Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Drug Safety and Effectiveness

Job Summary

The Post-Doctoral Fellow with the Hohl Research Group in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine will conduct drug safety and effectiveness evaluation of treatments used for opioid poisoning in emergency departments using data derived from the Canadian Emergency Department Research Network. The incumbent may also have the opportunity to participate in real-world drug safety and surveillance research  using new adverse drug event data being generated by a technological intervention designed to improve clinical communication of patients’ adverse drug events.

The successful applicant will join the Canadian Emergency Department Research Network (CEDRN) coordinating centre for a newly launched research network in Emergency Medicine. This network will seek, as one of its first priorities, to harmonize data collection on treatments and harm reduction strategies used in Canadian emergency departments in 9 provinces for patients presenting with opioid-related harms. This new clinical dataset will be among the first to capture in-hospital treatments and services which are not available through Canadian administrative datasets. The incumbent will have the primary responsibility to co-design and lead analyses of these data for research, quality improvement and surveillance purposes. The incumbent will apply appropriate methods to aid in the creation of a learning health system around opioid-related emergency care in BC and nationally.

The successful applicant will also participate in research opportunities through a thriving adverse drug event research group with a long history of work on this topic. The research group has developed a novel software application called ActionADE that supports the documentation and communication of adverse drug events to providers in other health sectors. The app also supports new federal adverse drug reaction reporting requirements. They will lead studies using ActionADE data generated as a by-product of safer clinical care to help develop a new approach for post-market drug safety surveillance.
 

Appointment Details

This is a 1.0 FTE position for a one-year term, subject to renewal. The expected pay range for this position is $75,000 to $90,000 per year.
 

Reporting Relationships

The Post-Doctoral Fellow, Hohl Research Group reports to Dr. Corinne Hohl, Professor in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine.
 

Responsibilities

• Designs studies in drug safety and effectiveness of treatments for opioid poisoning and opioid use disorder using high-quality clinical datasets.
• Aids in the development of other drug safety studies and the development of a drug safety surveillance research program
• Develops protocols for research, surveillance and quality improvement, and completes other protocol-specific documentation as needed.
• Directs, supervises, coordinates data collection, linkage and analysis; including executingresearch, surveillance and quality improvement plans.
• Identifies significant issues, barriers, or challenges that emerge in research, surveillance or quality improvement plan and develops mitigation strategies or resolutions.
• Maintains study documentation, including tracking and monitoring changes (adaptations) to strategies throughout the implementation process.
• Completes data analysis to quantify and compare safety risks and effectiveness between drugs.
• Develops progress reports and updates for stakeholders and partners (as per the communication plan).
• Participates in and provides progress updates at regular program meetings with other researchers and research assistants.
• Develops briefing notes and presentations for stakeholders including Public Health, government, and a health improvement network.
• Contributes to and/or leads abstract, manuscript writing, presentations for submission to selected journals/conferences and grant proposals.
• Acts as a mentor and resource to Masters and PhD students.
• Acts as a resource to various research team members to identify real or potential problems and works to resolve these issues.
• Reviews other study protocols as assigned, and discuss logistics with Research Investigators and the Research Program Manager.
• Other duties as required.
   

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant discipline required
• Relevant research experience in epidemiology; pharmacoepidemiology using quantitative or mixed methods; sociology and/or anthropology of medicine; health informatics; applied science, technology and society perspectives.
• Ability and experience in medicine and/or clinical research coordination.
• Experience collecting and analyzing quantitative or mixed methods data.
• Ability to balance multiple commitments, short deadlines and sensitive clinical or research issues.
• Excellent communication skills, including strong writing, research 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
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Preference will be given to applicants with intermediate or advanced computer skills in the following software packages: R, Stata or SAS (quantitative data analysis software), MS Office (particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and NVivo (qualitative data software package).
• Experience with information technology in the health sector is considered an asset.
• Completion of Indigenous cultural safety and/or Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans training is an asset.
• Familiarity with the field of healthcare data analytics, pharmacy or medical practice, healthcare technology, health systems research or other potential research partners is an asset.
• Familiarity and experience with grant funded projects and study protocol requirements including ethical conduct, ethics approval process, standard operating procedures, source documentation and good clinical practice is an asset.

How to apply?

Applicants should submit enquires/applications at this website and refer to reference number PDFO-58724.

Duration: Fixed term / Temporary
Contract Type: Full Time

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.