Job Description

Job description

We are looking for an enthusiastic graduate keen to get involved in research. With a degree in psychology, genetics, epidemiology or a related subject, the candidate will be an independent worker capable of effectively managing their own time. The post will involve working in a world class department on a world-famous project, the Children of TEDS (CoTEDS) project.

The Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) is the longest-running twin study of its kind in the UK and has followed the cognitive and behavioural development of more than 10,000 pairs of twins born in England and Wales between 1994 and 1996 (teds.ac.uk). The Children of TEDS (CoTEDS) project is now following the cognitive and behavioural development of the children of TEDS twins. CoTEDS is the one of the first children-of-twins study to include information on twin parents and their offspring from birth. In particular, CoTEDS will investigate the mechanisms underlying intergenerational transmission of mental health problems, and the roles that parents play during child development. Like TEDS, CoTEDS will run over many years, collecting data from participating families as their children grow up.

The successful applicant will be intimately involved in the day-to-day running of the Children of TEDS project. Main roles will include contacting parents, managing mail-outs of questionnaires and DNA kits, and maintaining a high-quality database. Excellent communication skills (written and spoken) and attention to detail will be essential. Experience working in a research environment would be an advantage, as would experience collecting data and working with participants. Skills in data management is essential.

It will be possible for the post-holder to become actively involved in research - conducting literature reviews, performing analyses, and publishing manuscripts. As such an interest in science, and particularly in psychology/psychiatry, is important. The successful candidate will acquire expertise on the collection and analyses of complex family data, as part of a cutting-edge research team with the opportunity to develop skills needed to start an academic career.

The Department

The successful candidate will be based at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre, within the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King\'s College London. The IoPPN is a world leading centre of excellence, and the UK\'s leading centre for research in mental health and related disciplines. The SGDP Centre is a multidisciplinary department where psychologists, psychiatrists, geneticists, biologists and statisticians collaborate in conducting cutting edge research into the causes of mental disorders.

The successful candidate will be based in Dr Tom McAdams\' research team, a group of ~10 researchers all working in the fields of behavioural genetics and mental health. Dr McAdams established the Children of the Twins Early Development Study (CoTEDS) in 2016, to investigate how mental health issues travel through families. We are looking for a part-time research assistant to help with the day-to-day running of the CoTEDS research project. There is a large network of support for staff at the SGDP Centre - you will be part of a welcoming team of academics and staff at King\'s, who will support your learning and development.

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 2 years

This is a part-time post - 60% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

Key responsibilities and objectives of the job will include:

• Management of many of the day-to-day operations of the CoTEDS project
• Manage data collection. Includes the continuous mail-out of questionnaires, DNA kits and rewards to participants.
• Support with design and maintenance of questionnaires hosted on Qualtrics
• Provide research support to Dr McAdams and his team

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

1. Undergraduate degree in psychology, neuroscience, life sciences, genetics, epidemiology or a related subject

2. Ability to work autonomously

3. Team working skills

4. Good time management skills

5. Excellent organisational skills

6. Attention to detail

7. Database experience

8. Experience conducting literature searches/reviews

9. Excellent communication skills

10. Interest in the underlying aetiology of Psychiatric Disorders

Desirable criteria

1. Some knowledge of behavioral genetics or quantitative genetics

2. Able to use statistical packages such as SPSS, Stata, R

3. Experience working in a research environment

4. Lab experience

Further information

We strive to provide an inclusive environment that is open, welcoming, and supportive to all. You may already be aware that research staff members at King\'s College London are not representative of the London population in terms of racial and ethnic diversity. This problem extends to our department and research teams, and we are actively seeking to address this by supporting and mentoring staff and students from a diverse range of backgrounds. We also recognise that there are barriers to progression in academia in relation to other protected characteristics, such as gender identity and disability status. CoTEDS is a project which specifically works with parents of young children, and so we welcome applicants with experience of raising and/or caring for children.

Times Higher Education