Research Associate or Research Fellow

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the cutting edge of the development and trialling of digital therapeutics.  The post-holder will support and provide strategic direction to the Digital Therapeutics theme of the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), led by Professor Rona Moss-Morris.

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 Theraputics (DT) theme is one of the nine Maudsley NIHR BRC themes. The DT theme will accelerate the development, precision of, and implementation of evidence-based novel DT across disorders by providing enhanced infrastructure and innovation opportunities to facilitate rapid translation. It aims to maximise patient benefit by developing novel, theory-and evidenced-based DTs to treat/prevent psychiatric disorders and promote adjustment to LTCs across the lifespan. This will be achieved via a ‘living lab’ that will accelerate co-designed development of DTs from proof-of-concept, early-stage trials, digital enhancements, and regulatory approval, with the aim of maximising effectiveness, uptake, and thereby likelihood of downstream implementation.

The post-holder will be a senior level, experienced postdoctoral researcher. The post-holder will work in collaboration with Professor Rona Moss-Morris and her research team to support the running of the Digital Therapeutics theme and will be responsible for providing strategic oversight of the theme. Tasks will include developing centralised resources for developing digital therapeutics, co-ordinating workstreams, tracking timelines to ensure key milestones are met, and conducting research in line with theme aims (such as feasibility and efficacy testing of existing tools as well as developing new research projects).

This post will be based in the Health Psychology Section, Department of Psychology, embedded within a team which brings together expertise in long-term condition management, complex intervention development (including digital), conducting RCTs and implementation research. The Health Psychology section has been influential in the evolution of Health Psychology as a discipline in the UK.  We are internationally recognised for excellence in research and teaching, including:

• Fundamental research to establish the psychosocial and neurological processes underlying adaptation to long term conditions and the experience of symptoms.
• Translational research testing the efficacy and effectiveness of theory-based psychological interventions for people with LTCs.
• Development and evaluation of innovative methods for supporting self-management of health, symptoms, mood and adherence, including digital interventions.
• Delivering three courses; the BSc (Intercalated) Psychology / Neuroscience, MSc in Health Psychology and the IAPT LTC top-up training.

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.

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