Clinical Research Fellow in Translational Neuroscience (Fixed Term)

Location: Jubilee Campus

We invite applications for a Clinical Research Fellow to join our multidisciplinary team investigating the role of heat-related gut–microbiota–brain-axis (GMBA) changes in psychosis as part of the HEATMAP project. This innovative research seeks to understand how heat predisposes or precipitates new-onset or relapsed psychoses through GMBA alterations. The outcomes will provide the foundation for identifying feasible and acceptable strategies to reduce heat-stress associated psychoses. 

You will work under the supervision of Dr Mohammad Zia Ul Haq Katshu (Centre for Translational Neuroscience for Mental Health, Institute of Mental Health) and collaborate closely with the HEATMAP team, including Professor Franziska Schrodt (Earth System Science), Professor Dov Stekel (Computational Biology), Dr Tanya Monaghan (Gastroenterology), and Dr Adam Blanchard (Computational Biology). 

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to pioneering translational psychiatry research, while also developing your own research interests. You will be expected to: 

• Plan, manage, and conduct research activities, including ethics and R&D applications, patient recruitment, cognitive and clinical assessments, medical supervision of imaging, and bio sample collection, processing and storage.  
• Coordinate patient and public involvement activities relevant to the HEATMAP project. 
• Collaborate with clinical colleagues in the Early Intervention in Psychosis service (Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) to facilitate patient recruitment (up to 20% of your time). 
• Analyse data, prepare publications, and present findings at national and international conferences. 
• Take advantage of the opportunity to register for a PhD or Doctor of Medicine (DM) with the University of Nottingham and undertake supervised research training via the n-TRANS Doctoral Training Programme in Translational Research.  

You will hold GMC registration and licence to practise and have at least one year of specialist training in Psychiatry (or equivalent) by the time of appointment. You must have demonstrable research interest, excellent communication and analytical skills, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively. Experience in recruiting patients for research studies, cognitive/clinical assessments, or qualitative interviews is desirable but not essential, as training will be provided.

The post will be offered on a fixed-term contract from 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2029, available on a full-time basis or part-time (minimum 0.8 FTE). Fees for the higher research degree at the UK home student rate will be provided. 

The University of Nottingham is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. 

Requests for secondment from internal candidates may be considered on the basis that prior agreement has been sought from both your current line manager and the manager of your substantive post, if you are already undertaking a secondment role.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Mohammad Zia Ul Haq Katshu (mohammad.katshu@nottingham.ac.uk). Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted. 

It is a condition of this post that satisfactory enhanced disclosure is obtained from the 'Disclosure and Barring Service'.

Further details:

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) employer. Increasing the diversity of our community is extremely important to us and we are committed to the aims of Disability Confident Scheme. 

To help you succeed, we published Candidate Guidance to provide support on the application and interview process.

Your application will be considered on an equal basis, subject to the relevant permission to work in the UK as set out by UK Visas & Immigration.

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