In a clinical laboratory setting, a medical research assistant assists in the conduct of investigative and original studies. Many research disease pathology and injury physiology in hospital and university laboratories. Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and private research labs hire others to help them develop new drugs and conduct clinical trials. A medical research assistant performs a wide range of tasks in the setup, execution, and documentation of experiments in any setting.
The majority of the time, research assistants who assist in drug discovery and disease investigation studies work in sophisticated scientific labs. They are in charge of testing equipment such as test tubes, chemical dyes, microscopes, and centrifuges, as well as preparing samples. They conduct experiments and record results under the supervision of lead researchers. The assistant stores samples in their proper locations and cleans the lab at the end of each day of experimentation.
Clinical trials frequently involve putting new drugs to the test on human volunteers to see how effective they are and if they have any side effects. A medical research assistant who assists with clinical trials is typically in charge of assessing participants, grouping them appropriately, administering drugs and placebos, and recording daily findings in computer spreadsheets. When the study is finished, the assistant assists the lead researchers in compiling raw data into useful reports, charts, and graphs.
A medical research assistant must be highly organized and thorough in order to ensure quality results in lab experiments and clinical trials. Lab samples must be handled with care and labeled correctly, and research notes must be organized, coherent, and accurate. The medical research assistant’s meticulous attention to detail allows lead scientists to produce reports with complete confidence in their findings.
A bachelor’s degree in biology, biochemistry, or another subject related to human health is usually required of someone who wants to work as a medical research assistant. Many graduate and doctoral students seek research assistant positions to aid in their preparation for future careers as clinical scientists or physicians. Some employers require candidates to pass certification exams to ensure that they are knowledgeable about ethics, legal issues, and standard procedures.
An individual with the necessary credentials can enroll in a formal training program that can last anywhere from two weeks to six months, depending on the scope and difficulty of the job duties. A trainee works alongside experienced scientists and assistants, learning how to keep records, organize studies, and conduct trials and experiments firsthand. A new employee may be given more responsibilities and allowed to perform important tasks with little supervision as time goes on.