Research Fellow in Computational Modelling of Longitudinal Cognitive Function
About us
The UCL Divisions of Psychiatry and Psychology and Language Sciences, located within the Faculty of Brain Sciences, are world-renowned centres of excellence in mental health research. Our mission is to improve mental health through cutting-edge research and education. By leveraging insights from basic science, we address clinical problems with the aim of improving patient outcomes and public health and work to develop models for preventing mental health problems. Moreover, we take pride in delivering innovative teaching that is directly relevant to clinical practice and informed by our research. Join our team and help us drive forward the field of mental health research and education.
About the role
The post holder will join a cross-disciplinary team and conduct exciting, cutting edge research in mental health science. They will lead in developing new approaches to robust computational modelling to characterise longitudinal development and treatment change. This is an area of research where there is a genuine opportunity to generate important and well cited innovations for the benefit of multiple fields. In their role, the postholder will examine the statistical and theoretical properties of different analyses and modelling approaches for cognitive data to address questions regarding which task designs have the best power, how to decide on the ‘best’ model, and what are the strengths and differences of different analytical approaches – contributing to important advancements in mental health science.
This work will involve consultation and collaboration with a broad array of researchers across neuroscience and mental health at UCL to identify key evaluation metrics, likely followed by extensive simulation studies to quantitatively compare different approaches and ideally the development of a new integrated toolbox to make robust methods accessible to the wider community.
Appointment details:
- The post is available immediately and is funded for 2 years in the first instance.
- The salary for this role is grade 7 spine points 30-32, the annual salary for which ranges from £42,099 to £44,347 (including London Allowance).
About you
The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in machine learning, statistics, neuroscience, psychology, or a quantitative field and should have a strong background in:
- Decision-making
- Reinforcement learning and/or machine learning
- Bayesian modelling
- Sampling and inference method
- Clinical experience in the field of developmental neuroscience, psychiatry or related fields is highly desirable.
A full job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Please use the personal statement section to explain how you meet each essential and desirable criteria outlined in the person specification.
Please do not upload your photograph on your application/CV.
Contact details:
- If you have any queries about the role, please contact Prof Quentin Huys at q.huys@ucl.ac.uk
- If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact dop.hr@ucl.ac.uk
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
- 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- On-Site nursery
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
The full range of staff benefits can be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/pay-benefits/staff-benefits
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
The Division of Psychiatry prides itself for operating in an all-inclusive environment. Teamwork is highly valued, individual strengths are recognised and celebrated, and there is a commitment to advancing the careers of everyone, regardless of gender or role. We aim to provide a family friendly environment where both women and men feel able to take the time they need for family. The Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to advancing women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in academia and the Division is delighted to have an Athena Swan Silver Award since 2022. All staff are invited to contribute to EDI initiatives within the Division to contribute to improving working conditions and opportunities for all. Mentoring is a crucial part of supporting career progression and mentoring schemes are available for staff in the Division.
You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/about/equality-diversity-and-inclusion
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/