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BRET Career Development ASPIRE Program

ASPIRE Internship Opportunity: Digital Communications Associate, Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance (remote)

Posted by on Friday, May 7, 2021 in Announcements .

ASPIRE Internship Opportunity:

Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance
Digital Communications Associate
(remote position)

8737 Colesville Rd., Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance  The Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance (TS Alliance) is an internationally recognized nonprofit that does everything it takes to improve the lives of people with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). We drive research, improve quality care and access and advocate for all affected by the disease. The TSC community is our strongest ally. The collaboration of individuals and families, along with the partnership of other organizations, fuels our work to ensure people navigating TSC have support—and hope—every step of the way. We use a comprehensive approach to improve quality of life for people with TSC—fueling promising research while making sure that, day-to-day, individuals are diagnosed early and receive the highest quality care available. We also have a voice in policy around healthcare access and federal funding for TSC research.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare genetic disease that affects people at all stages of life. Every individual’s experience with TSC is different—many live independently while others require complex care. TSC causes tumors to grow in different organs and can impair their function, primarily the brain, heart, kidneys, skin, eyes and lungs. Changes in the brain caused by TSC have the biggest impact on quality of life, from seizures and developmental delays to intellectual disabilities, behavioral challenges and autism.  In fact, TSC is the leading genetic cause of epilepsy, including infantile spasms. A strong correlation also exists between TSC and autism—an estimated 40-50% of individuals with TSC have autism spectrum disorder.

The TS Alliance is seeking a volunteer intern to help educate the TSC community about the disease and ongoing research and to connect with more researchers and clinicians through our digital platforms and social media channels. Primary responsibilities include analyzing current social media efforts, identifying opportunities for online growth and engagement, moderating online discussions while providing relevant resources to families and individuals affected by TSC and helping create social media content. Additional opportunities are flexible based on the interest of the candidate but can include both podcast and video production as well as graphic design and creative writing.

The intern will work in the Communications Department under the direction of Dan Klein, Director of Digital Platforms, and other TS Alliance team members to assist in the responsibilities detailed above, as well as engaging in online conversations about rare disease research on behalf of the TS Alliance, sharing and amplifying content relevant to our scientific and patient communities and translating TSC research updates to create educational content for the general public.

THE PARTICIPANT WILL:

  • Gain experience managing digital communication efforts for a national rare disease non-profit
  • Interact with international scientists and clinicians whose work impacts patients with tuberous sclerosis complex
  • Gain exposure to the professional culture in a national non-profit scientific foundation
  • Network with scientific foundation professionals
  • Gain experience in working with patients and families aligned for a common cause

INTERNSHIP DETAILS

  • Internship will run from June- August (appx 12 weeks), with potential to extend pending review
  • Internship is remote, unpaid, part-time (2-5 hours per week, variable)
  • The intern will support the TS Alliance as needed and gain new skills through Zoom primarily or conference calls
  • Must be US citizen or permanent resident

 Applications due by midnight, Friday, May 28, 2021  EXTENDED to noon, Thursday, June 10, 2021

To apply:

Your information will then be passed along to the organization and they will contact you directly to schedule an interview.

Please review ASPIRE Internship FAQs: Found here

For further questions, please contact Ashley Brady (ashley.brady@vanderbilt.edu).

Eligibility requirements

  • Applicants must be a current Vanderbilt University PhD student or a current postdoctoral fellow.
  • All PhD students must have completed all coursework for their degree prior to the start of the internship.
  • Biomedical PhD students must also have passed their qualifying exams before the application deadline.
  • Students and postdocs may not participate in more than one internship at a time.  More than one application may be submitted at a single time, but only one position can be accepted.
  • If you are not in a department supported by the BRET office, we will also require that you complete a form guaranteeing PI approval to participate in this program.  Please contact Ashley Brady at ashley.brady@vanderbilt.edu for more information.
  • If you are an international student or postdoctoral fellow, your visa status may affect your work eligibility. Please contact Ashley Brady (ashley.brady@vanderbilt.edu) to discuss this further.
  • Must be authorized to work in the US

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