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Applications are invited for a Research Assistant to work both with Dr Sarah Lloyd-Fox and international partners. This role is embedded within the Cambridge hub of an established and thriving research team of the Brain Imaging and Global Health (BRIGHT) project (https://www.globalfnirs.org/the-bright-project/). The postholder will join the team during phase III of the project - BRIGHT IMPACT - to work on project coordination, administrative support and analysis of datasets that have been already collected in the UK and The Gambia.

As part of an international research project the Cambridge hub of the Brain Imaging for Global Health (BRIGHT) project in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge is seeking a Research Assistant who will work on data analysis and project administrative support across a variety of complex multimodal developmental datasets.

The post-holder will work with Dr Sarah Lloyd-Fox and collaborators to contribute to the analysis of datasets (i.e. fNIRS/EEG/neurocognitive eye-tracking markers /language, motor and developmental assessments, and measures of parent-caregiver interaction), co-ordinate the efficient running of BRIGHT IMPACT, maintain documents, provide a broad range of administrative services to support this specific project, co-ordinate staff and meetings, organise databases and data sharing procedures, assist with publications and ensure research compliance for studies. They will be supported by a team of established research academics both at the University of Cambridge and across the collaborating institutes (UCL, KCL, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Oxford, Radboud University, University of British Columbia, University of Greenwich and Queen Mary, University of London).

The post will be based in Central Cambridge in the Department of Psychology.

This is a wide-ranging position, which would suit a self-motivated individual who is experienced in working in a diverse team and able to perform effectively under multiple demands. Applicants should be educated to BSc level in a relevant discipline, and ideally have experience of working in developmental research contexts. Excellent organisational and computing skills, the ability to work independently and the ability to prioritise tasks effectively are essential, as is meticulous attention to detail.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 August 2025 in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) check.

We particularly welcome applications from women and /or candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our department/institution/Faculty/School/University.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

The cover letter needs to specify why you are interested in this job and how your previous experience meets the requirements described in the Person specification. If you do not upload a cover letter containing this information your application will not be considered.

For informal inquiries, please contact Sarah Lloyd-Fox at sl868@cam.ac.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 7th April 2024 at 12 Midnight

Interviews: Thursday 18th / Friday 19th April

Please quote reference PJ40817 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

A Research Assistant/post-doctoral Research Associate position in Neuro-Clinical Data Science is available to work with Prof Zoe Kourtzi at the Adaptive Brain Lab (https://www.abg.psychol.cam.ac.uk).

The position will focus on large-scale data analysis (MRI, cognition, genetics) to use for the translation of AI-guided tools for early detection of brain and mental health disorders to clinical practice (healthcare, clinical trials). The research will involve working on research cohort and clinical data, applying machine learning models to synthesise biological (brain imaging, genetic) and cognitive, epidemiological data, validating AI-guided tools in clinical data and translating these tools for adoption in healthcare and industry settings.

The research activity is at the core of a Wellcome Trust funded Innovator Award that brings together multidisciplinary experts in neuroscience (Prof Zoe Kourtzi, Adaptive Brain Lab), machine learning (Prof Carola Schönlieb, Department of Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge Image Analysis (CIA) Group), clinical practice (Dr Tim Rittman, Clinical Neuroscience) with healthcare innovation (Eastern AHSN) and pharmaceutical industry partners (AstraZeneca).

Our work programme aims to develop a fully deployable AI-guided decision support system to a) aid clinicians in early diagnosis and patient management decisions, b) direct tailored interventions to individual needs, c) inform patient selection for clinical trials. Our work on early prediction of dementia has already gathered significant media interest (e.g. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57934589) and has potential to deliver transformative applications in clinical practice. The successful applicant will receive multi-disciplinary research training at the interface between machine learning, neuroscience, and clinical translation. They will work with teams at the Alan Turing Institute (https://www.turing.ac.uk), and the Data Science and Neuroscience teams at AstraZeneca.

Applicants should have a MRes or PhD (or submitted at time of appointment) together with a strong academic track record, in a relevant area (e.g., Neuroscience, Data Science, Biostatistics, Medicine, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering). Programming skills are highly desirable and experience with machine learning, data science, biostatistics, or clinical neuroscience are highly beneficial. Above all, they will demonstrate enthusiasm to contribute new knowledge, openness to learn new approaches and willingness to contribute to a multidisciplinary team across sectors (academia, healthcare industry).

