results.

Candidates for this position must have completed all doctoral degree requirements. Salary is consistent with NIH guidelines and benefits include health, dental and vision insurances, paid time-off, and conference time. Individuals with strong previous research experience and aspirations for a clinical research career are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please send a CV, letter of interest, and contact information for two professional references to the project manager, Jessica Kelemen, at jkelemen@mgh.harvard.edu.

Clinical Research Coordinator – (job code 3124714) 

We are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic and dedicated individual with an interest in neurorecovery after stroke and other acute neurologic injuries to join our leading team of physicians, scientists, and engineers at the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, in the full-time role of Clinical Research Coordinator. This clinical research coordinator will engage in cutting-edge neurorecovery research on the MGH inpatient neurology services and during outpatient neurology clinic visits. These responsibilities include the careful execution and documentation of research evaluating recovery for people with stroke and other forms of neurologic injury. They will gain direct experience in clinical activities and human neuroscience research primarily through the on-going SMaHRT Study (https://cntr.mgh.harvard.edu/smahrt/). There will be a specific emphasis on organization, visualization, and analysis of collected data on stroke rehabilitation outcomes. The primary goal of this research is to better understand recovery and rehabilitation after strokes and other acute neurologic injuries.

UI-UX Designer / Software Engineer

The UI/UX Designer-Developer will be based at Brown University and spearhead the conception, design and software implementation of user interfaces and overall user experience for our intracortical brain-machine interface to be deployed to the homes of individuals with severe movement disability. Working closely with our team, s/he will be responsible for aesthetic and functional UI/UX design, executing a user-centered design process, coding elegant and effective user interfaces using iOS, web, Windows and other software technologies/targets, software integration, testing and end validation. This is a full-time 2-year fixed-term position with standard Brown University employee benefits. Please see the PDF announcement for details.

Clinical Research Coordinator – (job code 3086661)

To apply, go to https://www.massgeneral.org/careers/jobsearch.aspx and search for job code 3086661

Neurotechnology Research Nurse – (job code 3085933)

Description

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

• Responsible for executing clinical activities of the BrainGate research, as well as additional clinical research-related endeavors in neurology and neurotechnology, including the SMaHRT study.
• Responsible for ensuring that performance of clinical trial complies with approved IRB protocol, GCP, and regulatory requirements of from FDA / Investigational Device Exemptions or related regulatory guidance documents.
• Provide first-line interaction between study staff and potential clinical research participants inquiring about research and clinical activities in neurotechnology
• Perform clinical research data collection with research participants in a variety of clinical settings and ensure that research data is accurate and complete.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  

Feasibility of the BrainGate Neural Interface System

• The “BrainGate” study is an ongoing, multi-site pilot Investigational Device Exemption trial, performed under the Partners/MGH IRB. The majority of this research occurs in the participants’ place of residence; participants are severely disabled from cervical spinal cord injury, brainstem stroke, muscular dystrophy, or ALS. In support of this project, weekly (for 6 weeks) and then monthly (for a year or more) home visits are required from the Research Nurse in order to inspect the pedestal site (looking for signs of infection) and performing a limited neurological examination. All visits are reported on Case Report Forms. In support of this project, the Research Nurse will:
o After training by the PI, perform weekly/monthly in-home visits.
o Coordinate study-related inpatient and outpatient testing and care.
o Help the PI in replying to email and telephone inquiries from potential study participants and their families. Responses are drafted based on pre-existing templates.
o A series of patients have emailed and requested to be contacted if studies in their area open up. A database of “interested” patients, already started, will be updated and maintained.

• The Research Nurse will support the administrative structure of neurotechnology research, including preparation of research-related documents for FDA and other institutions.
• Prepare and maintain study documents including informed consent forms, protocol, Case Report Forms, training manuals and logs, regulatory binders, recruitment advertisements and other materials.
• Coordinate patient care charges in hospital system for research activities

1. Patient Recruitment

• Adequate recruitment of study participants is a critical link in any successful clinical research endeavor. Recruitment is particularly challenging for trials with strict and numerous inclusion criteria. For the BrainGate study, patient recruitment will require regular interaction, via email and telephone, with the teams (nurses and physicians) whose patients may be appropriate for study recruitment. Related activities include:

o Fielding emails / phone calls / inquiries regarding potentially eligible patients
o Ensuring that approved publicity posters remain in floor/unit locations
o Speaking with patients and, when appropriate, their family, about study enrollment
o Organizing and participating in consent meetings.

2. Data Gathering and Data Sharing

• The BrainGate study has three types of “data”: Data about the participants (e.g., age, disease/injury, medications, physical examination, MMSE results; “clinical data”), the actual waveforms and performance metrics collected by the system (“neural data”), and video recordings of the clinical trial sessions (“video data”). Collection, maintenance, and reporting of the Clinical Data is a primary objective of the Research Study Nurse. Successful data analysis will be dependent upon exquisite record keeping (both paper and computer database). Thus, this role will involve:

o Maintenance of a HIPAA/FDA/IRB-compliant log of all potential participants.
o Collection of patient-specific data (from medical records, etc.)
o Adverse event reporting (completion of Case Report Forms and IRB AE forms as needed)

• May train other team members involved in the clinical aspects of the BrainGate study

3. Investigation and Management of Adverse Events

• Participants in the BrainGate trial are inherently at risk for adverse events. The clinical study team, represented first by the Research Nurse, will need the ability to respond, sometimes in person, quickly, to any possibly trial-related adverse event. In addition, caregivers may call with questions regarding the management of a non-trial-related illness. While we do not direct non-study-related medical care for trial participants, it is important to coordinate with the participant’s PCP or specialists to ensure that care is safe and appropriate in the context of the clinical trial, and/or that trial procedures are modified in response to the participant’s health condition.

