Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Ultrasound Research Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Ultrasound Research Coordinator is a clinical research professional responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing ultrasound-based research studies. This role interfaces with principal investigators, sonographers, clinical staff, and research subjects to ensure regulatory compliance (IRB, HIPAA, GCP), high-quality imaging acquisition (DICOM/PACS), accurate data capture (REDCap/EDC), and timely study delivery. The ideal candidate brings sonography knowledge, research coordination experience, strong organizational skills, and a focus on participant safety and data integrity.

Keywords: Ultrasound Research Coordinator, clinical research coordinator, sonographer, imaging research, study coordination, IRB, DICOM, HIPAA, informed consent, GCP.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) or ARDMS-certified sonographer
Clinical Research Assistant or Research Technician
Radiology Technologist or Ultrasound Technologist

Advancement To:

Senior Clinical Research Coordinator / Lead Research Coordinator
Imaging Research Manager or Clinical Research Manager
Research Program Director or Clinical Trials Manager
Clinical Research Scientist or Research Operations Director

Lateral Moves:

Research Data Manager / Clinical Data Specialist
Imaging Quality Assurance Specialist
Clinical Educator or Sonography Trainer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate all operational aspects of ultrasound clinical research studies from start-up through close-out, including site preparation, equipment calibration, imaging protocol implementation, and participant follow-up to ensure milestones and timelines are achieved.
Serve as the primary point of contact for study sponsors, principal investigators, and cross-functional teams; manage study communications, escalate issues, and ensure clear documentation of decisions impacting ultrasound protocol execution.
Screen, recruit, and enroll eligible participants for ultrasound research studies; conduct pre-screening phone calls, schedule imaging visits, and maintain high retention through participant engagement and logistical support.
Obtain informed consent in accordance with IRB-approved protocols; explain study procedures, risks, benefits, and privacy protections to participants and document consent appropriately.
Implement and maintain standardized ultrasound imaging protocols (acquisition planes, settings, transducer selection) to ensure consistent, reproducible DICOM image quality across participants and study sites.
Perform or supervise ultrasound imaging exams according to protocol, ensuring correct patient positioning, exposure parameters, labeling, and transfer of images to PACS or study-specific repositories.
Manage study-specific imaging workflows including DICOM anonymization, file naming conventions, image upload to secure servers, and verification of image completeness for central reading or analysis.
Train and credential sonographers and research staff on study-specific ultrasound protocols, measurement techniques, and quality control procedures; maintain training logs and competency assessments.
Conduct ongoing image quality assurance (QA) checks and discrepancy resolution; flag and remediate suboptimal studies, and implement corrective action plans to minimize protocol deviations.
Collect, enter, and manage study data using electronic data capture (EDC) systems such as REDCap, Medrio, or vendor EDC; ensure source documentation completeness and timely query resolution.
Maintain regulatory documents, case report forms, and study records in accordance with GCP, FDA guidance, and institutional policies; prepare for internal and external monitoring visits and audits.
Coordinate and schedule multidisciplinary study visits, including ancillary testing, lab draws, and clinical assessments, to align imaging timepoints with study visits and ensure subject convenience and protocol adherence.
Oversee specimen handling related to imaging studies when applicable (e.g., blood biomarkers tied to ultrasound endpoints), coordinating shipping, labeling, and chain-of-custody procedures.
Assist in protocol development and review by providing feasibility input on imaging schedules, scan parameters, time requirements, and potential risks to participants based on prior sonography experience.
Manage study budgets, track subject visit costs, and work with billing compliance to ensure study-related charges are applied correctly and non-research clinical services are billed appropriately.
Support central readers and imaging core labs by preparing image sets, providing metadata, and responding to adjudication queries and reviewer feedback.
Facilitate IRB submissions and renewals related to imaging amendments, safety reports, and recruitment materials; prepare and submit documentation for protocol amendments that impact imaging procedures.
Monitor and report adverse events, imaging-related complications, and protocol deviations promptly to study leadership and regulatory bodies; participate in safety review meetings and implement mitigation steps.
Maintain ultrasound equipment inventory, coordinate preventive maintenance, and troubleshoot equipment issues with biomedical engineering to minimize downtime during imaging windows.
Support data analysis preparation by ensuring imaging measures are standardized, measurement protocols are annotated, and datasets are export-ready for quantitative analysis and machine learning pipelines.
Contribute to manuscript preparation, abstracts, and presentations by providing imaging methodology, participant flow, and study operational details; assist in responding to peer-review queries about imaging data collection.
Participate in grant applications and study start-up activities by providing realistic timelines and resources required for ultrasound imaging components and pilot data collection.

