Research Assistant

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Job description

Description

Job Description:

The Leidos Military and Veterans Health Solutions group currently has an opening for a Research Assistant to work within the Physical and Cognitive Operational Research Environment (PhyCORE) and Fuel Utilization and Energy Lab (FUEL) teams within the Warfighter Performance Department at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, CA. This is an exciting opportunity to use your experience to improve the safety, health and performance of warfighters and military personnel.

Primary Responsibilities

The primary responsibility of the Research Assistant is to help conduct studies and analyses with a focus on military operational performance. Specifically, the Research Assistant will work closely with other researchers to conduct research studies with the focus on nutrition optimization for warfighter performance and injury/illness prevention during periods of stress (environmental and food delivery challenges). In addition, physiological measurement related to human movement and cognitive function will be performed to include work in biomechanics, musculoskeletal injury prevention and treatment, traumatic brain injury, and other diagnoses on operational performance of the Warfighter.

Primary tasks will include:

• Collaborate with other investigators in conducting human performance field and laboratory research including evaluating healthy and injured warfighters in laboratory environments and in operational settings.

• Interact with and collect nutrition, biomechanics, physiology, cognitive and other health data from human subjects, abiding by human research protection regulations.

• Assist with coordinating, collecting, and analyzing energy and nutrient intake, blood markers of nutritional status, physical performance, body composition, and other related study data.

• Assist with implementation of dietary interventions deployed in research studies and laboratory analysis of biomarkers.

• Use methodologies and procedures to determine levels of physical and cognitive performance, fatigue, fitness, nutrition, and biomechanics for evaluating military operational performance.

• Assist with recruitment of active duty, wounded warrior, and civilian subjects for human subjects research protocols

• Perform technical/scientific writing to assist with generation of standard operating procedures and protocol development.

• Collect, input, organize, and manage data from various laboratory testing instruments, surveys, and reports.

• Prepare abstracts, reports, presentations, and publications for military and academic medical and research communities

• Follow all established standing operating procedures

• Assist with Institutional Review Board submission for Human Subjects and other paperwork required for research studies.

• Assist with identifying and purchasing of laboratory equipment to include: motion capture and gait analysis systems, EEG and EMG systems, body composition, functional movement and physical performance equipment.

• Assist in performing inventory and keeping equipment secure

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required for the customer research mission

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biology, nutritional sciences, exercise physiology, kinesiology, or a related scientific field from an accredited college or university. Two or more years of related experience is required.

• Understand how to use and maintain research and laboratory equipment necessary to obtain and analyze data. Strong ability to effectively troubleshoot and test new equipment is highly desired. Experience analyzing and collecting energy and nutrient intake is required.

• Strong technical writing background with an ability to write research proposals, human use protection protocols, technical reports, journal articles, and conference abstracts and papers.

• Solid background in nutrition and human physiology. Ability to interact positively and in a professional manner within a research environment. Proven ability to read, comprehend, and discuss research materials.

• Excellent critical thinking with problem-solving skills and an ability to work cooperatively in a team setting. Flexibility in responding to changing demands, timelines, and priorities.

• Strong computer skills and experience with software such as MS Office, Adobe applications, and other PC-based software.

• US Citizenship required. Must be able to obtain and maintain a SECRET government security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Registered Dietitian or Bachelor's degree in Nutrition with training in exercise physiology and/or sports nutrition.

• Knowledge of different military operational environments and phlebotomy skills are highly desired, but not required.

Naval Health West - NHW

Pay Range: