GRA Position

Dr. Audrey Gaskins, Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, is actively looking for a Graduate Research Assistant to work on a newly funded research project which uses a novel model of human fertility – vitrified donor oocyte assisted reproductive technology (ART) – to evaluate how air pollution influences human reproduction. Because vitrified oocytes are obtained from anonymous, young, healthy female donors months to years prior to the recipient couple’s ART cycle, there is no correlation in air pollution exposure between the donor and the female recipient or the donor and the recipient’s male partner. By leveraging this unique resource, our research will determine the independent effects of air pollution exposure during oogenesis and spermatogenesis on fertilization and early embryo development, the independent effects of air pollution on pregnancy outcomes as mediated through the oocyte and the endometrium, and the extent to which air pollution affects fertility potential in young, healthy women.

Responsibilities:

Under the direction of Dr. Gaskins and Dr. Heather Hipp, a Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Specialist at Emory Reproductive Center, the Graduate Research Assistant will help with medical record abstraction at Reproductive Biology Associates. The candidate will be responsible for traveling to and from Reproductive Biology Associates (located in Sandy Springs, GA), manually pulling patient files, abstracting relevant information from medical records, and entering this data into an existing Emory RedCap research database. He/she will also assist in the cleaning of the data and the manual review of any entries that are outside the specified bounds for a given variable. Motivated candidates will also have opportunities to participate in data analysis, abstract writing, and co-authoring publications. The work environment is collaborative and is with a multidisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, biostatisticians, and environmental engineers.

Minimum qualifications:

· Highly motivated, efficient, organized, detail-oriented

· Interested in working on research in the area of reproductive or environmental health

· Proof of COVID-19 vaccination. This is required for access to the clinic where medical records are located.

· Car or similar means of transportation. This is needed for traveling to and from Reproductive Biology Associates which is located in Sandy Springs (~20-30 min drive from Emory University) to access the paper medical records.

Preferred Qualifications

· Prior experience with quantitative data collection and data management software, specifically RedCap, is a plus.

· Masters or Doctoral student.

· Having a medical background is a plus, but not required.

Additional Position Details

· Requires a minimum commitment of 15-20 hours per week.

· We are looking for someone who can start in January or February 2021

· This position is a one year assignment with a possible extension for another year.

Please contact Audrey Gaskins at audrey [dot] jane [dot] gaskins [at] emory [dot] edu with any questions relevant to this position.