Research Assistant/Associate (Fixed Term)

This is an exciting opportunity to study the role of blood pressure on cognitive impairment and dementia. The project is led by Dr Kamen Tsvetanov and Prof James Rowe, with funding from the Alzheimer's Society.  The successful candidate will join our vibrant, cross-disciplinary, and internationally recognized environment that brings together leading scientists and clinicians to address the challenge of dementia. This new post is focused on vascular mechanisms in dementia, linking vascular health and brain pathology. 

You will be part of a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary team comprising biological, medical, and quantitative scientists. We are working to understand how vascular risk factors influence brain health across the lifespan. Based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the project combines large-scale population data, neuroimaging and genetic approaches to inform dementia prevention strategies. 

We expect applicants to have a background in genetic epidemiology, or pharmacoepidemiology, brain MR imaging and/or cardiovascular research, with strong analytical skills for causal inference; and to value working across disciplines, of neuroscience, cardiology, epidemiology, and translation. 

You will work closely with experts in neuroimaging, multivariate statistics and longitudinal modelling to integrate cognitive, imaging and genetic data in individuals with, or at risk of, dementia. You will key analytical components of the project, with advanced multivariate and causal modelling approaches applied to large-scale datasets. You will also be part of a UK-wide collaboration with neurologists, vascular health experts, clinical trialists, leaders in Mendelian randomization and pharmacoepidemiology, providing a rich environment for career development. 

For informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Kamen Tsvetanov (kat35@cam.ac.uk) and Prof. James Rowe (james.rowe@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk). The role will primarily be based at the Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, CB2 0SZ.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 August 2028 in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment, a security check and a standard Disclosure and Barring Service check.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

Applicants must have (or be close to obtaining) a PhD.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will initially be appointed as a Research Assistant (Grade 5, Point 38 £34,610) moving to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon confirmation of your PhD award.

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

Please quote reference RR50022 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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