Clinical Research Specialist I

Job Description

Cedars‑Sinai’s autopsy program helps understand why dementia develops and how treatment can be improved. The program is a partnership between the Neurology Department and interested patients and families to obtain an autopsy shortly after death to study the brain, spinal cord, and other tissues of individuals with memory disorders.

Note: Scheduling flexibility including evening, weekend, and holiday rotation commitments may be necessary.

About the Role

As a Clinical Research Specialist I, you will provide clinical research knowledge by participating in the design and implementation of research projects as needed. This position is responsible for specific and assigned aspects of research infrastructure development, coordinates projects, and communicates status to leadership.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coordinates research projects at an institutional or departmental level.
• Communicates project status and improvement areas with leadership in a timely manner.
• Projects may include, but are not limited to investigator-initiated protocol development including protocol writing, case report form development, budget development, and coordination of departmental research committees.
• Provides guidance regarding project planning, project logistics, and project implementation.
• May implement and coordinate department-wide initiatives such as research quality management or clinical trial recruitment efforts.
• Ensures compliance with all federal and local agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and local Institutional Review Board.
• Maintains research practices using Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines.
• Maintains strict patient confidentiality according to HIPAA regulations and applicable law.
• Participates in required training and education programs.

Department-Specific Information:

Brain Bank Coordinator (Donor & Operations)

Primary Focus: Donor coordination, family communication, and rapid autopsy logistics.

• Serves as primary contact for donor families, hospice, and clinical teams.
• Participates in 24/7 on-call rotation for donor death notifications.
• Coordinates overnight and weekend brain donations and rapid autopsies.
• Coordinates with diener services for tissue procurement.
• Ensure consent, documentation, and regulatory compliance.
• Coordinate CSF and plasma collection with clinical and research labs.
• Maintain donor database and clinical metadata.
• Track bio-specimen distribution.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree is required.

Experience:

• 3 years of proven experience in area of research specialty is required.

About Us

Cedars-Sinai is a leader in providing high-quality healthcare encompassing primary care, specialized medicine and research. Since 1902, Cedars-Sinai has evolved to meet the needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation, setting standards in quality and innovative patient care, research, teaching and community service. Today, Cedars- Sinai is known for its national leadership in transforming healthcare for the benefit of patients. Cedars-Sinai impacts the future of healthcare by developing new approaches to treatment and educating tomorrow's health professionals. Additionally, Cedars-Sinai demonstrates a commitment to the community through programs that improve the health of its most vulnerable residents.

About the Team

Cedars-Sinai is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the U.S., with 886 licensed beds, 2,100 physicians, 2,800 nurses and thousands of other healthcare professionals and staff. Choose this if you want to work in a fast-paced environment that offers the highest level of care to people in the Los Angeles that need our care the most.

Diversity and Inclusion at Cedars-Sinai

Cedars-Sinai is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Cedars-Sinai does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of the race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics or any genetic information), marital status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age (40 or older), military and/or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal or state law. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at Applicant_Accommodation@cshs.org and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

Cedars-Sinai will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, in accordance with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

At Cedars-Sinai, we are dedicated to the safety, health and wellbeing of our patients and employees. This includes protecting our patients from communicable diseases, such as influenza (flu). For this reason, we require that all new employees receive a flu vaccine based on the seasonal availability of flu vaccine (typically during September through April each year) as a condition of employment, and annually thereafter as a condition of continued employment, subject to medical exemption or religious accommodation. For the same reason, you may also be required to receive other vaccines as a condition of employment. Cedars-Sinai reserves the right to make modifications to its required list of vaccines as required by law and/or policy.