Research Assistant

We are seeking motivated, and curious recent college graduates (BS degree, Class of 2026 or earlier) to join Dr. Jha’s Acute Brain Injury Research Laboratory at the Barrow Neurological Institute. Dr. Jha is the Division Chief of Neurocritical Care, and her lab conducts cutting-edge translational research focused on acute brain injury connecting discoveries at the bench directly to patient care. A central focus of this role is participation in the BRAIN Project (Barrow Research Repository of Acute Injury in Neurology and Neurosurgery), one of the few nationwide longitudinal biobanks studying diverse brain injuries such as traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracranial hemorrhage. These patient-derived samples are used to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets with real clinical impact.

What you will do

• Work closely with physicians, nurses, and research staff in a fast-paced clinical research environment
• Consent and enroll patients and coordinate biospecimen collection
• Process biological samples and maintain detailed research records
• Conduct patient follow-ups to assess outcomes over time
• Assist with data collection and analysis
• Depending on interest, gain exposure to wet-lab and translational techniques including single-cell sequencing, proteomics, preclinical models, data analyses

Why this is a great opportunity

• Hands-on experience at the intersection of clinical medicine and research
• Strong mentorship and training no prior lab experience required
• Team members have had their work presented at national conferences, contributed to and lead publications
• Excellent preparation for MD, MD-PhD, and other research-focused graduate programs
• Alumni from this lab have gone on to successful medical and physician-scientist careers (MD, MD PhD programs)

Who we’re looking for

• Organized, reliable, and detail-oriented team players
• Compassionate communicators comfortable working with patients and families
• Eager learners who enjoy a dynamic, ever-changing work environment
• Strong interpersonal, project management, and record-keeping skills

Candidates should be able to start by (or before) August 2026 and commit for two years. While the role is fast-paced and multifaceted, all specialized techniques are taught on the job with close mentoring. If you’re excited by meaningful research, teamwork, and learning in a high-impact clinical environment, we’d love to meet you!