Secondary Functions

Develop and maintain study-specific SOPs, quick reference guides, and checklists for ultrasound acquisition and data management to improve reproducibility and onboarding speed.
Respond to ad-hoc imaging data requests and support exploratory analyses by retrieving image sets, exporting measurements, and coordinating with statisticians or imaging scientists.
Contribute to institutional imaging research strategy by identifying opportunities to harmonize ultrasound parameters across studies and by optimizing workflows for high-throughput clinical research.
Participate in research meetings, protocol steering committees, and sponsor teleconferences; document action items and follow-up to ensure imaging deliverables are met.
Mentor junior research staff and sonographers in research best practices, GCP principles, and study-specific imaging techniques.
Support quality improvement initiatives such as reducing scan fail rates, improving participant scheduling efficiency, and implementing new imaging sequences or contrast protocols as needed.
Assist with community outreach and participant recruitment strategies targeting relevant populations for ultrasound research studies, including database searches, clinic outreach, and collaboration with referring providers.
Maintain secure handling of protected health information (PHI) in compliance with HIPAA and institutional data security policies; participate in periodic privacy and security training.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient in diagnostic ultrasound imaging acquisition and optimization, including familiarity with abdominal, vascular, cardiac (if applicable), musculoskeletal, and vascular ultrasound protocols.
ARDMS/RDMS certification or equivalent sonography credentials preferred; documentation of active sonographer license where applicable.
Strong knowledge of DICOM standards, PACS, and image transfer protocols; experience with image anonymization and secure upload workflows.
Experience with electronic data capture (EDC) systems such as REDCap, Medrio, Oracle Clinical, or other clinical trial databases; skilled at source-to-CRF documentation.
Working knowledge of clinical trial regulations: IRB processes, informed consent documentation, HIPAA, FDA regulations, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
Ability to perform quality control and QA/QC of imaging data, including measurement reproducibility, inter- and intra-reader variability assessment, and corrective actions.
Competence with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience preparing study trackers, logs, and recruitment dashboards.
Familiarity with basic image analysis software or workflows (OsiriX, ImageJ, vendor software) and experience coordinating central image review or core lab submissions.
Understanding of clinical research billing, study budgeting, and billing compliance to ensure appropriate allocation of clinical vs. research costs.
Experience with participant scheduling systems and calendar coordination across clinical and research teams; ability to manage complex visit windows.
Basic laboratory handling skills and specimen logistics knowledge when imaging studies include biomarker collection and shipping.
Experience with electronic medical records (EMR) for chart review, documentation of medical history, and ordering research-related imaging exams.

Soft Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills for interacting with investigators, participants, regulators, and sponsors.
Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple studies, competing timelines, and high-volume imaging schedules.
Attention to detail and accuracy in regulatory documentation, image labeling, and data entry to preserve data integrity for analysis.
Empathy and patient-centered approach to reduce participant anxiety during ultrasound procedures and improve retention.
Problem-solving and critical thinking to troubleshoot protocol deviations, equipment issues, and recruitment challenges.
Teamwork and collaboration skills to work effectively with sonographers, investigators, CRCs, and engineering or analytics partners.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance urgent imaging windows against routine clinic operations.
Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate protocol amendments, new imaging techniques, or interim analysis requests.
Leadership and mentorship capability to train and develop junior staff and champion best practices in imaging research.
Ethical judgment and professionalism to handle sensitive health information and maintain participant confidentiality.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in a health-related field (Health Sciences, Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Biology) OR Associate degree plus ARDMS/RDMS certification and equivalent clinical sonography experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Clinical Research, Public Health, Radiologic Sciences, or a related biomedical discipline.
Advanced coursework or certification in clinical research coordination, GCP, or human subjects protection (CITI).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Radiologic Technology / Imaging Sciences
Clinical Research / Public Health
Nursing, Biology, Biomedical Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of clinical sonography experience OR 2–4 years of clinical research coordination experience with direct involvement in imaging studies.

Preferred:

3+ years of combined ultrasound and clinical research experience, with demonstrated experience in IRB submissions, EDC data management (e.g., REDCap), and DICOM/PACS workflows.
Prior experience working with multi-site trials, imaging core labs, or central review processes is highly desirable.
Certifications such as ARDMS/RDMS, CCRC, or CCRA and current BLS/CPR certification preferred.

If you need this content adapted into a job posting, candidate screening checklist, interview guide, or ATS-optimized version for "Ultrasound Research Coordinator," I can generate that next.