Job description

We are looking for a researcher with a background in psychology, psychiatry, biomedical engineering, physics or a related discipline to join the Department of Psychosis Studies at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, as Postdoctoral Research Associate.  

The successful applicant will be expected to work on a research project involving the application of machine learning techniques to multimodal datasets collected across multiple mental health phenotypes (e.g. psychosis, depression, ADHD). 

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 3 years initially, with possibility to extend. 

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

Research (70%)

•   To help establish a transdiagnostic and comparative machine learning approach across the Department (and the wider IoPPN) by applying unsupervised and supervised machine learning methods to multimodal datasets of different disease phenotypes including but not limited to different stages of psychotic disorders. 

•   To develop diagnostic, prognostic and predictive models using the insights gained through this comparative approach 

•   To prepare scientific reports for publication in peer-reviewed journals  

•   To develop and maintain a machine learning model library for the Department that will be publicly available and that will host models, signatures and software/codes developed by colleagues in the Department (and other researchers at IoPPN). 

•   To support effective collaboration between different research teams at the IoPPN, and between the Chair’s IoPPN team and team members at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich & Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich. 

•   Active participation in project-related meetings and contributions to planning and engagement on key projects.  

•   The successful candidate will also be encouraged to develop grant and fellowship applications to establish themselves in this area of research in the long-term 

Teaching (25%)

•   Occasional teaching and supervision of postgraduate students will be encouraged 

•   To provide training, guidance, and support to junior research staff as appropriate. 

Administration (5%)

To contribute to administrative duties as directed 

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

1.      PhD in neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, biomedical engineering, or related discipline.* 

2.      Documented expertise and an established track record in machine learning across different data domains of mental and/or somatic disorders 

3.      Excellent statistical and coding skills with demonstrated ability to apply methodologies in MATLAB, Python, and/or R. 

4.      Highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher with a strong interdisciplinary interest in mental health, 

5.      Strong evidence of potential and desire to build an academic career trajectory, including track record of publishing in scientific journals and participation in research projects, grants, and fellowships, 

6.      Demonstrated ability to co-supervise and mentor junior students, 

7.      Interpersonal and communication skills with demonstrated ability to work within a geographically distributed team (London and Munich),  

8.      Excellent organizational skills and ability to work independently and within teams to meet agreed deadlines and achieve project goals. 

9.      Experience in the organisation and administration around postgraduate teaching  

Desirable criteria  

1.      Track record of successful research grant applications, or attempts to obtain grant funding 

2.      Previous development of software 

3.      Experience in analysing high-dimensional biological data such as neuroimaging or omics-based information. 

4.       

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. 

Further information

About the Faculty  

  https://www.kcl.ac.uk/academic-psychiatry

About the Department of Psychosis Studies   

  https://www.kcl.ac.uk/academic-psychiatry/about/departments/psychosis 

Interviews: TBC 2st - 24th February 2023 ( In-Person, IoPPN)