UCSD Department of Psychiatry is one of the most innovative and productive academic departments in the country, offering challenging career opportunities in the diverse areas of advanced educational programs, cutting-edge research, and state-of-the-art clinical services. The department is committed to offering a dynamic learning environment and growing opportunities to its talented and dedicated employees.

Under supervision, the Research Assistant will assist in performing a number of duties for research studies focusing on mental illness, sleep, and successful aging. Major responsibilities will include preparing and deploying sleep assessments, administration and scoring of neuropsychological tests and clinical rating scales, physical measurements, preparation and processing of data charts for computerized entry, and entry of data into clinical research database system; and retention efforts for multiple longitudinal studies, working as part of a research team to retain study participants. Perform other general research tasks, such as: library and computer research, and general administrative and office tasks.

• Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and two years of laboratory experience or two years of college including courses in the natural, physical or social sciences and one year of laboratory experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledge and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

• Must have valid CA driver's license and acceptable driving record.

• Demonstrated understanding of psychology, successful aging, and DSM-V criteria for psychiatric disorders.

• Experience working in both psychiatric and aging research environments.

• Experience in working with and scoring of neuropsychological tests and clinical rating scales, or willingness to learn.

• Proficiency using PC's including relational databases, word processing, spreadsheet, and statistical analysis programs.

• Experience in deploying devices to assess and treat sleep (including actigraphy, fitness trackers, home sleep test, and positive airway pressure).

• Demonstrated understanding of sleep physiology, specifically of circadian rhythms, sleep-disorders, and different stages of sleep.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.

• Ability to sustain careful attention to detail for long periods of time.

• Demonstrated skill in organizing, analyzing, managing time, setting priorities and meeting deadlines for multiple tasks.

• Familiarity with the following psychological testing and structured interviewing techniques: diagnosis (DSM-IV criteria), comprehension assessment, PANSS, SAPS and SANS, cognitive battery (e.g., HVLT, Trail Making Test, MATRICS), qualitative aspects of research participation, HAM-D, and SF-36.

• Proven ability to enter data into relational databases in an accurate and precise manner.

• Ability to design and maintain logs; develop reports and tables.

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.

• Must be willing to work with both a psychiatric population and an elderly research population and have theoretical knowledge of geriatric psychology, successful aging, and gerontology.

• Must be willing to travel off-site to conduct assessments.

• Must be willing to work occasional overtime, weekends or flexible schedule.