Staff Research Associate
Job Summary The Staff Research Associate I position is with the Stress Trauma and Resilience Lab (STAR Lab), a clinical research program affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the San Francisco VA Medical Center. The STAR Lab conducts research aimed at understanding risk and resilience for PTSD and developing novel treatments for individuals who have been exposed to traumatic events, such as war, life-threatening accidents, illnesses, or disasters. Our team also focuses on the impact of traumatic stress on the body, by studying physiological responses, endocrine and immune function, sleep, and reproductive health.
Individuals who are referred to our program will be asked to participate in one of several research studies. Should they agree, at intake they will take part in a comprehensive assessment. Individuals may participate in treatment studies in which they will be asked to complete an assessment after each of 5 treatment sessions. At each stage of treatment, assessments are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment, to determine whether more treatment is recommended, and to develop a plan to meet treatment goals.
Under the supervision of the Research Director, the incumbent will support a multi-site clinical research study investigating the effects of suvorexant on fear extinction in Veterans with PTSD. The incumbent will provide active research support by:
- assisting with participant recruitment, prescreening, and conducting clinical assessments of Veterans with PTSD, including structured diagnostic interviews and symptom severity measures (5%);
- obtaining informed consent and guiding participants through research procedures (2%);
- administering fear conditioning and extinction tasks using SuperLab and Biopac in both remote and lab-based settings (2%);
- collecting and reviewing psychophysiological data (e.g., skin conductance, heart rate) to ensure data quality across experimental phases (20%);
- scoring, cleaning, and preprocessing research data, including physiological signals and behavioral responses (20%).
Administrative research support will include:
- assisting with IRB submissions, regulatory documentation, and protocol amendments (2%);
- maintaining lab software, tablets, wearables, and physiological recording equipment (2%);
- managing inventory and troubleshooting hardware/software for remote task delivery (5%);
- onboarding and training new research staff in protocol adherence and remote data collection methods (1%);
- preparing and supporting Veterans for home-based participation and ensuring proper task setup via remote platforms (5%);
- overseeing inventory and logistical coordination for home-based physiological data kits (5%).
For data management, the incumbent will:
- conduct longitudinal data tracking, data cleaning, and organization using R and related tools (5%);
- manage participant data in REDCap and other secure research databases (10%);
- organize and integrate multi-modal datasets including psychophysiological, behavioral, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data (10%);
- perform quality control, document non-responders, and manage data completeness across sessions (5%).
The incumbent will support dissemination efforts by:
- generating graphs and visualizations in R to support internal reports, manuscripts, and presentations (2%);
- assisting with manuscript preparation, editing, and referencing (2%);
- attending team meetings to discuss recruitment strategies, assist in programming new experimental tasks, and contribute to protocol refinements for fear conditioning research in PTSD (2%).
The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy. Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement. The salary range for this position is $26.00 - $31.04 (Hourly Rate). To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html Department Description The UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (DPBS) is among the nation's foremost resources in the field of child, adolescent, and adult mental health. Psychiatry faculty members are recognized for their leadership roles in state-of-the-art, comprehensive, and compassionate patient care, pioneering research, excellence in training the next generation of leaders, advancing public policy to advance mental health, and commitment to diversity. Department programs are active at all major UCSF campuses. Required Qualifications
- BA/BS in a related science and knowledge of, or experience with, the basic techniques or methods required by the position; or an equivalent combination of education and experience;
- Fluency (oral and written) in Spanish
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Demonstrated excellence in reliability and attendance.
- Basic competence in methodologies of psychological research
- Experience with data entry and management
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in psychology, neuroscience, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum 1 year of research experience involving human subjects.
- Knowledge of working with people who experienced trauma
- Knowledge of coding of psychological measures
- Experience with publications and report writing
- Prior related UC experience.
- Knowledge of psychophysiological measurement
- Experience using SuperLab and Biopac for programming conducting experiments.
- Experience collecting and managing psychophysiological data (e.g., skin conductance, heart rate).
About UCSF The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world's leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells. Pride Values UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence - also known as our PRIDE values.
In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity - both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available at diversity.ucsf.edu
Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide. Equal Employment Opportunity The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Job Code and Payroll Title 009613 SRA 1 Job Category Research and Scientific Bargaining Unit University Professional Technical Employees - Research Support Professionals Unit (UPTE-RX) Employee Class Limited Appt Location San Francisco, CA Campus San Francisco VA Medical Center Additional Shift Details M-F Variable |
University of California - San Francisco Campus and Health
Jul 25, 2025