Senior Research Associate

We are seeking an ambitious Senior Research Associate to join a multidisciplinary programme of research investigating Parkinson's disease, treatment response and deep brain stimulation (DBS).

The postholder will contribute to a new clinical neuroscience study involving people with Parkinson's disease undergoing assessment for and treatment with DBS. The research uses a combination of digital measures of motor function, neuroimaging and electrophysiology, including recordings of brain activity from implanted DBS systems.

Working closely with academic and NHS clinical collaborators, you will contribute to participant-facing research, acquisition and analysis of multimodal neuroscience data, and the development of biomarkers relevant to Parkinson's disease and treatment response.

About the role
You will:

• contribute to the delivery and coordination of a longitudinal research study involving people with Parkinson's disease;
• undertake and support research assessments and multimodal data collection;
• process and analyse complex neuroscience datasets, including EEG and intracranial/depth electrophysiological recordings;
• contribute to analysis of neuroimaging, digital and clinical measures;
• develop robust and reproducible analytical approaches for multimodal human neuroscience data;
• work closely with NHS, academic and other external collaborators;
• prepare research findings for publication in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and presentation at national and international conferences;
• contribute to supervision and training of students and junior researchers;
• contribute to the development of future research questions and funding applications.

About you

• You will have a PhD, or equivalent research experience, in neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, neuroimaging, computational neuroscience or a related discipline, with significant experience of quantitative research.
• We particularly welcome applicants with expertise in electrophysiology, neural signal processing, neuroimaging, DBS, movement disorders or multimodal neuroscience.
• Previous experience across all of these areas is not required, but strong quantitative skills and experience of analysing complex biological or neural time-series data would be particularly valuable.
• You will be able to work independently, use initiative in developing analytical approaches, communicate complex research clearly, and work effectively within a multidisciplinary academic and clinical team.

Research Environment

• The successful applicant will join a growing programme of translational neuroscience and Parkinson's disease research at Manchester Metropolitan University, with strong links to NHS DBS services and academic collaborators.
• The post offers an opportunity to develop expertise across human electrophysiology, deep brain stimulation, neuroimaging and digital neuroscience, while contributing to clinically relevant research in people with Parkinson's disease.

Application & Assessment

• To apply, submit your CV and supporting statement outlining how best you met the criteria, via our online portal (available on our website, accessed by the 'Apply' button). Please note applications received without a supporting statement will not be considered.
• Assessment will include a presentation and a competency-based interview round.
• For informal enquiries about this vacancy, please contact Prof Nelson Trujillo Barreto on N.Trujillo.Barreto@mmu.ac.uk or Prof Nicola Ray on N.Ray@mmu.ac.uk.

Further Information
Manchester Metropolitan University fosters an inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. We value a diverse workforce for the innovation and diversity of thought it brings and welcome applications from all local and international communities, including Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We support a range of flexible working arrangements, including hybrid and tailored schedules, which can be discussed with your line manager. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know so we can provide appropriate support.

Our commitment to inclusivity includes mentoring programmes, accessibility resources, and professional development opportunities to empower and support underrepresented groups.

Manchester Met is a Disability Confident Leader and, under this scheme, aims to offer an interview to disabled people who apply for the role and meet the essential criteria as listed in the Job Description for that vacancy.