Research Assistant in the Department of Psychological Medicine – INTERNAL ONLY

Job id: 085710. Salary: £37,332 per annum pro rata, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 07 March 2024. Closing date: 12 March 2024.

Business unit: IoPPN. Department: Psychological Medicine.

Contact details:Professor Carmine Pariante. [email protected]

Location: Denmark Hill Campus. Category: Research.

Job description

This is a part-time Research Assistant position within the Section of Perinatal Psychiatry. The Research Assistant will work three days a week and help the research team with the day-to-day running of three ongoing perinatal studies: SHAPER, PRAM-P follow up, and Happy Mums, all of which work with mothers experiencing mental illness and their infants and children.

The post holder will be responsible for helping with: participant recruitment, participant engagement and re-engagement, assessments of both mothers and their children, collection of biological samples (saliva and hair), and management of data. In addition, the post-holder will be asked to be part of our research group’s professional development meetings, attend relevant conferences or meetings, and contribute to our digital magazine.

The successful applicant will also have the opportunity to conduct literature searches and write for publication in scientific journals. The applicant will work under the day-to-day supervision of Prof Carmine Pariante and will be based at the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute.

The applicant will have research experience and a strong interest in arts-based health interventions and will have a global interest in integrating social prescribing into mental health. The applicant will also have experience and/or a strong interest in clinical research with parents with mental illness and their children. The applicant will need to hold an MSc degree in Neuroscience or Psychology. The applicant must be able to work with vulnerable populations and work sensitively and kindly with people experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties.

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 6 months

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

Key responsibilities

• Help with data collection, data entry, and data cleaning.
• Aid in psychological assessments with mothers and their children.
• Aid in collection of biological samples from mothers and their children.
• Contribute to literature searchers, report writing, data management.
• Work with others in writing for publications and reports.
• Help with recruitment to perinatal studies.
• Contribute to the group’s academic activities.
• Coordinate own work with that of others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort.
• Ability to manage own workload and problem solve.
• Form excellent working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.

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.       MSc or above in Neuroscience or Psychology. 

2.       Experience or strong interest working in arts in health interventions. 

3.       Experience or strong interest in working with families experiencing mental illness. 

4.       Strong and effective communication skills.  

5.       Ability to work independently as well as part of a team. 

6.       Experience working with infants.  

7.       Good all around IT skills.  

8.       Experience conducting research. 

9.      Adaptability and flexibility. 

10.   Sensitivity with vulnerable populations. 

11.   Personal commitment to the development of arts-based interventions for mental health and neurorehabilitation.  

Desirable criteria

1.       Prior mental health research experience.  

2.       Ability to work with SPSS. 

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