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Research Associate, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science 

Employer
KINGS COLLEGE LONDON
Location
London (Greater) (GB)
Closing date
26 Mar 2021

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Academic Discipline
Psychology, Social Sciences
Job Type
Research Related, Research Associate
Contract Type
Fixed Term
Hours
Full Time

Job Details

Research Associate, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science 

Job ID: 017344

Salary: £38,304 - £42,652 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Posted: 26-Feb-2021

Closing date: 26-Mar-2021

Business unit: IoPPN

Department: Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences

Contact details: , andre.strydom@kcl.ac.uk 

Denmark Hill Campus   Research    


Job description
Based in the department of Forensic and Neurodevelopment Sciences, at the Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London (IoPPN-KCL). The successful applicant will take a leading role in co-ordination of our ongoing studies of cognitive decline related to Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome (The LonDownS consortium studies).

The post-holder's duties will include overseeing the recruitment of participants, co-ordinate a biobank of blood, CSF, and genetic samples as well as acquisition of neuroimaging data (MRI, fNIRS, etc). Leading on some aspects of data analysis of existing data - inducing cognitive, clinical, biomarker, and imaging data. The focus of analysis would depend on the successful applicant's expertise, with support from other experts including statisticians.

In addition, the candidate will help ensure protocol adherence and support ethics and R&D amendments as required, liaising with collaborators in Europe and the US, assist with public engagement activities and help to ensure the team maintains careful records.

Depending on the experience, the successful candidate will provide occasional back-up assessment of participants enrolled in this longitudinal study, as well as obtaining information from their carers.

This role is available for an immediate start and would suit an individual with statistical expertise and experience in analysing multimodal datasets would be an asset.

This is a full-time post, a fixed-term contract for 24 months.

Key responsibilities

  • Working as a conscientious and committed member of the team in order to achieve the aims of projects active in the department.
  • Provide oversight of participant recruitment
  • Co-ordinate biomarker sample collection, including blood and CSF samples and involvement in database design.
  • Oversee data entry, data quality checks and analyses, and leading on analysis of our existing, longitudinal data
  • Leading on the writing of reports and publications, and assisting with public engagement efforts, including developing and delivering presentations arising from the project.
  • Maintain good relations with team members; build contacts and participate in internal and external networks for the exchange of information and to maintain collaborations, including close liaison with collaborators in Europe and the US.
  • Demonstrate initiative and be proactive within the domain of your responsibility; whilst working independently and flexibly in planning day to day activities in accordance with the project deadlines.
  • Independently deal with queries from collaborators, ethics committees and participants; and attend and contribute to relevant meetings
  • To work effectively with colleagues, and collaborate with academic colleagues on areas of shared research and decision making
  • To travel on project business to clinical and other settings (DBS and research passport may be required)
  • Balance the competing pressures of research and administrative demands and deadlines, whilst being aware of the risks in the work environment and their potential impact on own work and that of others
  • The post-holder will help to ensure health and safety of individuals during data gathering
  • To be involved with supervision of other team members,
  • Any other duties appropriate to the grade as directed by supervisor(s) or head of department

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. 

Skills, knowledge, and experience
Essential criteria

  • Relevant undergraduate degree (for example, BPS accredited Psychology Degree; Neuroscience; Child development etc.) and a PhD in Research methods/ Experimental Psychology/ Neurodevelopmental Science or equivalent
  • Knowledge of neurodevelopment
  • Computer 'literate' especially in word processing and use of spreadsheets/databases
  • Experience in all aspects of research, from data acquisition to publication
  • Project management experience
  • Significant experience with data analysis and statistical methods
  • Significant experience of data management
  • Self-motivation and industriousness
  • Ability to work independently as well as in a team, with the desire to learn new research approaches
  • Flexible working hours (ability to work on weekends and evenings)
  • Person and project management skills

Desirable criteria

  • Knowledge of neurobehavioural and cognitive assessments in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and experience of administering neuropsychological and/or behavioural tests
  • Knowledge of Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome, and experience with neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorder research
  • Experience of analysing multi-modal data and of analysing neuroimaging data
  • Understanding of the basic aspects of the project and experience of supervising others

Further information
This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance.

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.  

Company

King's College London is one of the top 20 universities in the world and among the oldest in England. King's has more than 27,600 students (of whom nearly 10,500 are graduate students) from some 150 countries worldwide, and some 6,800 staff.

King's has an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) King’s was ranked 6th nationally in the ‘power’ ranking, which takes into account both the quality and quantity of research activity, and 7th for quality according to Times Higher Education rankings. Eighty-four per cent of research at King’s was deemed ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (3* and 4*). The university is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of more than £684 million.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine, nursing and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar.

King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org.

King’s £600 million campaign, World questions|KING’s answers, has delivered huge global impact in areas where King’s has particular expertise. Philanthropic support has funded new research to save young lives at Evelina London Children’s Hospital; established the King’s Dickson Poon School of Law as a worldwide leader in transnational law; built a new Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital; allowed unique collaboration between leading neuroscientists to fast-track new treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease, depression and schizophrenia at the new Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute; created the Cicely Saunders Institute: the first academic institution in the world dedicated to palliative care, and supported the King’s Sierra Leone Partnership in the Ebola crisis. Donations provide over 300 of the most promising students with scholarships and bursaries each year. More information about the campaign is available at www.kcl.ac.uk/kingsanswers.

Company info
Mini-site
KINGS COLLEGE LONDON
Telephone
+(44)02078365454
Location
STRAND
LONDON
WC2R 2LS
United Kingdom

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