Job Description

Job Information Organisation/Company

KINGS COLLEGE LONDON Research Field

Biological sciences

Medical sciences Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Established Researcher (R3) Country

United Kingdom Application Deadline

9 Aug 2023 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract

Other Job Status

Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the cutting edge of developments in of digital therapeutics, by leading a programme of experimental research to investigate key psychological mechanisms that maintain emotional disorders and can form targets for digital interventions. The post-holder will contribute to the Digital Therapeutics theme of the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), led by Professor Rona Moss-Morris and deputy lead Professor Colette Hirsch.

The NIHR Maudsley BRC is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and is hosted by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King\'s College London. It brings together scientists, clinicians, allied health professionals, service users and carers from across South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King\'s College London. The NIHR BRC researches novel tests, treatments, and technologies to understand and treat mental disorders. It aims to accelerate the translation of the latest scientific discoveries into first-in-man clinical trials and other well-designed studies for people with mental and neurological disorders.

The Digital Therapeutics (DT) theme is one of the nine Maudsley NIHR BRC themes. It aims to maximise patient benefit by developing novel, theory-and evidenced-based DTs to treat/prevent mental health disorders across the lifespan. The DT theme will accelerate the development, precision of, and implementation of evidence-based novel DT across psychological disorders by providing enhanced infrastructure and innovation opportunities to facilitate rapid translation. This post will take a lead on the experimental arm of the theme, which will involve designing and overseeing experiments to identify, assess and modify key mechanisms that maintain psychological disorders.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who is interested in helping lead the programme of theory driven, experimental research to help elucidate the key psychological mechanisms that predict, and maintain psychological disorders and help determine ways to maximally intervene to enhance outcome of novel digital products. In addition to a background in experimental research, ideally the candidate should have some experience in developing digital interventions, but training and mentorship will be provided where needed. The post-holder will work in collaboration with Professor Colette Hirsch and her research team to support the Digital Therapeutics theme. There will be opportunities for contributing to and leading on papers and co-writing grant applications.

This post will be based in Denmark Hill, Department of Psychology, embedded within a team which brings together expertise in experimental research and psychological disorders and intervention development (including digital). The post holder will join a lab of postdoctoral researchers, research assistants and PhD students working in this area.

At King\'s we are deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practice into all our activities so that the university is an inclusive, welcoming, and inspiring place to work and study, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates within black and minority ethnic groups which are under-represented within the University at higher academic levels.

This post will be offered on a 3 year fixed-term contract.

This is a full-time post

Key responsibilities

• Project manage all aspects of the research theme as needed.
• Conduct experimental research in line with theme aims.
• Day-to-day co-ordination of the theme work packages, ensuring these are running according to project timelines, to ensure key milestones are met.
• Actively contribute to strategic research planning and development for experimental part of the digital therapeutic theme, in partnership with theme leads and study teams.
• Work with the theme\'s patient and public involvement group to address digital literacy and accessibility/acceptability of digital therapeutics for minoritized groups.
• Prepare and support meetings for the Experimental section of the Digital theme, including the coordination and distribution of briefing documents and background materials, and drafting and delivering presentations, as required.
• Plan and monitor financial aspects of the Experimental section of the Digital Therapies theme, including maintaining an overview of agreed budgets and spending, liaising with the finance officer in the sponsors office on a regular basis, forecasting major expenses and identifying underspend or overspend.
• Help lead research projects including preparing, submitting (and amend as required) documents as required for ethics (including the study protocol), R&D, regulatory approval, annual progress reports to the funder, and manage communications with the Sponsor organisation. Ensure all necessary approvals, contractual agreements and documentation are in place.
• Develop working guidelines and centralised online resources for experimental protocols and approaches.
• Supervision of postgraduate students and research assistants whose projects are part of the Digital Therapeutics theme.
• Work independently to ensure daily tasks and ongoing workloads are prioritised and completed in agreed timeframes.
• Develop and manage documents as relevant to the co-ordination of the Research Theme and leads.
• Draft publications, conference abstracts and grants.
• Keep up to date with subject related and professional issues by reading papers, attending conferences, training courses and workshops.
• Contribute to collaborative decision-making, planning and short and long-term objective setting.
• Use initiative and creativity to resolve issues that might arise and identify issues that require onward reporting to the Theme Leads.
• Ensure the Theme Leads are kept aware of all key decisions.
• To ensure data integrity and security, and to collate and analyse the data.
• To attend regular research meetings with Prof Hirsch and her 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

KNOWLEDGE

• Advanced knowledge of cognition and emotion
• Advanced knowledge of psychological disorders

EXPERIENCE

• Experience of cognitive-experimental research
• Experience programming experimental tasks

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS/OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Good interpersonal skills
• Willing and able to learn new research skills

Essential criteria

1. A PhD in Psychology

2. Ability to manage varied workloads across projects

3. Experience of project management of high quality research programmes

4. Advanced knowledge and understanding of data base management and data analysis

5. Advanced knowledge and understanding of experimental research methods, especially in relation to cognition and emotion

6. Good track record of publishing peer-reviewed papers commensurate with career stage

7. Ability to maintain excellent working relationships

8. Ability to engage participants with psychological disorders in research

9. Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills, with a methodical and practical approach to implementing and maintaining systems

10. Excellent written and oral communication skills

Desirable criteria

11. Experience researching cognitive mechanisms underlying psychological disorders

12. Advanced MS Office skills and stats packages such as STATA & R

13. Self-motivated and industrious

14. Mental agility and ability to concentrate for long periods of time

15. Experience developing psychological interventions

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.

Requirements

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute KINGS COLLEGE LONDON Country United Kingdom City London (Greater)

Where to apply Website

Contact City

London (Greater)

STATUS: EXPIRED

EURAXESS