Research Assistant

Job Description:

Research Assistant – Cancer Case Studies

Organisation: Save Medha Foundation

Department: Research and Patient Documentation

Job Location: Save Medha Foundation Mumbai Center,

301, Rangoli Time Complex, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marg, Parel, Mumbai – 400012

Employment Type: Full-time

Reporting To: Research Head / Centre Director

Position: Research Assistant – Cancer Case Studies

About Save Medha Foundation

Save Medha Foundation is a healthcare-focused organisation working to improve health awareness, patient support, nutritional education and systematic documentation of patient outcomes. The Foundation is developing evidence-based case studies to understand the health journey of cancer patients receiving conventional cancer treatment, nutritional support and Natural Immunotherapy-based supportive care.

Role Objective

The Research Assistant will be responsible for collecting, organising, verifying and documenting cancer-patient information for the preparation of structured and professionally written case studies.

The role requires careful review of medical reports, patient histories, treatment timelines, symptoms, nutritional interventions and follow-up outcomes. All documentation must remain factual, confidential and supported by available records.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Data Collection

• Interview cancer patients and, when appropriate, their family members.
• Record the patient’s medical history, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment history and current health condition.
• Collect relevant reports such as CBC, LFT, KFT, imaging, histopathology, FNAC, tumour-marker and treatment records.
• Document conventional treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and prescribed medicines.
• Record nutritional, lifestyle and supportive interventions received by the patient.
• Maintain regular follow-up records according to the approved research schedule.

Case-Study Preparation

• Prepare a clear chronological timeline for each patient.
• Compare baseline and follow-up medical reports in structured tables.
• Document changes in symptoms, weight, appetite, energy, blood parameters and treatment tolerance.
• Prepare case summaries, detailed case reports, presentations and research notes.
• Clearly separate patient-reported improvement from laboratory-confirmed or imaging-confirmed findings.
• Avoid exaggerated, misleading or unverified medical claims.
• Mention limitations, missing reports and uncertain findings transparently.
• Ensure that no treatment is presented as a guaranteed cure.

Research and Analysis

• Conduct literature reviews using reliable medical journals, guidelines and recognised scientific sources.
• Assist in developing standard case-study formats, questionnaires and data-collection sheets.
• Categorise cases according to cancer type, stage, treatment, duration of follow-up and outcome.
• Help identify patterns in symptoms, blood parameters, treatment-related side effects and supportive-care outcomes.
• Support the preparation of research articles, posters, educational material and conference presentations.
• Maintain a reference list for scientific statements used in reports.

Ethics, Consent and Confidentiality

• Obtain written informed consent before collecting or publishing patient information.
• Explain clearly how photographs, videos, reports and testimonials may be used.
• Remove patient-identifying information from public case studies unless specific written permission has been obtained.
• Store medical reports and personal information securely.
• Follow organisational policies regarding privacy, confidentiality and responsible health communication.
• Immediately report any suspected data breach or unauthorised disclosure.
• Never pressure a patient to provide a testimonial or participate in research.

Coordination

• Coordinate with doctors, healthcare professionals, nutrition teams and centre staff to verify information.
• Schedule patient interviews and follow-up assessments.
• Maintain communication with patients for missing reports and follow-up information.
• Work with the content and media teams while ensuring that published material remains accurate and ethically appropriate.
• Attend case-review meetings and present updated case summaries.

Required Qualifications

Candidates should preferably have a Master’s degree in one of the following areas:

• Life Sciences
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Public Health
• Clinical Research
• Pharmacy
• Psychology

Candidates with relevant experience in clinical research, medical documentation, oncology support or patient counselling may also be considered.

Required Skills

• Ability to understand basic medical terminology and laboratory reports.
• Strong research, documentation and analytical skills.
• Good written and spoken English.
• Ability to communicate with patients in Hindi; knowledge of Bengali or Marathi will be an advantage.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Sheets and PowerPoint.
• Ability to prepare tables, timelines, summaries and professional reports.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Respectful and empathetic communication with cancer patients and families.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Willingness to learn about oncology, nutritional science and supportive-care research.

Preferred Experience

• Previous experience in a hospital, diagnostic centre, NGO, clinical research organisation or cancer-support centre.
• Experience preparing medical case reports or patient follow-up documentation.
• Familiarity with research ethics, informed consent and data anonymisation.
• Knowledge of reference-management and research tools.
• Experience with basic statistical analysis will be an advantage.
• Experience in medical content writing or scientific presentation preparation will be preferred.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance will be evaluated based on:

• Accuracy and completeness of patient records.
• Number and quality of documented case studies.
• Timely completion of follow-up documentation.
• Proper verification of medical reports and treatment timelines.
• Compliance with consent, confidentiality and data-protection requirements.
• Quality of report comparison tables and research summaries.
• Ability to distinguish verified clinical findings from patient-reported outcomes.
• Coordination with patients and internal teams.

Professional and Ethical Boundaries

The Research Assistant will not independently:

• Diagnose any disease.
• Prescribe medicines, supplements or treatment protocols.
• Change a doctor’s treatment plan.
• Promise recovery or cure.
• Interpret results for patients without authorised clinical supervision.
• Publish patient information without formal approval and documented consent.

Any urgent medical concern identified during an interview must be immediately referred to the authorised medical professional or centre supervisor.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate should be scientifically curious, compassionate, organised and comfortable working with cancer patients. The person should be able to convert complex medical histories into clear, accurate and ethically prepared case studies without overstating conclusions.

Application Requirements

Applicants should submit:

• Updated CV
• Recent photograph
• Educational certificates
• Previous writing or research sample, where available
• Current and expected salary
• Notice period
• Languages known