Research Specialist 1 or 2 - Ingestive Behavior, Weight Management and Health Pr

Research Specialist 1 or 2 - Ingestive Behavior, Weight Management and Health Promotion Laboratory

Apply locations LSU - Pennington Biomedical

time type Full time

posted on Posted 2 Days Ago

About Us:

At the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the causes of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia, Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a campus of Louisiana State University and conducts basic, clinical and population research. The Center includes Basic Science, Clinical Research, and Population and Public Health, enabling both focused research and translational science. Research at Pennington Biomedical is supported broadly by multiple NIH Research Centers, and includes approximately 65 faculty and 20 postdoctoral fellows who comprise a network of 44 laboratories and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Pennington Biomedical is located within state-of-the-art research facilities on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Job Posting Title:

Research Specialist 1 or 2 - Ingestive Behavior, Weight Management and Health Promotion Laboratory

Position Type:

Professional / Unclassified

Department:

LSUPBRC Clinic - Ingestive Behavior (Corby Kyle Martin (00009390))

Work Location:

LSU - Pennington Biomedical

Pay Grade:

Professional

Job Description:

Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a world-renowned academic research institute of Louisiana State University, is seeking a Research Specialist for the Ingestive Behavior, Weight Management and Health Promotion Laboratory.

The Research Specialist will work with a research team dedicated to the study of dietary assessment, food intake, cardiometabolic health, behavioral science, and the design and delivery of weight management and other lifestyle change programs. The laboratory designs and evaluates novel weight management interventions, including technology-assisted interventions, just-in-time adaptive interventions, and interventions that target novel dietary approaches to health improvement, such as time-restricted eating. The laboratory also develops and evaluates technology-based methods to quantify food intake and related behaviors, including smartphone apps, passive meal detection with smartwatches, and the quantification of food intake with imaging technology. Additionally, the laboratory utilizes various food intake testing paradigms and participates in other aspects of the clinical research enterprises, including testing the effect of pharmaceutical agents on food intake, energy balance, and cardiometabolic health.

Major Responsibilities:

• Participate in the assessment of ingestive behaviors in laboratory and free-living conditions, including via food photography.
• Facilitate development, refinement, beta testing, and validity testing of smartphone apps and other technologies (e.g., smartwatches) to quantify food intake and other health behaviors.
• Facilitate execution of studies conducted in the laboratory and community.
• Collaborate in the design, planning, and execution of experimental studies and clinical trials.
• Participate in creation, preparation, and submission of study procedures and materials to entities such as the IRB (Institutional Review Board).

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as nutrition, psychology, physiology, public health, biology, or a similar discipline.
• Familiarity with study design, data collection, and analysis methods relevant to ingestive behavior, weight management, and health promotion.
• Strong verbal and written skills for interacting with participants, drafting protocols, and contributing to publications or reports.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, such as scheduling participants, maintaining accurate records, and coordinating team activities.
• Experience with human subjects research, including participant recruitment and data collection is preferred.
• Experience with surveys, interviews, observational studies, or intervention trials is preferred.

Research Specialist 1: Up to three (3) years of research experience, which can include internships, academic research, or work in a clinical or research lab setting.

Research Specialist 2: Three (3) or more years of hands-on experience, particularly in behavioral or health-related research.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC) is an equal employment opportunity employer and serves as a model employer for individuals with disabilities.

Special Instructions:

Interested candidates should include a cover letter, a resume, and a list of three (3) professional references in the online application. Official transcripts are required prior to hire and are not required at the time of application.

Professional references should be the name, title, company, and contact information from past employers. Professional references should include current or previous supervisors and/or coworkers. Personal references should not be considered for the reference check process.

We will respect the request that we not contact a current employer. However, we will need to contact a prior supervisor if such a request is made.

Contact Information:

Questions or concerns can be directed to PBRC Human Resources at 225-763-2776 or hrm@pbrc.edu.