HUD RECLEAN Pilot Study Student Research Assistant - Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

LOCATION: Seattle, WA

Part-time position, 19.5 hours per week

CLOSING DATE: November 30, 2022

OPPORTUNITY TYPE: Job

JOB #: 19161

POSTED: November 15, 2022

Description:

General Duties/Description:

There is an opportunity for a student to develop a thesis to understand home interventions to reduce lead and other metals using existing data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-funded RECLEAN pilot study “Reducing Metal Exposures in the Home: A Pilot Intervention.” This project tested the effectiveness of a public health intervention to reduce metals exposure that may have been unintentionally brought home by construction workers. The study characterized exposure to lead and other metals and evaluated the effectiveness of educational and environmental interventions in reducing blood and home dust levels of metals.

Specifically, the student assistant will be involved in the following activities:

  1. Assisting in updating IRB protocols, sections of manuscripts, and reports to the funding agency.
  2. Facilitating the shipping and analysis of environmental and biological samples to Ohio State University (OSU) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratories.
  3. Assisting with the data cleaning and interpretation from the results of the metals analysis of environmental samples (i.e., vacuum dust, dust in wipes, soil) and biomonitoring (i.e., blood, urine, and toenails) along with data from field studies with human subjects (i.e., questionnaires, home observation checklists, educational session assessments). Analysis may include:
    • Prioritizing variables from questionnaires and home observation checklist data.
    • Exploring methods for data analysis highlighting the co-occurrence of other toxic metals beyond lead in dust in homes. Data analysis may use of qualitative and quantitative data (mixed methods) or mixture modeling (analysis of mixtures).
    • Understanding levels of exposure compared to available health guidelines.
    • Determining the effects of the educational and environmental interventions in the home by analyzing data from the first home visits and follow-up data.
    • Data analysis to find key sources and variables affecting lead and other metal exposures in the home with an emphasis on understanding occupational origins of exposure.
  1. Coordinating stakeholder, non-profit, or union events to share progress results.
  2. Interacting with the Boston University, Harvard University, and Ohio State University (OSU) researchers, several non-profits, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HUD, and other local/State governmental institutions for the execution of the project.

Hourly Pay Rate: $17.27

Skills/Eligibility:

Required Skills/Experience:

The candidate must have good written and oral communication skills, as well as strong biostatistics skills to carry out the data analysis and reporting.

Desired Skills/Experience:

A strong environmental health and chemistry background, and an interest in health equity, social determinants of health, children’s health, and interventions in public health. Being bilingual in Spanish would be a plus.

How to Apply:

Interested students, please email your resume and a cover letter summarizing your qualifications for the job to Dr. Diana Ceballos (dmco25@uw.edu) with the subject: HUD RECLEAN Pilot Study Student Research Assistant Position Application.

 

The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450 / 206.543.6452 (tty) or dso@u.washington.edu.