Animal Biologist Nonhuman Primate

Location: IC: Street: 49 Convent Drive Bldg: 49 Room: 3A04 City: Bethesda State & Zip: MD 20892

Weekly Hours - FT: 30-40 hours per week

Overall Position Summary and Objectives

Contractor will independently provide support services to satisfy the overall operational objectives of the Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment, National Institute of Mental Health.

Min Education - Bachelor's

Resume Max Pages - 3

Certifications & Licenses - Possess a Bachelors degree and a minimum of 10 years of experience.

Field of Study -

• Biology
• Cognitive Science and Biopsychology
• Zoology
• General Social Sciences
• Psychology
• Miscellaneous Social Sciences

Software - Computer skills to include MS Office Suite.

Skills -

• Experience with lab management
• At least 5 years of experience calibrating, maintaining, and operating technical instruments and laboratory equipment such as ECG monitors, pulse oximeters, centrifuges, blood gas and blood pressure monitors, etc.
• At least 2 years of experience preparing and handling animals for microPET and MRI imaging procedures.
• At least 5 years of experience collecting, monitoring, and analyzing scientific data, as well as interpreting and summarizing findings for publication.
• At least 5 years of experience with designing experiences.
• At least 5 years of skilled surgical procedures in animals.

• Work products and documents related to performing surgical procedures on animals, including anesthesia, intubation, placement of arterial, venous and intraperitoneal lines, placement of animals in appropriate imaging holder, craniotomy, stereotaxic placement of catheters, and induction of stroke in mice, rats and marmosets. - Ad-Hoc Work

Statement of Work Details

Other

• Work with CTNB staff on ongoing interview processes that will solicit deeper responses from study subjects who are suffering with schizophrenia.
• Recommend improvements to the clinical diagnosis process inherent in the ongoing study to aid interviewers in posing difficult questions to patients with schizophrenia.
• Monitor and establish a methodology to assess inter-rater reliability and longitudinal consistency among those performing various diagnostic assessments.
• Develop and lead training sessions for students and interns on how to conduct psychological evaluations on patients suffering from complex mental disorders.
• Screen potential participants for inclusion in the ongoing IRB-approved Sibling Study.
• Determine whether individuals meet clinical diagnostic criteria for inclusion in the ongoing IRB-approved Sibling Study, and whether the individuals can come to NIMH to participate in the study.
• Perform SCID evaluations for mental health diagnoses on probands, siblings, parents, and healthy controls.
• Conduct interviews with patients with severe mental illness, their parents, siblings, and healthy control subjects to determine accurate clinical diagnoses.
• Recommend modifications to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders that would better reflect the needs of ongoing research projects in the Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch (CTNB) while ensuring longitudinal consistency with past procedures.

Provides screening and recruitment of patients for research protocols.

• Recruit and screen patients for projects.
• Participate in patient and volunteer recruitment efforts for protocols.
• Conduct preliminary evaluation of potential probands through extensive telephone interviewing of patient families, review of medical records, consultation with treating professionals, and consultation with medical staff, leading to acceptance for on-site evaluation or rejection with a referral if indicated.

Coordinates scheduling and evaluations of patients within each protocol.

• Maintain records of screening results and patient information.
• Perform screening evaluations of potential research subjects using structured and semi-structured testing methods.
• Perform valid and reliable diagnostic assessments, utilizing structured instruments and assessments.
• Perform cognitive and neuropsychological assessments for clinical care and research studies including diagnostic assessments containing parent interviews as well as direct testing with individuals.
• Perform screening evaluations of potential research subjects using structured and semi-structured testing methods.

Provides clinical support to patients and their families throughout the time they are participating in research protocols.

• Conduct patient and volunteer follow-up evaluations and track patients through longitudinal studies.
• Provide verbal and written feedback to participants and their families.
• Provide general recommendations and referrals to school systems, medical and health facilities and other agencies.

Conducts psychological testing of patients and healthy control subjects.

• Conduct clinical ratings during outpatient treatment studies and longitudinal clinical studies.
• Conduct screening and baseline evaluations in collaboration with staff.
• Conduct frequent assessments to monitor the participants' progress and the effectiveness of therapeutic protocols.

