Job Summary:

Manages all activities associated with biomedical &/or social-behavioral research studies considered very complex by the inclusion of several of the following: multiple investigators, teams, sites, sub-contracts, participants, longitudinal assessments/ interventions; &/or multi-million-dollar budgets. Ensures completion of contract requirements & client specifications. Oversees day-to-day operations including identifying & securing needed resources; creating, implementing, monitoring, & updating project plans; facilitating meetings with appropriate parties; tracking tasks/deliverables to ensure timelines, milestones &/or goals are attained; monitoring & reporting progress as appropriate; & resolving or escalating issues in a timely manner. May co-author scientific papers for presentation & publication & coordinates writing, submission & administration of grants. Ensures that all study activities are completed by strictly following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & all current local, state, & federal laws, regulations, guidance, policy & procedure developed by the NU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), & the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH).

Project Description: Implementation Science to Enhance Models of Care for HIV/AIDS

Linkage, retention, and reengagement programs are critical strategies for facilitating and keeping people with HIV (PWH) in treatment, helping them achieve viral suppression, and ending the HIV epidemic in the US, but there are gaps in their implementation and reach. In collaboration with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and local HIV service agencies, Northwestern investigators Dennis Li and Nanette Benbow lead a collection of related projects focused on improving care engagement for PWH:

(1) “Configurations of Linkage, Engagement, and Retention Strategies for HIV” (CLEARS-HIV) aims to survey the landscape of care engagement activities happening in Chicago and identify empirically supported best practices that can be tailored and scaled out to different populations and contexts. Data collection is complete; we are focused on analyzing data and disseminating results.

(2) “Collaborative to Enhance Access for Suppression to End HIV” (CEASE-HIV) aims to implement and evaluate an evidence-based model of low-barrier care (LBC) for PWH with complex needs across a network of CDPH-funded HIV clinical agencies. After facilitating adaptation and adoption of LBC among clinics through a learning collaborative, we will study LBC implementation and assess its impact on citywide care engagement and viral suppression rates. We are completing the learning collaborative phase and preparing for implementation.

(3) “Assessing a Centralized Care Engagement and Syndemics Strategy for HIV” (ACCESS-HIV) focuses on the HIV Resource HUB, a CDPH-funded citywide service navigation program. This project aims to improve implementation and sustainability of the program in Chicago as well as identify strategies for scaling out the HUB to other jurisdictions.

(4) Additional project(s) pending funding.

Program Description: Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing

This subset of projects is housed within the Northwestern University Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH; http://www.isgmh.northwestern.edu), a university-wide institute dedicated to fostering research that improves the health and wellbeing of the sexual and gender minority communities. ISGMH currently has multiple NIH- and foundation-funded studies and actively collaborates with community-based organizations to conduct research and translate findings into interventions. It is directed by Dr. Brian Mustanski.

This is a term position ending on May 31, 2025. Opportunity for renewal will be based on performance and available funding.

Specific Responsibilities:

Technical

Provides complex scientific & technical leadership in determining research priorities & the plan, design & execution of research projects ensuring that programs of investigation meet specified objectives.
Plans, develops & implements new processes & protocols to support research studies & maximize/extend study capabilities.
Oversees completion of study activities per protocol.
Ensures that study protocols are in compliance with appropriate rules & regulations & reviews study progress and recommends revisions, amendments, and/or other study changes as necessary to better meet needs of sponsors.
Reviews scientific literature & evaluates & recommends applicable techniques & procedures.
Administrative

Analyzes, evaluates & interprets data to determine relevance to research.
Assists PI in developing statistical methods & models to analyze & report data based upon study requirements.
Prepares results & may co-author scientific papers for presentation & publication & disseminates information via seminars, lectures, etc.
Creates data for use in grant submission & develop new proposals for research including obtaining financial support.
Acts as liaison between sponsoring agencies, collaborating organizations &/or other research &/or educational institutions.
Ensures that all study documents associated with current local, state, & federal regulatory guidelines, requirements, laws & research protocols are completed in a timely manner.
Finance

May create &/or manage research study budget which may include deciding on & approving expenditures of funds based on budget.
Monitors accounts.
Negotiates prices & specifications with vendors.
Purchases supplies, materials, equipment & services.
Ensures appropriate allocation & compliance.
Invoices study sponsors for study tests/procedures.
Coordinates & participates in budgetary negotiations with industry sponsors.
Supervision

Trains, directs, assigns duties to & may supervise lab EEs, students, residents &/or fellows.
Acts as a mentor in regard to education of junior coordinators.
Performs other duties as assigned.