Job Summary
The Post-Doctoral Fellow with the Hohl Research Group in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine will conduct real-world drug safety and surveillance research using new adverse drug event data being generated by a technological intervention designed to improve clinical communication of patients’ adverse drug events. The incumbent may also have the opportunity to participate in drug safety and effectiveness evaluation of treatments used for opioid poisoning in emergency departments using data derived from the Canadian Emergency Department Research Network.
The successful applicant will join a thriving adverse drug event research group with a long history of work on this topic. The research group has developed a novel software application called ActionADE that supports the documentation and communication of adverse drug events to providers in other health sectors. The app also supports new federal adverse drug reaction reporting requirements. The incumbent will have primary responsibility to co-design and lead the analysis for multiple pharmacoepidemiology projects. They will lead studies using ActionADE data generated as a by-product of safer clinical care to help develop a new approach for post-market drug safety surveillance. The incumbent will apply appropriate pharmacoepidemiology methods to develop a timely robust drug safety sentinel surveillance system.
The successful applicant will also participate in research opportunities through the Canadian Emergency Department Research Network (CEDRN), a newly launched research network in Emergency Medicine. This network will seek, as one of its first priorities, to harmonize data collection on treatments and harm reduction strategies used in Canadian emergency departments in 9 provinces for patients presenting with opioid poisonings. This new clinical dataset will be among the first to capture in-hospital treatments and services which are not available through Canadian administrative datasets.
Appointment Details
This is a 1.0 FTE position for a one-year term, subject to renewal. The expected pay for this position is $75,000.00 CAD per annum.
Reporting Relationships
The Post-Doctoral Fellow, Hohl Research Group reports to Dr. Corinne Hohl, Professor in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine.
Responsibilities
- Leads development of drug safety studies and the development of a drug safety surveillance research program, which includes developing and selecting study protocols for a sentinel surveillance system and application of relevant pharmacoepidemiology theories, frameworks, processes and measures.
- Directs, supervises, coordinates data collection, linkage and analysis; including executing the research and surveillance plan.
- Designs mechanisms to quantify system- and provider-level factors associated with variation in ADE reporting
- Identifies significant issues, barriers, or challenges that emerge in the post-marketing drug surveillance plan and develops mitigation strategies or resolutions.
- Designs studies in drug safety and effectiveness of treatments for opioid poisoning and opioid use disorder using high-quality clinical datasets.
- Maintains study documentation, including tracking and monitoring changes (adaptations) to post-marketing drug surveillance strategies throughout the implementation process.
- Completes data analysis to quantify and compare safety risks and effectiveness between drugs.
- Participates in and provides research updates at regular meetings with other researchers and research assistants.
- Reviews other study protocols as assigned, and discuss logistics with Research Investigators and the Research Program Manager. Ensures documentation is consistently maintained as directed by the study protocol.
- Develops progress reports and updates for stakeholders and partners (as per the communication plan).
- Develops briefing notes and presentations for stakeholders including Public Health, government, and a health improvement network.
- Completes other protocol-specific documentation as needed.
- Acts as a mentor and resource to Masters and PhD students.
- Acts as a resource to various research team members to identify real or potential problems and works to resolve these issues.
- Contributes to and/or leads abstract, manuscript writing, presentations for submission to selected journals/conferences and grant proposals.
- Other duties as required.
Qualifications
- PhD in a relevant discipline required
- Relevant research experience in epidemiology; pharmacoepidemiology using quantitative or mixed methods; sociology and/or anthropology of medicine; health informatics; applied science, technology and society perspectives.
- Ability and experience in the area of pharmacoepidemiology and clinical research coordination.
- Experience collecting and analyzing quantitative or mixed methods data.
- Ability to balance multiple commitments, short deadlines and sensitive clinical or research issues.
- Excellent communication skills, including strong writing, research and interpersonal skills.
- Innovative and creative thinking and a logical approach to problem solving are also necessary
- Self-directed, self-motivated and independent work skills
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- Preference will be given to applicants with intermediate or advanced computer skills in the following software packages: MS Office (particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and NVivo (qualitative data software package).
- Experience with information technology in the health sector is considered an asset.
- Familiarity with the field of drug safety, adverse drug event reporting, pharmacy practice, health technology implementations, health system research or other potential research partners is an asset.
- Familiarity and experience with grant funded projects and study protocol requirements including ethical conduct, ethics approval process, standard operating procedures, source documentation and good clinical practice is an asset.
Further Information
Please review this website for additional details.
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.
