Reader or Professor of Child Psychology

About the Institute for the Science of Early Years (ISEY)

The Institute for the Science of Early Years (www.isey.org) is a world-leading centre for studying how early environments — both physical and human — shape children’s brain and cognitive development. We specialise in using wearable sensors and wearable neuroimaging to collect long-form, naturalistic data, analysed through machine learning and AI to understand how complex, dynamic, real-world environments influence early development.

ISEY holds major active funding from the European Research Council, ESRC, MRC, Leverhulme Trust, Nuffield Foundation and others. Our work addresses both typical and atypical development, including ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety, and we collaborate widely across academia, government, NGOs, and industry — including the Department for Education, Department of Health, EY Alliance, National Day Nurseries Association, Royal Foundation, BookTrust, and companies such as Kinder, Procter & Gamble, and LEGO. They have new, state-of-the-art facilities for child testing, including an AR/VR suite, research classroom, neuroimaging, and wearables.  

About the School of Childhood and Social Care

The School of Childhood and Social Care (www.uel.ac.uk/about/our-schools/school-childhood-social-care) integrates Psychology & Human Development, Education, and Social Work/Counselling to deliver innovative teaching and applied research. Our teaching and training are highly rated — including Outstanding Ofsted grades for primary and further education, and first in London for teaching quality in the latest National Student Survey (2025).

The Role

We are seeking an exceptional researcher with a background in psychology, neuroscience, or early years education to contribute to and lead world-class research on how early environments influence development. You will play a key role in managing existing staff and projects at ISEY, developing new interdisciplinary collaborations, and securing major research funding.

Research topics include the physical environment (noise, light, sensory complexity) and the human environment (child–caregiver, child–practitioner, and child–child interactions). You will also help shape a new MSc in Child Psychology in collaboration with colleagues across the School.

This is a permanent position with 90% research time guaranteed for the first three years, transitioning to include teaching and administrative responsibilities thereafter (with reduced teaching if external funding thresholds are met). Start-up funds are available to support your research.

This is a flexible role and we are able to appoint a suitably outstanding candidate at a range of different salary grades, dependent on experience. We are able to accommodate remote working but would ideally prefer regular in-person attendance.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and manage existing international research projects and staff.
• Secure external funding and produce world-leading research outputs.
• Build new research collaborations across ISEY, the School of Childhood and Social Care, other UEL Schools (e.g. Architecture, Computing & Engineering; Health, Sports & Bioscience; Arts & Creative Industries), and national and international research partners.
• Contribute to the establishment of new, state-of-the-art research facilities (research classroom, home observation lab, EEG/fNIRS/eyetracking, AR/VR suite).
• Participate in engagement with the early years sector, with the public and policy-makers, via press and media activities.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Proven (or potential) ability to lead an international research programme in early development.
• Strong publication record in an area aligned with ISEY’s research portfolio.
• Proven success (or potential) in securing major research funding.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary research teams and supervising postgraduate students.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplines and sectors.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organisational skills.

Desirable

• Experience with technical methods such as neuroimaging, motion tracking, or wearable sensors.
• Programming experience (e.g. Matlab, Python).
• Experience of public engagement and media communication.

Education and Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.