Administers and interprets psychological assessments to probands and family members as part of the research protocol.

• Administer and interpret neuropsychological assessments to probands and family members as part of research protocols and prepares reports of results.
• Administer and score a wide range of complex structured and semi-structured interviews (such as SCID, the K-SADS and many others) to probands and the families of the probands.
• Make recommendations and appropriate referrals to external programs and services, including Child Protective Services, psychotherapy, community services, special education, or other activity programs.

Participates in the planning and execution of clinical research.

• Provide consultation regarding study design and the use of psychological instruments.
• Collaborate with staff on the planning, management and coordination of clinical research studies and in the launch and maintenance of chronobiologic study protocols.
• Provide psychological subject matter expertise to researchers planning, implementing, monitoring, tracking and closing out clinical research.

Educates research staff regarding the use, strengths and limitation of psychological testing.

• Train research assistants, staff and trainees on psychiatric screening interviews and neuropsychological assessments.
• Provide expert consultation to multidisciplinary research teams regarding study findings for incorporation into research manuscripts and presentation.
• Provide expert consultation regarding study design and analysis and use of psychological instruments.

Conducts psychological testing of patients and healthy controls.

• Conduct clinical ratings during outpatient treatment studies and longitudinal clinical studies.
• Conduct screening and baseline evaluations in collaboration with staff.
• Conduct frequent assessments to monitor the participants' progress and the effectiveness of therapeutic protocols.

Performs as senior clinician responsible for conducting research ratings for inpatients and outpatients.

• Participate in collection, storage and analysis of data regarding neuropsychological function and the life course of illness in patients as ascertained by testing and interviews with proband and family members.
• Participate in research group meetings and in the decision-making process regarding patient inclusion in the studies, patient and parent diagnosis, and patient and family management throughout participation in the research protocol.
• Plan data management and quality control strategies.

Documents research processes and findings.

• Write research summaries and reports of findings related to clinical research.
• Write and present recommendations to automate research tasks and improve approaches to psychotherapy in a therapeutic setting.
• Develop and maintain complete and accurate research protocol records.

Conducts / provides behavioral testing on non-human primates.

• Ensure that all animal-related work is performed consistent with NIH and NIMH guidelines; keep records of animal protocols; ensure investigators are up-to-date with required training and permissions for performing animal-related work.
• Coordinate with fMRI experiments for the benefit of investigators using the core facility.

Conducts MRI structural scans.

• Perform skilled, yet routine, surgical procedures in support of on-going animal studies in the Cerebral Microcirculation Unit (CMU), LFMI, including anesthesia, intubation (both oral and via tracheotomy), placement of arterial, venous and intraperitoneal lines, placement of animal in appropriate imaging holder, craniotomy, stereotaxic placement of catheters, and induction of stroke in mice, rats and marmosets.
• Monitor and maintain physiological status of animal during imaging experiments, including respiration, end tidal CO2, arterial blood pressure, blood gases, temperature, EKG and EEG.
• Coordinate all animal procedures , including PET scans, and MRIs.

Handles and trains non-human primates.

• Train animals for awake MRI studies.

Provides safe transportation of non-human primates.

• Act as liaison with other staff to ensure proper transfer of animals from housing facility to imaging equipment.

Performs historical processing of non-human primate tissue.

• Operate and maintain sophisticated and innovative equipment to perform tests, analyses and other laboratory procedures.

Prepares/sterilizes surgical equipment and instruments.

• Operate and maintain various medical and anesthetic monitoring equipment.

Provides input into research protocol and performs surgical procedures on animals involved in research protocols.

• Coordinate and assist in all animal procedures and surgeries.

Collects, maintains, and organizes MRI imaging data.

• Participate in the performance, interpretation, documentation of results of research projects and maintain detailed and accurate surgical, anesthetic and treatment records.

Performs health surveillance and assessment of non-human primates.

• Monitor and maintain physiological status of animal during imaging experiments.
• Monitor and correct animal physiology by observing and analyzing data from physiological support equipment.

Provides training of new staff on the proper handling and testing of non-human primates.

Monitor and correct animal physiology by observing and analyzing data from physiological support equipment, including pulse oximeter, capnometer, and blood gas analyzer.