Research Assistant, Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities

Georgetown University comprises two unique campuses in the nation’s capital. With the Hilltop Campus located in the heart of the historic Georgetown neighborhood, and the Capitol Campus, just minutes from the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Supreme Court, Georgetown University offers rigorous academic programs, a global perspective, and unparalleled opportunities to engage with Washington, D.C. Our community is a close-knit group of remarkable individuals driven by intellectual inquiry, a commitment to social justice, and a shared dedication to making a difference in the world.

A bachelor’s degree in a health-related field—including psychology, biology, social work, public health, or another relevant discipline—is required. Basic knowledge of the principles, processes, and methods of medical and social science research through literature reviews, coursework, and/or field experience is also required. A successful candidate will have at least one year of experience in a research or related setting, proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and strong organizational and communication skills. The candidate must also have a strong interest in implementation science, perinatal and infant mental health, substance use disorders, maternal-child health, and research conducted in partnership with healthcare and community settings. Given the lab’s bilingual and international work, proficiency or fluency in Spanish is required.

Preference will be given to candidates with experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods and familiarity with software such as SPSS, STATA, R, Atlas.ti, Dedoose, Qualtrics, or REDCap. Prior experience conducting literature reviews, supporting participant recruitment and qualitative interviews, working in medical settings—particularly obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, or addiction medicine—and collaborating with clinical or community partners is preferred. Experience with IRB processes, community or stakeholder advisory boards, and research dissemination is also desirable. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, dependable, able to manage multiple projects simultaneously, and demonstrate the professionalism, empathy, and cultural humility needed to work with diverse clinical partners, community organizations, patients, and families.

The Brilliant Beginnings Integration Lab, situated within the Early Childhood Innovation Network (ECIN) and Georgetown’s Thrive Center for Children and Families, is seeking a Research Assistant to support a multidisciplinary portfolio of implementation science, health services, and community-engaged research focused on perinatal, infant, and family mental health and substance use care.

The Lab focuses on transforming systems of care to improve how evidence-based mental health and substance use services are integrated across healthcare and community settings. A major emphasis is on understanding how interventions can be implemented, adapted, and sustained within real-world systems serving pregnant and postpartum individuals, infants, fathers and partners, and families.

The Research Assistant will support a federally-funded award focused on improving access to substance use disorder care during pregnancy and postpartum within obstetric settings. This work includes supporting the PI with collaboration with obstetric practices and other medical and community partners; qualitative research with clinicians, healthcare leaders, patients, and stakeholders; assessment of implementation barriers and facilitators; adaptation of a multicomponent clinical approach; and evaluation of outcomes including feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, fidelity, and sustainment.

The Lab’s broader portfolio also includes:

• Perinatal and infant mental health integration, including research and program evaluation within a Mother–Baby Intensive Outpatient Program that integrates treatment of parental mental health conditions with attention to infant development, the parent–infant relationship, parenting, and family functioning.
• Father and partner mental health, including projects examining how healthcare systems can better identify, engage, and support fathers and partners during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
• Perinatal and infant mental health research across Latin America, including collaborative work with clinicians, researchers, and professional networks across the region focused on mental health services, training, research capacity, implementation, and opportunities for international collaboration.
• Additional research examining health equity, healthcare-community partnerships, implementation of evidence-based practices, and integration of behavioral health within obstetric, pediatric, and community settings.
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This position provides hands-on experience across the full research process, including study development; literature reviews and evidence synthesis; development of qualitative interview and focus group guides; participant recruitment, screening, consent, scheduling, tracking, and follow-up; conducting and supporting qualitative interviews and focus groups; transcription review, qualitative coding, data management, and analysis; quantitative data entry, cleaning, and basic analysis; preparation and maintenance of research databases and tracking systems; management of participant incentives; preparation and maintenance of IRB submissions, amendments, continuing reviews, and other regulatory documentation; coordination with clinical and community partners; organization and coordination of community and stakeholder advisory boards; preparation of meeting agendas, materials, presentations, and summaries; tracking and incorporating advisory board and partner feedback into study activities; coordination of implementation science activities, including workflow assessment, identification of barriers and facilitators, intervention adaptation, and implementation outcome tracking; preparation of study protocols, manuals, training materials, and project documentation; coordination of project timelines, deliverables, and meetings across multiple research studies; and dissemination activities, including supporting the PI with the preparation of abstracts, posters, presentations, reports, manuscripts, and other scholarly products.

The position will report administratively to Morcia Mason and programmatically to Amalia Londoño Tobón, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. This position will interface directly with project faculty and staff, and will communicate regularly with partners on the grant. In addition, the position will interface with team members from the Early Childhood Innovation Network (ECIN) and other partnering agencies.

This position has been designated as Hybrid. Please note that work mode designations are regularly reviewed in order to meet the evolving needs of the University.  Such review may necessitate a change to a position’s mode of work designation. Complete details about Georgetown University’s mode of work designations for staff positions can be found on the Department of Human Resources website: https://hr.georgetown.edu/mode-of-work-designation.

Pay Range:

The projected salary or hourly pay range for this position which represents the full range of anticipated compensation is:

Compensation is determined by a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s individual qualifications, experience, education, skills, and certifications, as well as the University’s business needs and external factors.

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EEO Statement:

GU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship, color, disability, family responsibilities, gender identity and expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national origin, race, religion, personal appearance, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits:

Georgetown University offers a comprehensive and competitive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, retirement savings, tuition assistance, work-life balance benefits, employee discounts and an array of voluntary insurance options. You can learn more about benefits and eligibility on the Department of Human Resources website.