Post-Baccalaureate Trainee: Risk Factors Underlying Essential Tremor (RULET) Study

Dr. Elan D. Louis, Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, is hiring full-time, paid post-baccalaureate trainee(s) for the neuroepidemiological study RULET (Risk Factors Underlying Essential Tremor). The goal of RULET is to learn more about the causes for two of the most common neurological disorders—essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease.

This NIH R01-funded study draws on the expertise of clinical neurologists, neurotoxicologists, and neuropathologists, and our subjects come from motivated essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease communities. RULET is unique in scope and, if successful, could identify modifiable risk factors for these diseases. This is the perfect position for a motivated graduate who is interested in obtaining additional hands-on research experience before applying to graduate or medical school. As part of their educational experience, the post-baccalaureate trainee will develop strong research skills pertaining to: the clinical evaluation of patients with a broad range of tremor disorders, methods to assess environmental and dietary exposures in neurological patients, and methods of data analysis using statistical software. 

The post-baccalaureate trainee will learn about numerous aspects of clinical research from study design and planning, questionnaire development, preparation of materials for the institutional review board, and selection of appropriate methods to evaluate and track study subjects. They will also learn from the PI how to recognize a range of involuntary movements in the study participants. Opportunities for independent research will be available to the post-baccalaureate trainee and are strongly encouraged. Thus, the trainee will learn how to prepare and publish a scholarly paper on which they are first-author in a peer-reviewed journal. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to apply to professional or graduate school; many of our previous research assistants have successfully matriculated into top MD and graduate programs.

Job Responsibilities

The post-baccalaureate trainee’s activities will include the performance of in-person neurological assessments, blood draws, and videotaped neurological examinations with patients across the Tri-State area. They will additionally be responsible for conducting telephone interviews with participants and participating in scientific and regulatory duties necessary for the study. These include questionnaire development, data preparation and analysis, and preparation of IRB materials. Regional travel will be required on a regular basis, roughly 2-3 days per week, as participants reside all over the Tri-State area. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills are required.