Research Specialist, Brain and Mind Institute

Research Specialist, Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction

Aga Khan University, chartered in 1983 as Pakistan's first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research, and health care of international standards relevant to Pakistan and the region. The affiliated Aga Khan University Hospital provides state-of-the-art clinical facilities and well-equipped diagnostic services. The University currently has teaching sites in Pakistan, East Africa, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan, and is a major component of the Aga Khan Development Network.

As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.

The Brain and Mind Institute (BMI) is a newly minted entity at the Aga Khan University (AKU), with key hubs in Nairobi (for East Africa) and Karachi (for South and Central Asia). The BMI seeks to build capacity in the domains of mental health and neuroscience. In collaboration with partners, the Institute is advancing research leadership capacity and support service delivery across East Africa and South Asia, and other regions served by the AKU. The Institute supports a hub for scholarship exchange and action on mental health issues, as well as educational, clinical, and community-based programs. BMI’s research focuses on the context of today’s youth in Africa and South Asia, while our programmatic offerings address mental health related and brain health issues, including stigma and resiliency. A significant area of interest is the implementation of science-based programming in hospital and community settings that translate new discoveries into prevention and treatment programs.

This is a grant-funded contractual position.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible to:

• ensure compliance with the study protocol
• manage submission and resubmission of amendments to the ethics review committee
• plan and coordinate weekly and monthly project meetings and activities
• conduct study site visits and oversee data collection
• manage data collection in accordance with the approved protocol
• ensure data is collected consistently and systematically
• perform quality control checks during data collection
• maintain complete and accurate data documentation
• ensure completeness, proper filing, and archiving of collected data
• implement data access controls to maintain confidentiality, and back up data to prevent loss
• analyse and interpret data using qualitative and quantitative methodologies
• apply appropriate statistical and qualitative analysis techniques
• use relevant software tools for data analysis, including SPSS and NVivo
• perform descriptive and inferential analyses
• visualise data through charts, graphs, and tables
• draw meaningful conclusions aligned with research objectives and hypotheses
• identify trends, patterns, and significant findings in the data
• prepare and compile study progress reports
• collaborate with the data manager to produce monthly project reports
• present study findings as per project requirements.

Requirements:

You should have:

• master’s degree in epidemiology and biostatistics, health policy and management, public health or a relevant field
• at least three years of related work experience
• basic knowledge of survey and research designs
• strong interpersonal and communication skills
• ability to work effectively as a team player
• experience in data collection, analysis, interpretation, and management
• ability to handle challenging situations with tact and professionalism
• willingness to work at field sites
• proficiency in statistical software, including SPSS, Stata, and NVivo
• familiarity with survey administration software such as RedCap and Google Forms
• understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.