Description
POSITION OBJECTIVE
Working under general supervision, the Research Dietitian 1 will provide clinical and administrative nutrition support for research trials, studies or projects related to applied nutrition research. Objectives of current research projects include improving human health through `food as medicine¿ and other interventions that influence food behaviors (e.g., cooking frequency, dietary intake, reduced food waste). Key responsibilities of this position include administration of treatment and research protocols that range from education (primary prevention and culinary nutrition interventions) to culinary medicine interventions such as medical nutrition therapy, targeting populations with economic disadvantage and collecting analyzing diet and health related data. The participants enrolled in current research studies include food insecure pregnant and non-pregnant adults. Upcoming research is likely to include adults undergoing cancer treatment and post-partum mothers and their infants.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Provide clinical nutrition and administrative support for research trials, studies or projects. Serve as the primary contact for research participants to assess barriers to cooking and nutritional health. Recruit, consent, enroll, and track research participants over the course of clinical trials or pilot studies while complying with IRB and patient safety protocols. Use REDCap to collect data and record adverse events as required. Maintain records of participant outreach and communication and delegate outreach tasks to the research coordinator as needed. With support from the principal investigator, contribute to the revision and development of research protocols. (25%)
Administer and monitor treatment or research protocols for nutrition interventions. Use clinical best practices and current research evidence base to implement nutrition interventions to improve participant/patient health outcomes (e.g., improved cooking frequency and healthy weight maintenance, reductions in blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, perceived stress). Monitor patients/participants during treatment procedures and subsequent follow-up periods. Monitor adherence to food safety protocols for all culinary nutrition and medicine research or projects. Conduct quality improvement and assurance measures to assess research protocol adherence and recommend strategies to improve research integrity to the principal investigator. (15%)
Instruct and counsel patients in research procedures. Provide patient education and health promotion related to the research study, using Mosio, social media, and other communication platforms as needed. Develop or revise participant/patient education or health promotion materials. Address participant questions and needs to promote participant retainment and minimize participant burden. (15%)
Collect, record, maintain and analyze data. Maintain research Collect and analyze process data to assess adherence to research protocols and variations in research dose provision across participants. Facilitate 24-hour diet recalls and other dietary intake data collection. Contribute to qualitative data collection and analysis as needed. Assist with analyzing dietary intake data to determine diet quality outcomes and use appropriate food and nutrition databases to estimate food weights and nutritional profiles. (15%)
Supervise Students: delegate tasks to Case Western Reserve University students, public health practicum students, and local dietetic interns and monitor their work quality and progress. Provide student training on study protocols and data procedures, monitor QI progress, review work for accuracy and completeness, and provide feedback to ensure timely and high-quality data. (15%)
Assist with writing research grants, publications and study materials in collaboration with the principal investigator and other members of the research team. Draft and revise manuscript sections, prepare tables and figures, organize references, support journal submissions, create reports for community partners, and assist with abstract and conference presentation development. (10%)
NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Attend relevant meetings and trainings. Collaborate with internal and external collaborators as needed. Contribute to literature reviews. Other duties as assigned. (5%)
CONTACTS
Department: Daily contact with the principal investigator, Project Manager, Project Coordinator, and Research Dietitian 2 as a member of a collaborative research team and to communicate ideas, issues, participant status, and workflow matters.
Students: Daily contact with student research assistants to implement and evaluate interventions.
University: Frequent contact with research staff at the Case Western Reserve University Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods. Occasional contact with the Bionutrition Core and other departments to coordinate participant schedules. Regular contact with department administrators regarding workflow, supplies and information.
External: Frequent contact with study participants to conduct interviews, schedule recalls, and manage compensation. Frequent contact with investigators and study staff at other study sites. Occasional contact with study sponsors (i.e., RWJ, Vitamix, etc.) to exchange information.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
This position has no direct supervision of staff employees.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Experience/Licensure: Bachelor's degree and 1 year of experience or Master's degree and 0 years of experience. Must have completed an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited dietetic internship at the time of hire. Must become a licensed dietitian in the state of Ohio within 90 days of hire.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Knowledge and understanding of culinary nutrition, culinary medicine, clinical nutrition, dietary quality measures, food literacy, and public health nutrition.
Ability to perform literature reviews, chart reviews, and maintain records in format required by sponsor.
Knowledge and understanding of research techniques, including dietary assessment methods and implementation science. Prior research experience strongly preferred.
Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills; must demonstrate the ability to effectively and professionally communicate and work with various individuals from a broad spectrum of disciplines, technical and educational backgrounds within the department, school and university, and with individuals outside the university.
Good/Strong organization skills; ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines. Must demonstrate attention to detail and accuracy, time management skills, and follow through.
Ability to work effectively independently and collaboratively within a team.
Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.
Ability to maintain familiarity and demonstrate knowledge of project priorities, leadership and programs.
Effective problem-solving skills; must demonstrate sound judgment and good decision making.
Must demonstrate flexibility and ability to work under pressure; must be able and willing to work in a fast paced, changing environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (ex: Word) and database management.
Demonstrated willingness to learn new techniques, procedures, processes, and computer programs as needed, including Mosio and statistical programs.
Ability to demonstrate successful support, education, and advocacy for all students, aligned with the values, mission, and messaging of the university, while adhering to the staff policy on conflict of commitment and interest.
Willingness to learn and work with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and technologies.
Ability to meet consistent attendance.
Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors and customers face to face.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Laboratory, office, clinical, and kitchen settings. The employee will utilize paper and electronic records and perform repetitive motions using computer mouse and keyboard to type. The employee will engage in food preparation, which may involve repetitive motions. May involve travel within the Cleveland Metropolitan area to food as medicine clinics and community teaching kitchens. Requires the flexibility to work evenings, early mornings, or occasionally weekends as needed for intervention sessions.
