School of Medicine

Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Occupational Summary

The Research to Eliminate Global Cancer Disparities (REGAL) team aims to understand and address the underlying causes of cancer health disparities in the US and globally. We evaluate the relative and joint contributions of social determinants of health (e.g. healthcare access, socio-economic status, systemic racism) and molecular mechanisms that drive cancer mortality. Leveraging robust data from primary and secondary sources, high-quality biospecimen, and molecular assay data, we utilize a cell-to-society framework to identify key factors that can be modified to eliminate racial disparities in cancer. The REGAL team includes junior faculty, post-docs, biostatisticians, project coordinators, and grad students.

The REGAL team seeks a Senior Research Program Leader with extensive training and experience in cancer epidemiology to support the development, implementation,  and oversight of our robust portfolio of research focused on cancer disparities. The RPL, Sr will lead and contribute to 1) proposal writing and grant submission, 2) analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of results, 3) program administration and management of key milestones, and 4) overall program leadership, including mentorship of trainees. The RPL, Sr will develop and coordinate wider program activities, including communications and serving as liaison with collaborators and partners (e.g. laboratory managers, vendors, and sub-contractors) on behalf of the PI. They will lead communications with other research groups or programs, serving as the scientific liaison for the research program. They will also develop and coordinate wider scientific program activities with responsibility for results in terms of research methodology and reporting requirements.

Work Performed

Scientific Research (45%)

• In collaboration with the team Biostatistician and PI, create analysis plans and oversee analyses on a variety of research questions aimed at understanding and addressing cancer disparities
• Independently writes and edits significant sections of funding proposals and grants, reviews articles, synthesizes the literature, and develops manuscripts.
• Uses expertise in epidemiologic research design to develop protocols or research proposals. Provides significant contributions to peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations.
• Serves as an expert resource for various tools used for analysis and data management. Mentors others as appropriate to their role.
• Oversees implementation of data quality processes, data flow plans, and new technologies across the research portfolio. Predicts areas of vulnerability in data flow across the research portfolio. Serves as an expert resource across the research portfolio with regard to data capture, storage, management, quality, and preparation for analysis. Ensures that study teams are familiar with and using data flow plan resources at Duke.
• Seeks out, integrates, and applies new analytical and technical knowledge toward innovation and performance improvement, as relevant. Ensures continuous evaluation of technology solutions throughout the research portfolio.

Research Operations (20%)

• Provide input for SOPs and serve as an expert scientific resource across all study teams within the< span> research program.
• Participates in or leads the development of training and monitoring of staff and trainees for policies and guidelines related to the scientific focus of the research program.
• Oversees implementation of how teams communicate with< span> sponsors, site visits, management of resources (staff, supplies, equipment), implementation of operational plans, and use of systems and system reports across the research program.

Leadership and Professionalism (20%)

• Keeps current with research updates and advances in the scientific area, considers the impact on the broad research portfolio, and oversees necessary implementation. Serves in a leadership capacity with internal and external groups (e.g., speaks at events, leads institutional initiatives or committees).
• Demonstrates resilience, and leadership, and actively facilitates change for the research program
• Uses advanced subject matter expertise in the research to solve complex problems or foster innovation across the broad research portfolio.
• Communicates effectively with others, regardless of reporting relationship, to accomplish shared work objectives. Establishes and as signs activities of other managers to accomplish goals of the broad research portfolio. Uses expertise in research design to develop protocols or research proposals.
• Serves as an expert resource to faculty, trainees, and staff for the development of protocols for complex investigator-initiated studies.

Program Management and Project Development (10%)

• Develop strategies to improve or maintain the effectiveness of the research program. Engages team members and facilitates the development of actionable plans and measurable outcome goals. Manages progress of collaborating stakeholders toward achieving project and program goals. Establishes risk, cost, time, scope, communication, and quality management plans, updates with input from stakeholders, and directs staff in the execution of plans.
• Provides overall leadership of a large research program and provides guidance and mentorship as a subject matter expert to team members. Develops, negotiates, and oversees budgets for grant proposals and contracts. Allocates and forecasts resources.
• Oversees, supervises, or mentors trainees and staff involved in the day-to-day operations. Provides guidance to faculty investigators on best practices in research (e.g., recruitment, consenting, study documentation, program evaluation, data capture, etc.).
• Provides significant intellectual contribution to the research program, including substantial leadership in developing the scientific content of research proposals and manuscripts. Establishes and maintains internal (Duke) and external communications to ensure successful research partnerships. Suggests hypotheses, research strategies, research partnerships, and research opportunities.
• Frequently represents research program or shared resource on behalf of the PI.

Safety and Ethics (5%)

Serves as an expert resource and is knowledgeable about other resources at Duke pertaining to: developing and submitting documentation and information for IRB review, preparing and submitting documents needed for regulatory and safety reporting to sponsors and other agencies, identifying and documenting adverse event information, conducting, documenting, and developing consent for participants for all types of studies.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Completion of a Bachelor's degree

Experience

Work requires a minimum of eight years of research experience (e.g., experience. research, clinical, interaction with study population, program coordination). A Master's degree may substitute for two years of related. PhD with several years of experience in cancer epidemiology highly preferred.

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