The Research Nurse role for this project will also:

• Be responsible for identifying areas for streamlining and process improvement in the data collection process.
• Demonstrate appropriate utilization of resources necessary to obtain valid, reliable data for entry into the research database.

1. Team Management

• The Research Nurse will help the PI and other study investigators, in addition to the Clinical Oversight Committee, in preparing for regular team meetings (data reviews, conference calls, etc.), will develop an agenda for each meeting, and will create and distribute meeting minutes.
• New team members (students, residents, therapists) will join the BrainGate team occasionally. Responsible for providing training on clinical aspects of the study to new team members.

2. Clinical Site Monitoring

• Provide comprehensive regulatory oversight to multiple clinical trial sites
• Work collaboratively with internal (MGH) and external project team members.
• Maintain communication with clinical trial sites and in-house study staff.
• Act on behalf of Sponsor to resolve site related issues.
• Provide centralized site support, communication and coordination.
• Develop and revise the monitoring plan for assigned studies.
• Independently monitor clinical sites including: initiation, interim and closeout visits.
• Provide investigator and study staff training as needed.
• Develop informed consent templates and review site Informed Consent Forms prior to site IRB submission

3. Data Safety and Monitoring Board Management

• Assist in transitioning from Clinical Oversight Committee to Data Safety Monitoring Board
• Work collaboratively with internal (MGH) team members to interact with new DSMB.

4. Works Effectively with Patients, Families, and Staff

• Has strong interpersonal skills with ability to communicate verbally and in writing to establish effective working relationships with members of the Hospital community, especially staff in the Neurology, Neurosurgery, Nursing, Occupational/Physical/Speech & Language Therapy, Pulmonary, and Surgery services whose support is necessary for the research to be successful.
• Work independently and coordinate activities closely with PI and other investigators via email and telephone, as well as via regular in-person meetings.

5. Supports growing Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery (CNTR)

• Maintains current knowledge of appropriate related research and identifies clinical issues appropriate for study.
• Supports other CNTR research studies and clinical care in TBI, Stroke, Epilepsy, and Spinal Cord Injury, including inpatient clinical research studies in the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit (Lunder 6) and the Neurology floors (Lunder 7 and 8)
• Coordinates clinical-research interactions with outpatients being followed in the Stroke Motor Neurorehabilitation Clinic
• Responsible for the preparation and presentation of clear, precise and clinically accurate summaries of review findings including their significance and implications to various audiences.
• Supports and helps to manage other Epilepsy, TBI, Stroke, and related research studies
• Assists in interaction with industry partners

6. Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

 QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Graduate of accredited school of nursing
• Active MA License as a Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner
• Minimum 5 years experience in inpatient and/or outpatient nursing required.
• Prior clinical trial experience required. At least 2 years of independent clinical monitoring required. Prior experience in neurologic/neurosurgical care and research/clinical trials preferred.
• Willingness to obtain licensure in another state if required for clinical research activities.
• Preferred: Certified Clinical Research Associate by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) or equivalent.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED: 

• Ability to establish effective working relationships with all members of the Hospital community
• Able to work independently and in teams
• Demonstrates excellent organizational skills
• Demonstrates excellent and effective writing and communication skills
• Comfortable working with computers, including custom software
• Computer and Internet skills and experience required – familiarity and comfort with MS Office products is essential for success in this position (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat Pro).
• Comfort working in MacOS environment required.
• Is knowledgeable and compliant in all hospital, State and Federal regulatory requirements, including hospital policy and procedures (where applicable to the performance of the job), Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
• Completed hospital-based certifications for education in human subjects research protections (e.g., CITI web-based course or equivalent).
• Ability to travel to multiple locations/sites

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

Multiple locations including normal office conditions, inpatient clinical environments (including ward and intensive care unit), outpatient clinics, “house calls” (patient or research participant home). Travel to other clinical sites may require occasional air travel and overnight stay. Part of a team of physicians and nurses that provide 24/7 research pager coverage.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: 

None currently but anticipate supervisory responsibility in the future, as program grows.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: 

No direct fiscal responsibilities; however, is responsible for prudent fiscal management of program resources (e.g. supplies, etc.). Assist in the purchasing of clinical research supplies. Careful assessment and engagement in reporting patient care charges for inpatient activities related to research studies.

 EEO Statement

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.

Primary Location: MA-Boston-175 Cambridge – MGH
Work Locations: 175 Cambridge – MGH 175 Cambridge Street Boston 02114
Job: Registered Nurse
Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH)
Schedule: Full-time
Standard Hours: 40
Shift: Day Job
Employee Status: Regular
Recruiting Department: MGH Neurology Research
Job Posting: Feb 15, 2019

To apply, go to https://www.massgeneral.org/careers/jobsearch.aspx and search for job code 3085933

IRB Coordinator – (job code 3090779)

To apply, go to https://www.massgeneral.org/careers/jobsearch.aspx and search for job code 3090779