Research Assistant - Modafinil Study

About the role

Fatigue is a substantial problem in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), yet there are no effective treatments. Modafinil is a medication that can improve fatigue, wakefulness and brain fog. The MFI study (Modafinil for fatigue in IBD) is a feasibility study and will compare modafinil with placebo in people with IBD and fatigue. This is the first ever clinical trial of a waking medication for fatigue in IBD.

The post holder will support the recruitment to the study across several major London hospitals, and potentially additional research within mood disorders and IBD. They will lead follow-up visits for the study and manage the study database.

What you would be doing

The post holder will gain valuable experience recruiting patients to a clinical trial at the interface of mental health and physical health, conducting a range of mental health & physical health assessments.

You will have the opportunity to co-author publications; present at international conferences; and will gain clinical experience and research experience in both fatigue & gut disease.

You will join the Department of Brain sciences at Imperial College London, led by Professor Allan Young. The post holder will work with, and be supervised by Dr Calum Moulton, Consultant Psychiatrist and NIHR Advanced Fellow.

You will additionally work with research nurses at the Clinical Research Facility at Hammersmith Hospital and other members of the Department of Brain Sciences.

What we are looking for

Good first degree in a relevant subject such as psychology, neuroscience, biomedical sciences, or a health-related discipline

• Experience in clinical or health research, including participant recruitment & data collection
• Evidence of continued professional / educational development
• Excellent project management skills & teamwork
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Knowledge of ethics and research governance procedures
• High level of organisational skills, problem solving and planning
• Excellent written English and writing stills including report / paper writing with ability to compose detailed documents
• Experience of data analysis using statistical software

Desirable criteria

• GCP training and Human Tissue Act and Informed Consent training
• Experience of research interviewing or using psychological measures
• Experience of recruiting participants to studies and evidence of high levels of participant retention into studies
• Practical experience in collection & handling of human samples, in particular venepuncture

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to contribute to clinically meaningful research into a poorly understood but highly impactful symptom in a chronic disease
• Hands-on experience at the interface of gastroenterology, psychiatry, & patient-reported outcome research
• The opportunity to co-author publications and present findings at national and international conferences
• Access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers and 10 development days per year to develop your skills and explore your career prospects
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off per year and generous pension schemes)
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks & resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing
• The chance to work at a world top-ten university and be part of our mission to advance science for humanity
• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• As a member of research staff you have 10 development days to use to develop your skills and explore your career prospects

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week) offered on a fixed-term contract for 12 months.

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