Research Coordinator

Monday - Friday, 25-30 hours per week; Flexibility in work hours to accommodate processing of patient samples that may arrive after 5:00 PM, particularly on Monday clinic days or other days as needed.

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

The primary purpose of this position is to assist in research studies and in the management and processing of biological samples from patients entering one of the UNC Kidney Center's study cohorts. The research focus is pediatric kidney disease, including chronic kidney disease and pediatric glomerular disease. The individual will work in a collaborative network composed of physicians, nurses, research personnel, patients, and families, supporting the study team on the clinical side and contributing hands-on effort in the laboratory. This is a split role: some days are patient-facing in clinic, and others are spent primarily at the bench.

Clinical Research Responsibilities
Assist principal investigator in study related activities including but not limited to: recruitment and enrollment of children and their families into research studies; conducting study visits; chart reviews and abstraction of clinical data from the electronic medical record; data collection and data entry; and sample collection and processing. Because the study population is pediatric, the candidate must interact with children across a wide age range and with their parents and caregivers, and explain study participation clearly to both.

Laboratory Responsibilities
'Hands on' processing of biological samples (including blood and urine) is required. Sample processing includes but is not limited to cell isolation, preparation and extraction of samples for gel electrophoresis, ELISA, Western blotting, and other miscellaneous cellular, molecular and biochemical methods. The position will provide assistance in inventorying and maintaining all equipment needed for preparing, organizing, and storing reagents for sample processing. All requirements for laboratory safety in handling blood borne pathogens must be kept current.

Must travel between the laboratory in Burnett-Womack and the UNC Pediatric Blue Ridge clinic in Raleigh to transport samples for processing and storage. At least one day per week will be spent at the Blue Ridge location. Short overnight travel, approximately once per year, may be required.

Bachelor's degree; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Comfort or professionalism in interactions with pediatric patients and their caregivers.

Ability to approach and recruit children and their families into research studies, including describing study procedures or obtaining consent and assent under the supervision of the Principal Investigator.

Prior laboratory experience, particularly with wet-lab sample processing techniques.

Spanish language proficiency.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.