About this role
About Us:
We are a leading research institution committed to advancing scientific knowledge and innovation. Our team is dedicated to conducting ground breaking research and providing meaningful learning opportunities for aspiring scientists. Join us and contribute to our mission while gaining invaluable experience in a dynamic and collaborative environment.
Dr. Alexis Simpkins invites you to consider this great opportunity to join her dynamic team!
We can only consider applicants who will be able to commute to our Los Angeles location a few times per week. You must reside in the commutable area.
Overview of Department & Mentor:
The Neurology Department provides clinical care, education, quality improvement, and research focused on stroke and cerebrovascular disease. Under the mentorship of Dr. Alexis Simpkins, the visiting scholar will support medical and scientific writing projects that advance research communication and translate clinical and research knowledge into clear, useful communication tools for patients and families. Research writing activities may include literature synthesis, manuscript development for original research and case reports, preparation of abstracts and presentations, reference management, and revision for journal submission. Patient-facing projects may include education handouts, after-visit materials, care-navigation resources, frequently asked questions, website or portal content, and other materials that explain stroke prevention, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and follow-up. The appointment is educational and collaborative, with research manuscripts and patient-facing content reviewed by appropriate clinical, scientific, and institutional stakeholders before submission or use.
Role Activities & Timeline:
Role Activities and curriculum (skills to be learned) over the course of 1 year:
- Months 1–2: Orientation; HIPAA, privacy, compliance, IRB or quality-improvement training; introduction to stroke care, publication ethics, scientific writing, health literacy, and content governance.
- Months 3–4: Literature review, evidence synthesis, identification of manuscript or case-report opportunities, patient-communication needs assessment, and development of project scopes and writing plans.
- Months 5–8: Drafting and revising original research manuscripts and case reports; preparing abstracts, references, tables, figures, and presentations; drafting patient education and care-navigation materials with mentor and stakeholder review.
- Months 9–10: Journal-guideline and readability review, citation and copyright checks, feedback incorporation, usability review of patient tools, and preparation of materials for submission or pilot implementation.
- Months 11–12: Final manuscript and patient-tool revisions, submission or dissemination support as approved, evaluation summary, presentation of completed work, and recommendations for ongoing maintenance.
Career Development mentorship throughout:
- Medical and scientific writing feedback.
- Manuscript development and publication-process mentorship.
- Patient communication and stakeholder-engagement skills.
- Presentation development, critical thinking, and evidence translation.
Systems Access: N/A
Role Summary & Objectives:
This visiting scholar appointment is designed for a student enrolled in a master's-level program in communication, writing, medical writing, health communication, public health, health administration, or a related field, or for a medical student interested in medical and scientific communication. The scholar will learn to synthesize clinical and scientific evidence, communicate accurately with research and clinical audiences, and translate complex health information into patient-centered language. Working with the mentor and multidisciplinary collaborators, the scholar will support original research manuscripts and case reports from literature review and outline development through drafting, reference management, revision, figure and table preparation, journal-format compliance, and presentation development. The scholar will also help create and refine patient communication tools using plain-language, health-literacy, accessibility, and usability principles, incorporating feedback from clinicians and patient-facing teams. Objectives are to: (1) strengthen medical and scientific writing skills; (2) develop practical experience with original research and case-report manuscript preparation; (3) translate evidence into clear patient-facing materials; (4) learn publication ethics, authorship, citation, copyright, and research-compliance requirements; (5) evaluate clarity, readability, usability, and stakeholder feedback; and (6) present completed writing products and recommendations to the department. All work will follow institutional privacy, compliance, copyright, and research or quality-improvement review requirements, and final manuscripts and patient-facing content will require appropriate review and approval.
Required Education & Experience:
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Must have a HS Diploma or GED.
• Must reside in the greater Los Angeles area or surrounding cities while conducting all activities related to the intern or visitor appointment.
• VISITORS: Must be receiving funding from an eligible sponsoring institution (employer, educator, funder, etc.).
Preferred Education & Experience:
- Master's student currently enrolled in Communication, Writing, Medical Writing, Health Communication, Public Health, Health Administration, or a related program; or current medical student.
- Strong written communication skills and demonstrated interest in medical or scientific writing.
- Interest in research manuscripts, case reports, patient education, health literacy, or healthcare communication.
- Basic knowledge of literature review, evidence synthesis, or research methods desirable.
- Experience with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe, reference-management software, or content-management systems considered an asset.
- Experience with readability assessment, qualitative feedback, survey tools, or data visualization considered an asset.