Research Fellow – DIVERGE Study Full-time NEW

Research Fellow – DIVERGE Study

The UCL Division of Psychiatry, located within the Faculty of Brain Sciences, is a world-renowned centre 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. 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.

The candidate will join the Mental Health Neuroscience Research Department and the UCL Genetics Institute, offering a diverse and stimulating research environment with great opportunities for training and career development.

About the role

Duties and responsibilities include working with a study manager and the team in the field to consolidate data, organizing and running a patient engagement workshop in Pakistan, and running analyses of the genetic data of DIVERGE to contribute to a manuscript on depression genetics. The successful candidate will also help write this manuscript and present results if opportunities arise.

Appointment details:

• The post is graded on the Pay Scale at Grade 7, the annual salary for this position ranges from £45,103 – 48,679 (including London Allowance).
• The appointment is available from June 2026 and is funded until the end of January 2027 in the first instance.

Role specific details:

• Research Fellows – Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Grade 6B (salary ranging from £39,148 – £41,833 per annum) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD Thesis.

About you

The candidate should have a significant expertise in running analyses on depression genetics, pharmacogenomics and epidemiology. This requires relevant statistical and bioinformatics skills, such as bash coding, R and linear mixed models. Good knowledge of the literature on depression genetics is vital. Knowledge of the culture and languages of Pakistan, primarily Urdu, will be required.

Application process:

• 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 ensure your CV is no longer than 2 pages.
• Please do not upload any additional documents (transcripts, papers, or other reports).
• Please do not upload your photograph on your application/CV.

Contact details:

• If you have any queries about the role, please contact Professor Karoline Kuchenbaecker by email k.kuchenbaecker@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/

Available documents

• download: Job Description and Person Specification.pdf

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