Biomedical Science jobs in New Westminster, BC

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At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

This position supports a national evaluation program within the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine focused on influenza surveillance, vaccine effectiveness (VE), infectious disease epidemiology, and pandemic preparedness. Working within the Canadian Emergency Department Research Network (CEDRN) and in collaboration with the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network (SPSN) with headquarters at the BC Centre for Disease Control, the incumbent coordinates multi-site activities, supports surveillance protocol implementation, conducts epidemiologic and health services evaluation analyses, prepares reports and scholarly outputs, and contributes to knowledge translation activities. The position involves collaboration with healthcare, public health, academic, and government partners and requires adherence to ethical, privacy, and data governance requirements.

Emergency Departments (EDs) are critical low-barrier access points to the healthcare system and often the first to encounter new viral outbreaks. CEDRN was established during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since developed into a national platform producing over 25 manuscripts, 38 protocols, and six government-solicited reports. In 2024, CEDRN executed new Membership and Data Sharing Agreements across urban, rural, and remote EDs, enabling large-scale analyses and new surveillance initiatives. Building on this foundation, the network is now exploring the incorporation of routine influenza surveillance as a test case to enhance virological and vaccine effectiveness monitoring and pandemic preparedness, emulating and expanding upon the success of the outpatient SPSN in achieving these objectives within primary care settings in BC and across Canada for the past two decades.

Organizational Status

The Department of Emergency Medicine discovers new and better ways to manage emergency patients and shares our knowledge of best practices with all emergency medicine practitioners and new learners. Our faculty have an impressive record of research and discovery. Academic Emergency Physicians have taught residents and medical students at UBC for over thirty years. Our Research Division conducts numerous internal and external projects that are recruiting participants from the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) Emergency Department. The Department of Emergency Medicine provides a leadership role in the development and implementation of an Emergency Medicine Network across the whole province, to support practitioners and integrate academics with clinician.

The incumbent will work under the supervision of Dr. Corinne Hohl, Emergency Physician and Professor in UBC’s Department of Emergency Medicine and working closely with Dr. Danuta Skowronski, Principal Investigator of the Canadian SPSN at the BC Centre for Disease Control and Clinical Professor with the UBC School of Population and Public Health. The successful applicant will demonstrate the professionalism, independence and inter-personal skills required to navigate and bridge both national multi-site and multi-disciplinary networks in scoping feasibility and developing the solid foundation for enhanced respiratory virus and VE monitoring within EDs.

Work Performed

• Develop standard operating procedures for research activities across CEDRN sites in multiple provinces to capture and synthesize ED-specific information required for influenza surveillance and VE monitoring by potential study site such as testing volumes, assays, indications/restrictions to testing/participation, clinical and laboratory workflow, sub-typing and/or sequencing practices, and specimen testing location.
• Design the technique and system for conducting analysis of project data, implementation indicators, and operational outcomes, and communicate findings at network planning meetings and with relevant stakeholders to support technical decision-making, evaluation of scalability, and the development of frameworks for potential national deployment.
• Map qualitative findings around emergency department and laboratory workflow, barriers, and facilitators.
• Identify barriers or challenges in feasibility, implementation, or data capture, and recommend mitigation procedures.
• Apply knowledge of epidemiological techniques, and understanding of the complexities of working with personal health data and samples within a Canadian context to draft, and refine ED-based influenza surveillance and vaccine effectiveness (VE) monitoring protocols
• Compile data for research ethics board applications and coordinate and track completion of information sharing agreements
• Develop, test and potentially implement operating procedures, tools, dictionaries for potential pilot site activities, including participant eligibility, consent, extraction/collection of relevant patient information (e.g., demographics, symptoms, vaccination history, laboratory-confirmed test results), and secure collection, transportation, tracking and storage of patient specimens. Coordinate, track, and supervise these pilot site activities as indicated with a view to multi-site contribution nationally (if feasible).
• Undertake quantitative analyses such as site-specific specimen testing volumes, percent positivity, and participant characteristics, to guide the sampling strategy and anticipate the needs of more advanced or complex epidemiological analyses (e.g., underpinning the VE evaluation) (if feasible)
• Follow established guidelines related to site-based ethics, privacy and legal requirements for collecting and sharing patient samples and combining large complex health datasets.
• Maintain rigorous documentation and ensure adherence to protocols, ethics, and data governance requirements.
• Oversee the progress of projects and prepare progress and outcome reports for stakeholders, including funders and government partners.
• Help graduate students and staff with study design, analysis, and dissemination.
• Draft and refine conference presentations and assists with abstracts and manuscripts to advance the scientific evidence base for VE understanding and interpretation and overall pandemic preparedness.
• Generate visuals, presentation slides, and website updates that could be used as knowledge translation tools for patients, health system partners and policy makers while translating complex terminology into language that is accessible and understandable to non-technical audiences.
• Responsible for the access, collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information in accordance with the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), UBC privacy and security policies, research ethics requirements, and applicable data governance standards.
• Other project-related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Research Coordinator is required to conduct all work-related activities in an ethical manner and maintain strict confidentiality of research and participant information. Exercising poor judgment or failing to appropriately consult with investigators and project partners may adversely affect the validity and success of research and surveillance projects and the broader CEDRN and SPSN platforms. Errors may compromise research findings, delay project deliverables, damage relationships with collaborating institutions and public health partners, and negatively impact future funding opportunities.

Supervision Received

The Research Coordinator will work under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator, Dr. Corinne Hohl, and in collaboration with Dr. Danuta Skowronski, Principal Investigator of the SPSN at the BC Centre for Disease Control. The incumbent will work laterally with investigators, project coordinators, research coordinators, research assistants, and collaborating partners across participating CEDRN sites. This position involves a high degree of autonomy, with performance measured by contributions to the team's achievement of platform objectives and project deliverables.

Supervision Given

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

The incumbent shall have completed a Masters degree in a relevant discipline (epidemiology, health administration, and/or public health), and have experience in the following areas:

• Experience coordinating multi-site research and evaluation activities and managing complex procedures and protocols. Project management training would be an asset.
• Experience with mixed-methods research and evaluation considered an asset.
• Experience in dealing with multiple commitments, multiple disciplines, multiple sites and short deadlines and sensitive clinical, public health, surveillance or research issues

Preference will be given to applicants with intermediate or advanced computer skills in the following software packages: MS Office (particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint), REDCap or other relevant and recognized data management software. Experience with NVivo is considered an asset.

Familiarity with Canadian clinical and health services data, emergency medicine settings, or laboratory workflows is desirable.

Familiarity and experience with grant funded projects, surveillance and study protocol requirements including ethical conduct, ethics approval process, standard operating procedures, data dictionaries, source documentation and good clinical practice

Required skills include:

• Excellent communication skills, including strong oral, written, and interpersonal skills.
• Innovative and creative thinking and a logical approach to problem solving are also necessary
• Self-directed, self-motivated and independent work skills
• Effective organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast pace environment with multiple priorities and stakeholders
• Ability to apply good judgement and demonstrate initiative to resolve and communicate issues.

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