Research Assistant (2 posts)

The School of Psychology has TWO exciting new Research Assistant positions developing novel treatments for depression and PTSD through the manipulation of memory in sleep.

• Targeted Memory Reactivation in sleep to alleviate PTSD. This post will focus on the triggering of negative memories in REM sleep in order to decouple the arousal and render them less upsetting
• Targeted Memory Reactivation in sleep to alleviate Depression. This post will focus on the triggering of positive memories in sleep to improve low mood.

These are 3.5 year positions and successful candidates will be encouraged to complete a PhD as a staff candidate during their employment.

This project is funded by the Wellcome Trust on a multi centre grant lead Penny Lewis, who specializes in the study of what sleep does to our memories, and is based at the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC). The post-holder join a team of researchers including Depression researcher (and Consultant Psychiatrist) Neil Harrison, PTSD specialist (and Consultant Psychiatrist) Jon Bisson at the Welsh National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH), and Tim Denison, who leads a team of research engineers who have developed the wearable device which we will use in this project.   

Cardiff University’s Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) is one of the best equipped neuroscience institutes in Europe, housing 3 MRI scanners, including a 7T and a Connectom scanner, a MEG, EEG labs, a brain stimulation lab, and of course the state of the art sleep lab. The Welsh National Centre for Mental Health is right next door. The Neuroscience and Psychology of Sleep (NaPS) group is housed within CUBRIC, and conducts world-leading research on the impacts of sleep on cognitive processes. 

Cardiff is a beautiful green city with easy access to the coast (beaches) and hills (Brecon Beacons and similar).  

This post is part time (24 hours per week), fixed-term for a period of 3.5 years and available immediately.

Salary: £32,332 - £34,980 per annum, pro-rata (Grade 5)
It is not expected to appoint above the first point of the scale £32,332 per annum (pro-rata).  This will be £22,172 per annum, for 24 hours per week.

Closing date: Friday, 21 June 2024

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements. 

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

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