DESCRIPTION

The Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems (CWPHS) conducts research that focuses on how the health of individuals, families, communities, social networks, and populations can be improved through the creative use of wireless and networked technologies and ubiquitous computing. The CWPHS is located in the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology Calit2, an internationally renowned multidisciplinary institute housing scientists and researchers from across the UCSD campus.

Collaborators come from the UCSD School of Medicine, the Division of Social Sciences, the Jacobs School of Engineering, the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and San Diego State University. Included are scientists with backgrounds in clinical and preventive medicine, computer science and engineering, social networks, political science, clinical and experimental psychology, electrical engineering, health behavior, systems science, behavioral genetics, exercise and nutrition science, public health, and evolutionary biology.

CWPHS researchers have recently received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH's) National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to conduct a 5-year weight loss study among young adults. Approximately 60.3% of those aged 20 to 39 years are overweight or obese, and excess weight gain in young adulthood is associated with future weight gain, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and psychological distress. Consequently, it has been suggested that treating overweight and obesity in young adults may prevent chronic disease in middle age. Relatively little is known about how to promote weight loss in this population without using costly in-person programs that have limited scalability.

For several years, investigators in the CWPHS have investigated the efficacy of interventions that rely on ubiquitous technologies to meet young adults in the virtual spaces they frequently inhabit and use these venues to promote weight loss through physical activity and healthy diet. This study will address the need to advance our understanding of how to develop and deploy multimodal, technology-based weight-loss interventions that have the potential for long-term effects and widespread dissemination among young adults. Intervention content that promotes weight loss through increased energy expenditure, decreased energy intake, and adequate sleep will be delivered using a fully integrated system of modalities over 2 years.

Under the direction of the Clinical Research Supervisor and Laboratory Director incumbent will be responsible for providing support for the daily operation and research of the Exercise and Physical Activity Resource Center (EPARC) human performance laboratory accelerometer program. Responsibilities include independently coordinating, scheduling, and conducting device deployment, calibrating and maintaining accelerometers in good working order, ordering supplies, validating participant wear time, and maintaining differentiated databases for accelerometer portion of multiple projects. Incumbent will be expected to perform a wider variety of standard procedures, contact participants independently and ensure work performed is at the full operational or journey level of skill.

Incumbent will have demonstrated ability to initialize, download and quality check accelerometer based data using a variety of devices including (but not limited to) Actigraph, Actical, Actiwatch, and Fitbit. Incumbent will also have demonstrated capability and experience with data management and aggregation using standard spreadsheet and statistical programs (i.e. excel, SPSS, and similar) and actigraph proprietary software.

Incumbent will also be responsible for providing some exercise testing support, as well as administrative/logistical support regarding laboratory compliance and bookkeeping. Strong analytical and communication skills, attention to detail, independent thinking, judgment and discretion.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Theoretical knowledge of natural, physical or social sciences or related field, typically obtained through a Bachelor's of Science degree in public health, kinesiology, exercise physiology, biology or other science, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Must be CPR/AED certified.

• Knowledge of actigraph based accelerometers.

• Ability to gather data from 24 hour remotely gathered physical activity and exercise results.

• Ability to summarize