Research Fellow

About the job:

This part-time Research Fellow position (0.3 FTE) is based in the School of Psychology at Queen's University Belfast and forms part of PD-LIFE, a €4 million HEA North–South Emerging Hubs of Excellence award. PD-LIFE is an all-island, multidisciplinary Parkinson's disease research hub spanning five universities across the island of Ireland, focused on enhancing wellbeing and quality of life for people living with Parkinson's.

The successful candidate will lead research into gender differences in Parkinson's disease, primarily through secondary data analyses drawn from across the PD-LIFE project. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a programme that combines rigorous science with meaningful societal impact, working at the intersection of health psychology, gender research, and neurological disease.

The post holder will work closely with the Principal Investigator (Dr Mihalis Doumas) and Professor Ioana Latu, who leads the PD-LIFE Gender and Culture Work Package, as well as the wider PD-LIFE network, producing high-quality research outputs, presenting findings at national and international conferences, and contributing to future funding applications. They will also support a Queen's-based PhD student working in the same research area.

The role sits within a collaborative, interdisciplinary team environment with strong links to clinical partners, third-sector organisations, and the Parkinson's community across Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland. The successful candidate will benefit from a vibrant research culture within the School of Psychology and access to the broader PD-LIFE network infrastructure.

About the person:

We are looking for a motivated and collaborative researcher with a PhD in psychology on a topic related to gender and/or health psychology, or who is about to obtain one.

The successful candidate will have recent, relevant research experience in gender and/or health psychology, a proven track record of analysing both quantitative and qualitative data, and a publication record commensurate with their career stage. Experience handling large datasets is essential, as the role centres on secondary data analyses from across the PD-LIFE project.

You will be an effective team player with excellent written and oral communication skills, and a demonstrated ability to disseminate scientific findings through publications, oral presentations, or posters. A willingness to support a Queen's-based PhD student working in the area of gender in Parkinson's disease is also expected.

The ability to communicate complex research to academic, clinical, and community audiences is important, as is the capacity to build collaborative relationships with both academic and non-academic stakeholders.

The post requires a commitment to high-quality, participant-centred research and a willingness to travel across Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland as the project requires.

Experience supervising research assistants or PhD students is desirable but not essential.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose background and expertise reflect the diversity of the Northern Ireland community, in line with the University's commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

This post is available for 46 months. Fixed term contract posts are available for the stated period in the first instance but in particular circumstances may be renewed or made permanent subject to availability of funding.

Please see candidate information on our website for more details.

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