Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Child

About us

The post will be held at the King's Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People, which has the new Pears Maudsley Centre as its home.

We are a partnership between academia (King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience), Child Mental Health Services (the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) and the Maudsley Charity. Together we aim to create a completely new approach to combining research and care.

The postholder will be based primarily in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and supported in forming links across King's, particularly with AI and neuroimaging research teams, and with clinical services, to augment the translational impact of research.

The post is funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences.

About the role

The postholder will conduct cutting-edge research at the intersection of neuroimaging, genomics, and computational modelling, with a focus on child and adolescent mental health.

The successful candidate will primarily lead analyses of large-scale datasets, applying advanced computational and statistical methods to integrate multimodal data (including MRI, MEG, EEG, and genomic data).

The postholder will work with a team with a strong track record in Big Data analytics in child mental health, helping accelerate the move toward analytics that support precision care in mental health. We have a strong interest in determining the clinical, neural and genomic features that predict the course of childhood mental challenges as well as response to treatments. The role also provides the opportunity to gain experience in data acquisition and analysis as part of the launch of the £11 million UKRI funded Clinical Research Centre, which houses state-of-the-art OP-MEG, MRI, EEG and fNIRS technologies.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career researcher to build a distinctive profile in Big Data analytics, AI as applied to mental health, focusing on developmental processes.

We offer a supportive and collaborative research environment at the Pears Maudsley Centre, with access to extensive neuroimaging, genomic, and clinical datasets and excellent computing infrastructure and expertise in AI. Our career development emphasizes on training in relevant new skills and mentoring to support the pursuit of independent funding.

This is a full-time post and offered on a fixed term contract until 1st January 2030.

Research staff at King's are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers , applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD qualified in Neuroscience, data analytics, computer science or a related discipline
2. Strong publication record commensurate with career stage, demonstrating independence and impact.
3. Proven experience in handling and analysing large-scale datasets (neuroimaging, genomics, or both).
4. Proficiency in programming and computational analysis (e.g., Python, R).
5. Expertise in neuroimaging (MRI, MEG, EEG) and/or genomics; strength in one area with willingness to develop in the other.
6. Ability to contribute to data acquisition and quality control.
7. Strong organisational, communication, and collaborative skills.
8. Aware of the ethical issues around working with Big Data.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience applying advanced statistical or machine learning methods to complex datasets.
2. Evidence of involvement in grant writing or development of independent research ideas.
3. A commitment to teaching the next generation of researchers.

*Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6. *

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit' pages.

Interviews are due to be held on 7th December 2025.

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health Clearance.

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