Research Associate on Young Adult Health

About the role:

We are looking to appoint a Research Associate to conduct analysis of longitudinal cohort data to explore the development of diet, mental health and cardiometabolic health through early adulthood, and the influence of changing social and physical environments on these outcomes. This will include analysis of changes in diet across life transitions including transitions into employment, and their contribution of these transitions to the development of inequalities in cardiometabolic health between different population groups.   

What you would be doing:

• Analyse longitudinal data from national and international cohort studies (e.g. the Raine Study, Western Australia) to assess trajectories of dietary intake over time, and the contribution of changing exposures across early adulthood to the development of inequalities in diet and cardiometabolic health
• Lead analysis of longitudinal data from the DEBEAT study to understand the determinants of changes in diet and wider health behaviours across the transition from school to employment or higher/further education
• Support data collection and lead data analysis of the Individual Placement and Support intervention, working with 3 local organisations who are delivering the intervention and collecting data
• Develop new research ideas, to conduct further longitudinal research in late adolescence/early adulthood

What we are looking for:

• A PhD degree in public health, epidemiology, or a closely related quantitative discipline
• Strong interest in understanding the drivers of mental health and cardiometabolic inequalities across early adulthood
• Experience of advanced statistical methods for longitudinal analysis

What we can offer you:

• An opportunity to work with newly collected data from a bespoke early adulthood cohort, as well as other national and international cohort studies
• An opportunity to develop your own research interests within a research group focussed on longitudinal development of health behaviours (e.g. diet and sleep) and cardiometabolic inequalities In adolescents and young adults
• An opportunity to interact with leading experts at the Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing and the wider Imperial School of Public Health
• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes).

Further Information

This post is available from 1st June 2026. The role will be based at our White City Campus, Imperial College London. The post is offered full-time, initially to 31st March 2027 (10 months) with possibility of extension.

For informal enquiries about the post, please contact Dr Eleanor Winpenny e.winpenny@imperial.ac.uk

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