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a covering letter in the Upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 24 months in the first instance.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

For informal inquiries, please contact Zoe Kourtzi at zk240@cam.ac.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 17th March 2024 at midnight

Interviews: TBC

Please quote reference PJ40634 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Applications are invited for 4-year PhD studentship based in the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge and the new AstraZeneca Discovery Centre at Cambridge. The student will be working on a collaborative project jointly supervised by Professor Zoe Kourtzi at Department of Psychology Cambridge in collaboration with AstraZeneca's Neuroscience (Dr Keith Tan, Dr Andrew Lowe) and Data Science & AI (Dr Philip Teare, Dr Gayathri Mohankumar) teams and will work have opportunity to work across the two sites. The project, entitled 'Multimodal AI-guided tools for early prediction of disease progression in neurodegenerative disorders' is in the field of AI for Neuroscience that has generated much excitement in both academia and industry.

The project focuses on the development and implementation of AI-guided approaches for early prediction of neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, we aim to develop an innovative data-driven approach that capitalises on state-of-the-art algorithms from artificial intelligence (foundational models) to mine multimodal data from polygenic risk scores, MRI scans, biomarkers and cognitive tasks for early prediction of disease progression. Using this cross-disciplinary approach, we will develop AI-guided tools that predict individualised disease trajectories. We will optimise and validate these tools using large-scale research data and real-world data from clinical trials to assess their efficacy in identifying the right patients for the right treatment.

Candidate

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual capable of thinking and working independently. Applicants should have or shortly expect to obtain a first or upper second-class degree from a UK university, or an equivalent standard from an overseas university, in a relevant subject such as Maths, Computer Science, Engineering, Neuroscience, Medicine. Experience with machine learning, data science, bioinformatics, clinical data analytics is desirable and background or strong interest in neuroscience and neurodegeneration preferable.

The position is open to UK citizens or overseas students who meet the UK residency requirements (home fees) or are able to augment the funds to cover the extra costs associated with international student fees through scholarships or funding schemes. Full details of the University's entrance requirements and scholarships are specified on the following link: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/

Funding Full funding covering Maintenance fees at £21,500 per annum and the University Composition Fee is provided for the studentship, with effect from 1 October 2024.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.

Application Process You can find out more about the Department of Psychology at https://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/ and Please address any questions about this studentship to Professor Zoe Kourtzi at zk240@cam.ac.uk

Applications for this studentship should be made to the Department of Psychology. The course code is BLPC22 (PhD in Psychology). https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/application-process/how-do-i-apply

With your application you will be required to submit (i) a draft research proposal outlining your suitability, why you are interested in pursuing a PhD in this area, your background and research interests. (ii) your CV stating your citizenship and years of residence in the UK (If applicable) (iii) copies of your academic transcripts (iv) details of two academic referees.

Student support and training As a postgraduate student at Cambridge, you will have access to a wide range of training opportunities and benefit from close supervision provided by a primary and secondary PhD supervisor as well as a personal mentor. The collaboration between teams (Kourtzi, AstraZeneca) will provide you with unique cross-disciplinary training in discovery and translational neuroscience, as well as experience in translating research to industry and clinical practice.

During the PhD, there is no taught or examined coursework, but students are encouraged to attend the wide variety of lectures and training courses available to them across the Institute and wider University. This includes a centrally run Statistics course and the University Core Skills Training Programme, which includes sessions on Time Management, Presentation and Performance and Scientific Writing. Students at the Institute will be members of the University's Postgraduate School of Life Sciences (PSLS) who offer a wide variety of core skills and professional development training. Visit the Researcher Development page on the PSLS website for more information. In addition, the student can also take advantage of training courses and seminars in therapeutic sciences offered by Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences.

All students are expected to attend all internal and external seminars held within the Department of Psychology. Students will also be encouraged to attend and present at the annual AstraZeneca students symposium.

Diversity and Inclusion

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. We place major emphasis on the importance of team work and an enjoyable work environment as a foundation for performing internationally leading research. This will allow the student to acquire cutting edge research methodologies in a supportive environment, where they can focus on making the best possible scientific progress.

The closing date for applications will be Sunday 18 February 2024 at midnight.

Interviews will take place February/March 2024

Please quote reference PJ40357 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

We are inviting applications for a talented and motivated Research Assistant to working on a Cancer Research UK funded study with Dr Stephanie Archer. This project will look to develop a clinical pathway that enables the integration of multifactorial cancer risk assessment within secondary care breast services.

