Research Assistant (Fixed Term)

We are looking to appoint a Research Assistant to work on a project exploring the brain basis of exceptional skills in autistic and neurotypical people. The project will include cognitive neuroscientific techniques (e.g. using MRI, experimental psychological, and questionnaire measures) with autistic and neurotypical individuals with or without exceptional skills.

The aim of this study is to explore exceptional memory skills in both autistic and neurotypical people. We are interested in learning more about the types of exceptional memory skills that people have, such as for words, shapes or numbers, and whether the brains of people who have exceptional memory show differences in structure and function compared to those who do not. We also want to explore whether autistic people who have exceptional memory skills have unique patterns of brain connections, compared to neurotypical people with exceptional memory skills. MRI will measure brain structure, resting state and task-activated function, and white matter DTI.

Scanning will take place in Cambridge at the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre (WBIC). This study focuses on one of the positive features of some autistic individuals and has the potential to explain not just the remarkable talents seen in a minority of autistic people but the strengths in autistic people more broadly.

The post holder will work with the Co-Investigators (Professors Simon Baron-Cohen, Jon Simons, John Suckling, and Drs Richard Bethlehem and Carrie Allison), and other members of the Autism Research Centre working on this project. They will liaise with other teams at the University of Cambridge (e.g. WBIC). They will be responsible for recruitment of participants and data collection, including assisting with the scanning data collection, and contribute to the production of research reports and publications. The post holder may also be involved in community engagement activity.

Candidates must have previous experience in working in research projects and should hold a degree (minimum class 2.1) in psychology, neuroscience or a related science subject. Previous experience working with autistic individuals is desirable. The post holder will have strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 years 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, a health assessment and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

Please quote reference RN38534 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.

Advert information