Research Assistant in the Department of Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences

at  Kings College London

Job id: 090746. Salary: £37,332 - £38,966 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.
Posted: 07 June 2024. Closing date: 23 June 2024.
Business unit: IoPPN. Department: Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences.
Contact details: Dr. Bethany Oakley (FANS) / Prof. Tony Charman (Psychology). Bethany.f.oakley@kcl.ac.uk / Tony.charman@kcl.ac.uk
Location: Denmark Hill Campus. Category: Research.
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About us:
An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences for a Postgraduate Research Assistant to support the EAGER project (European Autism Genomics Registry study: https://www.aims-2-trials.eu/2023/08/02/new-project-european-autism-genomics-registry/).
The successful candidate will join a world class academic team of experts in neurodevelopment whose research spans from fetal timepoints to adulthood, with international partnerships and funding from AIMS-2-TRIALS (http://aims-2-trials.eu), EU CANDY (candy-project.eu), R2D2-MH (https://www.r2d2-mh.eu/), SFARI, industry, charity, and Great Ormond Street Hospital. These projects seek to elucidate the mechanisms underpinning core and frequently co-occurring features (e.g., mental health) of neurodevelopmental conditions as a basis for developing novel support strategies that are tailored to the individual.
About the role:
A post-graduate Research Assistant will work with Profs Declan Murphy, Eva Loth, and Dr Beth Oakley as part of the AIMS-2-TRIALS consortium on the EAGER (European Autism Genomics Registry study: https://www.aims-2-trials.eu/2023/08/02/new-project-european-autism-genomics-registry/) as part of efforts to deliver a sustainable platform for clinical trial activity across Europe.
The successful candidate will work on coordinating and recruiting participants to our European database of whole-genome sequenced autistic people, with a particular focus on autistic people with co-occurring syndromic genetic conditions. AIMS-2-TRIALS aims to facilitate autism research and clinical trials across Europe. An effective way to do this is to invite people to take part in studies or clinical trials that are based on genetics. To help achieve this goal, we run the EAGER (European Autism GEnomics Registry) study. Within EAGER, we will recruit autistic people and those with associated rare genetic conditions, in order to better understand the differences and similarities between the two groups. We will recruit 1,500 participants across 13 sites and 8 European countries – UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, France, and Portugal. The single point of contact will be at King’s College London, who are leading the study. Our hope is that EAGER will allow participants to be recontacted in the future to see if they would like to join new research studies and clinical trials that they are suited to, based on their genome (their complete set of genes), their clinical profile and their preferences.
The successful candidate will gain experience working as part of a major international consortium and acquire a range of research and transferable skills. They will contribute to the writing and publication of high-quality papers in peer-reviewed literature and will benefit from mentoring, training, and support to enable them to progress to the next stage of their career.
This post will be offered on a full-time, fixed-term contract until 31st May 2025.
About you:
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
1. A good first degree (2.1 or above) in psychology, neuroscience, pharmacology, genetics, or related discipline
2. Relevant research experience and demonstrable research interest in topic areas related to the project
3. Excellent communication skills, and ability to deal sensitively with a wide range of professionals and members of the community
4. Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to plan and prioritise own workload to meet project targets
5. Competence in quantitative research methodologies and statistical analysis
6. Capacity to work independently and within a team
7. Highly self-motivated and hardworking, with willingness to learn new skills
8. Fully completed and well-presented application with valid reasons for applying for the post
Desirable criteria
1. Experience of networking with scientific teams across multiple sites/labs involving both scientific and administrative coordination and collaboration.
2. Knowledge of the autism research literature, particularly with respect to genetics or clinical phenotyping.
3. Interest in clinical trials
4. Knowledge of, or experience with, participatory research practices
Full details of the role and the skills and experience required, can be found in the attached job description which provided on the next page.
Further information
We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.
We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King’s.
We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.
To find out how our managers review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.
We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK. Please note this is dependent on the salary offered which is based on your experience and will be discussed at the offer stage.
This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service clearance.

Please refer the Job description for details