Research Fellow Full-time NEW

Research Fellow

The UCL Division of Psychiatry is within the Faculty of Brain Sciences and a centre of excellence in Mental Health research. Our aim is to contribute to the improvement of mental health through research and education. We address clinical problems in order to achieve benefits for patients and public health, using insights from basic science. We also deliver innovative teaching, relevant to clinical practice, which is informed by our research.

The postholder will undertake high-quality research and produce high-impact publications as part of a new research project.

The goal of the initiative is to contribute to answering the pressing scientific question of whether surprises generated during treatment contribute to the improvement of anxiety and depression symptoms and the physiological and neural underpinnings of this question.

About the role

• To conduct the research project detailed above, in collaboration with post-doctoral scientists, research assistants and PhD students within the group, division and within the wider UCL community.
• To maintain own continuing professional development, including participation in staff development and review procedures in accordance with UCL guidelines.
• Other administration and liaison duties relating to research study as required.
• To assist with the supervision and teaching of PhD and MSc students within the group and division as requested.

About you

You have a Ph.D. in neuroscience, psychology, or a quantitative field (e.g., computer science, engineering, physics) or equivalent. You have expertise using computational approaches in the study of human reinforcement learning and decision making and/or expertise with machine learning techniques and/or knowledge of statistical methods (e.g. Bayesian statistics) and their computational implementation. You also have experience in and/or fundamental understanding of physiological and neural processes of anxiety. And strong mathematical and programming skills. In addition, you have excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills and an interest in contributing to research of psychiatric disorders.

What we offer

• 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

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: