Research Assistant, Electrical And Computer Engineering (Term)

The Research Assistant (Term) will be part of Electrical and Computer Engineering Vanderbilt University .

NOTE: A Term position is a staff position that exists for a period longer than six months but is not expected to last beyond one year. Although a position may exist for a specified or indefinite period, staff who accept term positions are not guaranteed employment for the entire period; they are employed for indefinite periods within the limit of the appointment. There are no guarantees of continued employment, either within the term or when the term ends.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include participant recruitment and coordination, assisting in data collection, programming/scripting for data analysis and data management, contributing to research studies and publications, and assisting with general laboratory operation.

• Meeting participants at the Imaging Center when they arrive for the studies;
• Ensure that participants are informed about the expectations and procedures of the study
• Participate in research, and in preparation of manuscripts, proposals, and presentations . This may include preparation of figures and diagrams, data analysis, attending project meetings, assisting with background literature review, and assisting with programming/scripting tasks.
• Participant recruitment and coordination for brain imaging experiments. This will involve:
  • advertising via emails and flyers;
  • communicating with research participants about the experimental logistics, and ensuring that paperwork is completed;
  • reserving time for the experiments on the MRI scanner through the scheduling website;
  • meeting participants at the Imaging Center when they arrive for the studies;
  • managing consent forms
  • ensure that participants are informed about the expectations and procedures of the study
• Data pre - processing and quality assurance – responsible for running computer programs for pre-processing the data and communicating with the PI and others in the lab about any potential data quality issues, to ensure that high-quality data is being collected for our studies
• Reserving time for the experiments on the MRI scanner through the scheduling website;
• Place orders for lab supplies when needed
• Other tasks as assigned
• Managing consent forms
• Assisting with setup / cleanup for EEG recordings – will involve helping to place and prepare the EEG cap on the research participant at the beginning of the experiment and cleaning up / storing the EEG system components at the conclusion of each experiment
• Oversee collection of MRI data – While the MRI scanning itself is performed by technologists at the Imaging Center, the position is expected to be present at the scans and communicate with the technologists to ensure that the specific details of our study are carried out in accordance with the lab’s experimental protocols
• Advertising via emails and flyers;
• Communicating with research participants about the experimental logistics, and ensuring that paperwork is completed;
• Data transfer and management – following an experiment, the position will transfer all data files to the lab computers, and make sure that the files are clearly organized and readily accessible by others in the lab

Qualifications

• Experience programming in Matlab or Python is strongly preferred
• Applicant should demonstrate responsiveness to feedback and challenges
• Responsiveness and clear, prompt communication is essential
• Applicant should be reliable, honest, highly organized, and independent; should be detail-oriented and demonstrate problem-solving skills
• An interest in neuroscience is desirable
• Experience with Unix/Linux is also preferred, to facilitate data management
• Careful attention to detail is imperative
• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering, computational, or basic science field is required by the start of the position
• Excellent communication, organization, and inter-personal skills are strongly preferred
• Strong inter-personal skills and organizational skills

At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville , Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice through:

• Encouraging development, collaboration, and partnership both internally and externally while fostering the value that every member of the Vanderbilt community can lead and grow regardless of title or position.
• Providing a work environment where every staff and faculty member can be their authentic and best self , while providing the resources and opportunities to learn and grow.
• Working and growing together as a community of communities... we are One Vanderbilt .

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.

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