In particular, the work will involve conducting a rapid ethnography in two secondary care breast cancer services in the East of England, conducting interviews with key stakeholders (e.g. surgeons, nurses, radiologists, pathway co-ordinators, service managers), and conducting co-design workshops with patients, healthcare professionals and non-clinical staff.

The successful post holder will need to hold a degree in a relevant field (such as psychology) and will have experience with qualitative methods including a range of data collection formats (e.g. ethnography, interviews, focus groups) and analysis types (e.g. thematic/content). Applicants should have experience of working with multiple stakeholders (e.g. patients, healthcare professionals, policy makers) across a range of applied healthcare settings

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 28 February 2025 in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) check.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

For informal inquiries, please contact Dr Stephanie Archer at saa71@cam.ac.uk

Closing Date: Wednesday 14th February 2024 at midnight

Interviews: w/c Monday 19th February 2024

Please quote reference PJ40347 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The Department of Psychology invites applications for a University Assistant/Associate Professorship in Health Psychology and Qualitative Methods to be taken up from 1 October 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The role holder will be an academic in health psychology with expertise in qualitative and mixed methods. Experience and/or knowledge of all or some of the following is desirable:

• working on projects that focus on the biological basis of human diseases and disorders
• translational research designs and interventions to improve clinical healthcare (e.g. prevention, early diagnosis, survivorship, end-of-life care)
• strong background in patient and public involvement (PPI), including expertise leading research groups in PPI, co-production, methods of involving under-represented and co-production of ethical practice in research
• expertise in both qualitative and mixed methods research and how these underpin PPI.

Interdisciplinary and collaborative research is strongly encouraged across the university and its associated institutes. Candidates must also demonstrate a firm commitment to teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels within the Department.

Applicants must have a PhD degree in a relevant subject and strong evidence of research and teaching excellence. Appointment will be to the retiring age, subject to a probationary period of five years. The post is based in central Cambridge

Information about the Department and the research interests of members of staff can be found at www.psychol.cam.ac.uk.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a standard Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

For an informal discussion about the post please contact the Mark Johnson, Head of Department (mj492@cam.ac.uk)

Please quote reference PJ40030 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research associate to study the mechanism of action of drugs used clinically to treat anxiety in humans. The successful candidate will be based in the laboratories of Professor Jeff Dalley and Professor Rebecca Lawson (Department of Psychology) and will collaborate with a team of neuroscientists working across different scales and species to reveal how medications and psychological therapies improve anxiety symptoms.

The successful candidate will investigate how the brain noradrenergic and serotonergic systems dynamically encode different types of uncertainty in the environment. The project will specifically evaluate whether anti-anxiety medications that block the active reuptake of noradrenaline and serotonin (i.e., SNRIs and SSRIs) improve anxiety symptoms by adjusting the representation of uncertainty signals in the brain. Applicants should have completed a PhD in neuroscience, pharmacology, biology, psychology, or other relevant discipline. We are looking for someone with experience in behavioural neuroscience and psychopharmacology in rodents, with a working knowledge of Pavlovian and instrumental tasks, including touchscreen-based technology. Skills in histology, immunohistochemistry, RNAscope, Western blotting, and stereotaxic surgery are essential. Experience with MRI, biosensors, and computational modelling would be desirable, but is not essential.

The research position is available from 19th of February 2024 for an initial 2-year period with the possibility of an extension for up to a further 3 years. In addition to the covering letter, CV, and contact details of 2 referees, applicants are asked to provide a brief statement (500 words) describing the questions and approach they consider important for the study of noradrenaline and serotonin in learning-related neuroplasticity, specifically learning in relation to stimulus uncertainty, and their future career ambitions.

The research activity is at the core of a new Wellcome Trust-funded Mental Health Award, which brings together a cross-disciplinary team of international experts to investigate how different types of uncertainty are encoded in the brain through dynamic signalling of the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. The work programme bridges work across species (rats, humans) and scales (neurochemicals, local circuits and global networks) to uncover the 'active ingredients' of effective therapeutic intervention in anxiety disorders.

This project facilitates cross-disciplinary training in innovative methodologies at the intersection of behavioural, cognitive and computational neuroscience. Successful applicants will be integrated in a diverse collaborative team and will have the opportunity to participate in workshops and retreats across the network as well as exchange visits across labs to facilitate cross-disciplinary training and collaborative working.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a security check.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

For informal inquiries, please contact Jeff Dalley at jwd20@cam.ac.uk and/or Becky Lawson at rl337@cam.ac.uk

Closing Date: Midnight on Sunday 28th January 2024

Interviews: Monday 12th February 2024

Please quote reference PJ40082 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.