Research Assistant London, England
King's College London
Full Time
London, England
35502 - 40333 GBP ANNUAL Today
Job description
Job description
This is an exciting new position where the successful candidate will have the opportunity to work as part of an internationally leading team of researchers investigating cannabinoid-based treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders and play a key role in a new line of research investigating the safety, efficacy and mechanism of action of a novel cannabinoid-based pharmacological treatment for Parkinson’s disease psychosis. The team has a particular interest in investigating the mechanism of action of cannabinoids and a key component of this program of work will involve the application of cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques (such as fMRI) to investigate the neural substrates underpinning psychosis in Parkinson’s disease and examine the effect of treatment on these neural substrates. As part of this role, the appointed person will be directly involved in the analysis of multi-modal neuroimaging data collected in a mechanistic sub-study within a multi-centre randomised clinical trial to evaluate this new pharmacological treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease Psychosis. The person will be based in the Academic Psychiatry Division of IoPPN at KCL and will work closely with the CI for this study, Prof Sagnik Bhattacharyya ( https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/professor-sagnikbhattacharyya) and other investigators based at King’s College London, in particular Dr Latha Velayudhan ( https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/dr-latha-velayudhan), based in the Old Age Psychiatry department at King’s College London.
This post is currently funded for at least 12 months with potential for extension and an anticipated start from May/June 2023. The start date is flexible and may be negotiated with the right candidate. The successful candidate will have a degree in Psychology or a related area (2:1 or above) or will be expecting to graduate this year and will need excellent communication skills. Previous research experience especially in clinical trials is desirable but not essential. They will also be part of a larger programme of research on cannabinoid-based treatments for a range of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders at King’s College London and will interact with clinical fellows, research assistants, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD students.
This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract until 30-Apr-2024
This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent, though those interested in a part-time role may be considered if otherwise suitable.
Key responsibilities
- Recruit/Identify/ approach and consent potential study participants as appropriate
- To arrange and conduct all assessments with appropriate clinician support as relevant
- Contribute to the timely entry of data into study databases
- Ensure adherence to trial protocols and administrative requirements and to monitor and ensure data quality and integrity
- Contribute to the overall efficient day-to-day management of the trial
- Ensure an effective collaborative relationship with local services, other trial sites and other related projects
- Monitoring the trial progress to ensure compliance with and adherence to the project plan and to identify, evaluate and rectify problems
- Liaise with the Trials Steering Committee and Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee with a particular view on compliance with Research Governance, Good Clinical Practice, Data Protection and Ethical Requirements as required
- Provision of regular and ad hoc information, both written and verbal, to all the trial participants, funders, and sponsors, to include reports, updates, guidance, commitments and, possibly, a Newsletter
- Assurance that personal and confidential information is restricted to those entitled to know
- Any other duties appropriate to the grade as directed by the Chief Investigator
- Develop own research interest
- Continually update knowledge and understanding in field
- Collaborate with academic colleagues on areas of shared research interest
- Attend and contribute to relevant meetings
- Show consideration to others and respect confidentiality
The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.
Skills, knowledge, and experience
Essential criteria
- BSc /MSc in a relevant subject (e.g., psychology, neuroscience, neurodegenerative disorders, clinical trials, clinical neuroscience, psychiatric research, mental health studies) or comparable qualification (e.g., someone with a medical background with relevant research experience). Someone expecting to graduate this year and demonstrating good progression in their undergraduate course thus far and otherwise suitable will also be considered.
- Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary and clinical teams in research and ability to deal sensitively with study participants and their families/carers
- Good organisational and time management skills- strong planning and organisational skills including the ability to prioritise, manage multiple tasks
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- An understanding of data protection and patient confidentiality
- Ability to prepare ethical, research and development applications and knowledge of research governance
- Previous experience of clinical research or trials
Desirable criteria
- Previous research experience in Parkinson’s disease or other neurodegenerative disorders, experimental medicine studies or clinical trials
Further information
About the Faculty
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/academic-psychiatry
About the Department of Psychosis Studies
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/academic-psychiatry/about/departments/psychosis
