Research Fellow

at  University College London

ABOUT US

The successful candidate will be directly supervised by Prof Will Mandy, and will work closely with the other principal investigators on this project, Prof Eirini Flouri, Dr Emily Midouhas and Dr Kate Cooper. The post holder will join a dynamic and supportive team, dedicated to conducting research that can improve the wellbeing and life chances of autistic young people. Central to our ethos is that, in order to be ethical and impactful, research must be shaped by meaningful collaboration with autistic people. The post holder will be based in the Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology. This is a large and vibrant community where research and teaching activity aim to improve wellbeing through the application of psychological science to practice. Psychology at UCL was ranked 1st in the UK and 4th in the world in the 2023 Shanghai Ranking of World Universities. This reflects excellent links between teaching, professional training and research, the wide range of research expertise represented and the excellent opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinary research provided at UCL. This is an excellent environment for an early-career researcher, where opportunities for collaboration and learning abound.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for someone with excellent quantitative research skills; and who has a proven commitment to involving experts by experience in their research. You will need to have a PhD in psychology or a related discipline; or a clinical psychology doctorate. The role involves co-ordinating collaborative work between the research team and members of the autism community, so we require someone with excellent communication and organisational skills.

We are looking to recruit a post-doctoral research fellow to work on a ground-breaking project called M-WAY (Mental health and Wellbeing of Autistic Young people), funded by the ESRC. This project will investigate the development of internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety and depression) of autistic young people, with an emphasis on understanding the role of environmental risk and protective factors. At the heart of this work is close collaboration between researchers and the autistic community, which will shape the project at each stage. Reporting to the principal investigators of the project (Prof Mandy, Prof Flouri, Dr Midouhas, Dr Cooper) the postdoc will join a dynamic and multi-disciplinary research team that is dedicated to improving the mental health of autistic people; and to collaboration with the autistic community. The main components of the job are: (1) conducting a series of studies, shaped by autistic young people and their parents, analysing longitudinal data from national cohort studies to better understand the nature and development of autistic internalising problems; (2) overseeing a process of consultation with autistic young people and their allies, so that their views and experiences can shape the research. The post is full time and lasts 26 months. We are happy to consider hybrid and remote working arrangements. The interview will take place in the afternoon of 17 October 2024.