City :

Category : Full time

Industry : Educational Services

Employer : University of British Columbia

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile

Non Union Hourly - Research Assistant /Technician 2

Job Title

Diabetes Research Assistant

Department

Devlin Lab | Department of Paediatrics | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$26.67 - $31.73 CAD Hourly

Posting End Date

April 15, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks

Job End Date

April 15, 2027

 

 

 

 

This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

 

Job Summary

The Diabetes Research Assistant supports longitudinal clinical research studies in the Devlin and Panagiotopoulos labs, focused on childhood diabetes, cardiometabolic complications, and obesity. The role includes human biological sample processing, biobanking, and laboratory coordination, as well as participant recruitment, engagement and assessment, data collection and management, and regulatory compliance. The incumbent ensures high-quality sample integrity, accurate data capture, and adherence to study protocols.

The incumbent is required to conduct all research activities in an ethical manner, suited to the proper activities of the University of British Columbia and to the professional organizations governing the activities of the institution and all other investigators. Any procedures undertaken as part of a trial must be accurate and must accurately reflect the work performed. Strict confidentiality of all study matters must be adhered to. The incumbent’s research activities are accountable to the Principal Investigator(s).

Organizational Status
The incumbent will report directly to and receive direction from the Diabetes Research Manager and the Principal Investigator Dr. Angela Devlin and co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Dina Panagiotopoulos.

This position requires working with members of the diabetes research team including the Diabetes Research Manager, Diabetes Clinical Research coordinator, hospital physicians, residents, nurses, and other research staff at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), and other staff at Children’s and Women’s Health Centre.  The incumbent will collaborate and work with external staff at participating organizations, hospitals and collaborating laboratories located at different sites nationally and internationally. The workspace is located in the Childhood Diabetes Laboratories in BCCHR of Children’s and Women’s Health Centre of BC Campus.

Work Performed

The position involves clinical research and will include, subject recruitment, data collection input, and management.

 

Specific duties include:

Lab / Samples

• Process human biological samples (blood, urine) following SOPs

• Perform PBMC isolation and sample preparation for biobanking

• Prepare reagents and laboratory materials

• Maintain sample traceability and documentation

• Support ELISA assays and DNA extraction workflows

Clinical / Participants

• Assist with participant recruitment and scheduling

• Support consent/assent and study documentation

• Interact with participants, administer questionnaires, and perform study-related assessments, as required.

Data

• Perform data entry, cleaning, verification, and management

• Conduct study data collection activities, including chart review and participant-reported outcomes.

Compliance

• Conduct study data collection activities, including chart review and participant-reported outcomes.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Consequences of error are high, and this is a position with significant responsibility. The activities described above impact the direction of Division of Endocrinology research program objectives. Errors could impact upon the reputation of the program as a whole and jeopardize the options for collaborative participation with industry and other centers.

Supervision Received
It is expected that the research assistant will demonstrate the ability to work independently once training has been successfully completed. The research assistant will be required to problem solve on a continual basis. The research assistant will receive supervision and direction from Diabetes Research Manager and Diabetes Clinical Research Coordinator.

Supervision Given
None.

Minimum Qualifications

• Completion of a relevant technical program or a university degree in a relevant discipline and a minimum two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

Hands-on experience including, but not limited to:

• Human blood and urine sample processing.

• PBMC isolation and freezing.

• Biobanking procedures and sample tracking.

• Preparing reagents, buffers, and lab materials.

• Familiarity with ELISA and DNA extraction (support level).

• Knowledge of ethical principles, GCP, biosafety, and sample handling regulations.

• Familiarity with database management programs and UBC RISe and Workday an asset.

• Attentive to detail, with the ability to work quickly and accurately.

• High degree of computer literacy including familiarity with Microsoft Word, Excel, Zoom, Teams.

• Ability to learn new software programs such as REDCAP.

• Organizational and interpersonal skills a must. 

• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines. 

• Ability to exercise initiative and maintain confidentiality. 

• Effective communication, both orally and in writing. 

• Ability to work both independently and within a team environment in the lab.