Research Area Specialist Associate

Under general supervision of Dr. Bertha Flores, this position supports the STOP HCC-HCV program, a statewide initiative to improve the liver health of Texans by expanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening, educating communities about HCV and liver cancer, and transforming clinical care to manage and cure HCV. The program works with primary care practices across rural and underserved South Texas, where poorly functioning electronic medical records, limited staff capacity, uninsured patients, and limited local access to specialist care present persistent barriers to guideline-concordant screening and treatment.

The successful candidate will serve as the program’s primary point of contact for participating clinics, supporting the adoption and sustainment of HCV screening and treatment workflows using implementation science methods. This includes conducting site assessments, supporting electronic medical record redesign and testing protocols, delivering and coordinating clinician and staff education, monitoring clinic-level screening and treatment performance data to support rapid-cycle quality improvement, and working alongside onsite clinical champions and patient navigators. The position requires regular travel to partner clinics across South Texas.

The position will also support a mixed-methods pilot study examining acceptability and preferences for cervical cancer screening modalities, including HPV self-testing, among women ages 30-65 and clinic providers in the Mays Cancer Center catchment area. Responsibilities on that project include survey administration in REDCap, recruitment in clinic and community settings, conducting and transcribing in-depth interviews in English and Spanish, and supporting qualitative data management and analysis.

This position offers substantive experience in dissemination and implementation science applied to cancer prevention in a real-world safety net setting, working directly with clinics and communities across South Texas.

• Demonstrated ability to organize and coordinate multiple concurrent tasks across several sites within schedule constraints and handle emergent requirements in a timely manner.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally and effectively with clinic leadership, clinicians, clinic staff, community partners, and research participants.

• Ability to work independently with limited day-to-day supervision while traveling to partner sites.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and willingness to learn study-specific software, including REDCap and ATLAS.ti

• Demonstrated attention to detail in data collection, data management, and documentation.

• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team including physicians, nurses, community health workers, and research staff.

• Demonstrated ability to monitor important and complex projects concurrently.

• Bilingual in English and Spanish required; project activities include Spanish-language participant communication, survey administration, and in-depth interviews.

• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel regularly to clinic sites across South Texas, including occasional overnight travel.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in an educational/social science is required.

Experience:

• Up to one (1) year related experience is required. 

Preferred:

• Bilingual (English/Spanish).

• Serve as the primary liaison to participating clinics, maintaining regular contact with clinical champions, clinic leadership, and staff.

• Track implementation progress against program milestones across multiple sites and report status to the program director.

• Coordinate and support clinician and staff education sessions on HCV epidemiology, screening, management, and treatment, including scheduling, materials preparation, attendance tracking, and evaluation.

• Support clinics in linking patients to treatment, including pharmaceutical assistance program processes and access to specialist teleconsultation.

• Travel regularly to partner clinics across South Texas.

• Collect, manage, and quality check clinic-level screening, confirmatory testing, linkage, and treatment data.

• Perform accurate and timely data entry and data management in REDCap and other program databases.

• Support recruitment of women ages 30-65 from clinic waiting rooms and community settings, and of clinic providers from participating health centers.

• Administer surveys in REDCap in English and Spanish and conduct eligibility screening and informed consent procedures.

• Conduct in-depth interviews with patients, community members, and clinic providers in English or Spanish according to participant preference, and audio record interviews per protocol.

• Prepare and verify interview transcripts against audio recordings, and assist with coding and qualitative data management in ATLAS.ti under supervision.

• Support preparation of data for quantitative and qualitative analysis under supervision.

• Maintain organized and accurate program records, including site files, training logs, and documentation of implementation activities.

• Assist with planning, development, and day-to-day implementation of all project activities in accordance with study protocols and IRB-approved procedures.

• Support preparation of IRB submissions, amendments, and continuing review materials.

• Assist in preparation of progress reports, manuscripts, and conference presentation materials as directed.

• Conduct literature reviews and maintain current knowledge of developments in HCV screening and treatment, cervical cancer prevention, and implementation science.

• Participate in community outreach activities, health fairs, and information sessions as needed.