Clinical Research Coordinator

CHOIR is an interdisciplinary clinical research center committed to developing, testing, and implementing innovative behavioral and psychosocial interventions that address mental and physical health across hospital and community settings. The CRC will coordinate day-to-day activities across two related, community-engaged behavioral clinical trials.

The CRC will work closely with Dr. Pham, CHOIR colleagues, study clinicians and investigators, community navigators, lay group instructors, and community partners. The successful candidate will be expected to work independently while maintaining frequent communication with the study team, manage multiple time-sensitive priorities, and follow detailed study protocols, human-subjects protections, and data-security procedures.

Typical work hours will be weekday business hours. Some early evening, occasional weekend, and off-site work may be required to accommodate participant schedules, community events, intervention sessions, and study visits.

This is a 2-year mentored position offering hands-on experience in community-engaged clinical research, behavioral intervention trials, health disparities, chronic pain, depression, aging, early cognitive decline, and community responsive adaptation of evidence-based care. The position is well suited to candidates considering future training in clinical psychology, public health, social work, medicine, nursing, neuroscience, health services research, or related fields.

The CRC will receive structured supervision and opportunities to develop skills in research operations, participant engagement, clinical-trial coordination, REDCap-based data collection, regulatory documentation, literature review, qualitative and quantitative research support, and scientific communication. Depending on contributions, performance, project needs, and institutional policies, the CRC may have opportunities to contribute to abstracts, presentations, and manuscripts and to receive mentoring related to professional development and graduate or professional-school applications.

The CRC will primarily support two related community-engaged pilot randomized controlled trials conducted with older Black adults in the Greater Boston area: The Quiet Focus Project is a feasibility randomized controlled trial of a community tailored mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)-based program for older Black adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain and mild to moderate depressive symptoms. The study compares the adapted MBCT program with the Health Enhancement Program (HEP), a time- and dose-matched active control. The study is designed to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, participant engagement, and intervention fidelity in preparation for a future efficacy trial. The Feeling of Being Project is a feasibility randomized controlled trial of a community tailored MBCT-based program for older Black adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain and early cognitive decline. The study compares the adapted MBCT program with HEP and evaluates feasibility, acceptability, participant engagement, and intervention fidelity in preparation for a future efficacy trial. Both studies were developed in partnership with Greater Boston Area older Black community members, community navigators, and community-based organizations.

In-person activities are expected to occur in community settings in the Roxbury area with options for some study activities to occur remotely. Each study enrolls approximately 60 participants who are randomized to an 8-session intervention or control program and complete assessments at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily operations for the Quiet Focus and Feeling of Being community-engaged behavioral clinical trials.
• Support community-based recruitment through approved outreach materials, communication with community-based organizations and other community partners, and timely responses to prospective participant inquiries.
• Conduct protocol-defined pre-screening, screening, informed-consent, and enrollment activities under the supervision of the Principal Investigator and in accordance with IRB-approved procedures.
• Administer and track research assessments by telephone, video, secure electronic survey, and in person, including baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up assessments.
• Maintain participant contact, scheduling, reminder, and retention systems; document outreach attempts; and coordinate transportation-related support and participant compensation in accordance with approved study procedures.
• Coordinate group-program logistics, including participant schedules, community-site arrangements, virtual-meeting support, study-material preparation and distribution, attendance tracking, and communication with lay group instructors and study staff.
• Enter, review, reconcile, and manage research data in REDCap and other approved systems; conduct routine data-quality checks; resolve missing or discrepant data; and maintain accurate screening, enrollment, retention, and protocol-deviation logs.
• Assist with the secure handling and organization of study documents, recordings, and research materials in accordance with Mass General Brigham, IRB, HIPAA, and study-specific confidentiality requirements.
• Follow study safety and escalation procedures. Promptly communicate participant concerns, adverse events, protocol deviations, potential safety concerns, and any indication of self-harm or suicidality to the Principal Investigator or designated licensed clinician; the CRC will not independently provide clinical assessment or treatment.
• Assist with IRB submissions, amendments, continuing reviews, regulatory binders, study manuals, training documentation, and other required research records.
• Support intervention-fidelity and quality-assurance activities, including organizing session recordings and attendance data, preparing materials for supervisor review, and documenting follow-up actions.
• Conduct literature searches and assist with research products such as abstracts, posters, presentations, manuscripts, reports, and grant-related materials, as appropriate.
• Participate in individual supervision, study-team meetings, CHOIR meetings, training activities, and community-partner meetings.
• Perform other study-related administrative and operational duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelors required. Can this role accept experience in lieu of a degree? No.

Experience: Some relevant research project work 0-1 year preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrate excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, reliability, and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to build respectful, professional relationships with older adults, community partners, and multidisciplinary research teams.
• Be comfortable with participant-facing work conducted in person, by telephone, by video, and through secure electronic communication.
• Demonstrate an interest in community-engaged research, health disparities, and working respectfully with Black older adults and other communities with health disparities.
• Be able to follow detailed written protocols, maintain confidentiality, document activities accurately, and recognize when to promptly escalate participant safety concerns or protocol questions to the Principal Investigator or designated clinician.
• Be able to work both independently and collaboratively, take initiative, respond to feedback, and meet time-sensitive deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Be proficient with Microsoft Office applications, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, and comfortable learning research databases and electronic data-capture systems such as REDCap.
• Be willing and able to travel locally to approved community research sites in the Boston area and to work occasional early evening or weekend hours as required by participant and intervention schedules.

Preferred qualifications include prior experience in clinical, behavioral, community-based, aging, mental-health, or health-disparities research; experience recruiting and retaining research participants; familiarity with REDCap, eConsent, or IRB processes; experience working with older adults and/or community-based organizations; and experience with qualitative or quantitative research methods. Experience with chronic pain, depression, cognitive aging, mindfulness-based interventions, or group-program coordination is desirable but not required.

Working Conditions

This is a 2-year position that requires regular in-person work, generally four days per week, at CHOIR/Massachusetts General Hospital and approved community research sites in the Boston area. Some duties may be completed remotely when operationally appropriate. Typical hours are weekday business hours, with occasional early evening or weekend hours required to support participant scheduling, community engagement, and group-session activities.