Research Associate Fetal and Neonatal Analyses – INTERNAL ONLY

Job id: 085089. Salary: £43,205 – £45,521 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 23 February 2024. Closing date: 03 March 2024.

Business unit: IoPPN. Department: Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences.

Contact details:Professor Grainne McAlonan. [email protected]

Location: Denmark Hill Campus. Category: Research.

THIS VACANCY IS OPEN TO INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience in collaboration with the Centre for the Developing Brain in Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine for a post-doc to join the world class academic team in neurodevelopmental disorders.  This role will focus on analyses and methods development using fetal and neonatal MRI. They will contribute to the deliverables of AIMS-2-TRIALS – the world’s largest grant for autism. They will have particular responsibilities for developing methods to analyse brain structure and connectivity from fetal and neonatal fMRI data, and its association with neurodevelopmental outcomes including emerging traits linked to autism.  

The successful candidate will support other researchers and PhD students.  They will develop novel scientific questions in brain development and lead on the analysis of specific aspects of translational science depending on their areas of expertise.  It is expected they will also contribute to departmental teaching. 

This post will be offered on a full-time, fixed term contract until 31 May 2025.

Key responsibilities

• To analyse data using state-of-the-art computational techniques   
• Identify roadblocks and help to find solutions (with the study leads)
• To ensure that milestones and deliverables are on time – and that scientific findings are being maximally exploited
• To develop and lead on one area of scientific analyses 
• Writing technical reports of the progress of the study
• Teach in the courses delivered by the department
• Co-supervise MSc Research Projects
• To integrate with the wider Institute and AIMS-2-TRIALS network 
• To track tasks, deliverables and milestones committed to the EU

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.       A PhD in  a related field 

2.       Advanced knowledge of typical neurodevelopment, and neurodevelopmental conditions 

3.       Expertise in the field of brain structure and connectivity  using structural MRI and/or Diffusion Tensor Imaging 

4.       Advanced knowledge of MRI analyses techniques and brain-behaviour relationships, especially as applied to the fetal/neonatal brain 

5.       Advanced data analysis and programming skills 

6.       Ability to write complex reports and/or scientific publications 

7.       Ambition to apply for research grants 

8.       Emergent track record of peer reviewed journal publications 

9.       Excellent organisational skills 

10.     Experience working in multidisciplinary teams 

11.     Developing a public/conference speaking record 

Desirable criteria

1.       Experience working with the Developing Human Connectome Project dataset 

2.       Teaching experience 

3.       Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 

4.       Analysing fetal/neonatal neuroimaging data 

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.

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