Research Assistant

About the role:

The post-holder will assist in the running of a programme of research focused on improving psychological interventions for people with a diagnosis of psychosis and/or autism, which is funded by King’s Health Partners Centre for Translational Medicine and led by Dr Andrew Watson (Clinical Psychologist Lecturer), who you will report to.

You will be involved in the collection and analysis of data from clinical assessments and questionnaires with clinical populations with a diagnosis of psychosis and/or autism, and the setting up and piloting of a novel virtual-reality biofeedback paradigm.

The post-holder will also be involved with convening a lived-experience advisory panel, supporting lived-experience involvement across different areas of the research. This involves working with them creatively to ensure their voices are heard, as well as providing logistical and administrative support for their involvement.

This research programme will give you opportunities to innovate and contribute to the design of novel research studies. There will also be opportunities to conduct analysis, interpretation and write-up results for publications and other dissemination pathways.  There will be the chance to shape how we deliver work in public engagement which communicates effectively about the research to a range of audiences.

In addition to access to professional development opportunities and close links with clinical services in South London and Maudsley, you will join a supportive environment, learning about the various exciting trials and implementation studies within the wider Psychological Approaches to Psychosis theme in the department.

The post holder will be based at the IoPPN, Denmark Hill, London. However, the work will sometimes be undertaken across participating teams predominantly within the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.  

This is a full-time post and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30/09/2027.

About you:

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• An undergraduate degree in psychology or neuroscience
• Excellent organization and project management skills incorporating a flexible approach to work and ability to use initiative and problem-solve
• High quality written and oral communication skills which can be adapted to a range of audiences including academic settings and clinical populations
• Experience working with people experiencing mental health challenges, in a position of responsibility
• An understanding of working with difference and diversity in a mental health setting
• Able to demonstrate high quality teamworking skills, including empathy and resilience
• Able to demonstrate attention to detail and an organized approach to recording, storing and managing acquired data
• An understanding of ethical standards in research and issues of confidentiality and data protection

Desirable criteria

• An MSc in a mental health-related discipline
• Experience of working with people experiencing mental health challenges, as research participants and/or lived experience experts
• Interest in developing an academic, clinical, or research career
• Interest or experience in virtual reality or biofeedback and its applications in mental health
• Previous experience using R for statistical analysis

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