Research Associate

The Department of Psychology is seeking a skilled and highly motivated Post-Doctoral Research Associate to join the NIHR Bath Mental Health Research Group (MHRG). 

The MHRG is a 5-year project aimed at conducting applied research to improve the health and wellbeing of young people aged 12-25 in the local region. 

About the role

The Research Associate will join the project, “Harnessing the power of electronic health records to understand and improve access and outcomes in community mental health services for neurodivergent youth”, led by Dr Katherine Button.   

There is a huge gap in mental health provision for young people with neurodiversity. 

Needs and outcome reporting in young people's mental health services is highly variable, making it difficult to get a complete picture of the current service provision and identify opportunities for intervention. 

It is therefore unclear how well these services are catering to neurodivergent youth. 

This project aims to understand what electronic health data are currently being collected, to identify where improvements can be made, and to use these data to improve access and outcomes for young people, especially those with neurodiversity. 

The Research Associate will work in partnership with digital tech company Mayden, the Data Science Team at NIHR ARC West and community mental health services, to produce publications and outputs:

• Scoping how and where neurodiversity is captured in current electronic health records for mental health services for children and young people and identifying areas for research and improvement.  
• Using electronic health data to describe how neurodiversity and externalising problems are currently recorded in these settings, what treatments these individuals currently receive, and whether they are associated with differential access and outcomes. 
• Engaging with key stakeholders (e.g., ICBs, NHS services, clinicians, young people) to understand use of data systems and co-producing a standardised set of screening and outcome measures for neurodiversity for use in electronic health records. 
• Working towards the implementation of these measures in practice and contribute to national best-practice guidance. 

Through the Mental Health Research Group, the post holder will be encouraged and well supported in pursuing career development opportunities. 

They will join a thriving community of Early Career Researchers and there will be ample opportunities to work with world-leading clinicians and academics, including researchers at our partner institutions (Universities of Bristol and Exeter). 

We welcome applications from candidates who have: 

• A PhD in psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, statistics, data science or related discipline, with a strong quantitative research element. 
• Knowledge and experience of mental health research, ideally with children and young people.  
• Experience of working with administrative data, electronic health records and/or big data is desirable but not essential 
• Experience with advanced quantitative data analysis and data code (preferably using R or Stata) and a commitment to research integrity, reproducibility, and open research.   
• Excellent team working, communication, and time management skills.  

Additional information

One position is available on a full time (36.5 hours per week) fixed-term basis for an initial period of 3 years.  

Informal enquiries about this role should be directed to Dr Katherine Button (K.S.Button@bath.ac.uk). 

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