2x Psychology Assistants

**Job Purpose**
To assist in a range of study-related tasks including recruitment and testing of people diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder, including clinical interviews, cognitive assessments, acquisition of MRI and MEG brain imaging data, and general day-to-day activities associated with a large multidisciplinary study. To provide comprehensive and professional support to the University and the Division of Psychological Medicine and Neurosciences.
- **Duties and Responsibilities**

**Key Duties**
- To become familiar and proficient in research assessment methods (training provided).
- To recruit individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder through new and existing channels.
- To undertake assessments of participants using structured clinical interviews with participants, to rate the severity of their symptoms and identify demographic and clinical characteristics of interest. Conduct cognitive assessments, either with in-person cognitive tasks or using specialised computer-based tools.
- To complete in-house MRI safety and operator training, then acquire structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging data on participants using a 3T MRI Scanner.
- To complete in-house safety and operator training in magnetoencephalography (MEG), then acquire functional data using MEG.
- To understand and convey project information, which may need careful explanation or interpretation.
- To establish productive relationships with key individuals (University colleagues and external contacts) to help improve the level of service the team provides to its customers.
- To ensure that participant recruitment targets are met, maintain confidentiality and professional standards and work as an effective member of the overall team effort.
- To participate in the regular team meetings by presenting progress updates (including, for example, numbers recruited, problems encountered) and contributing ideas to the recruitment strategy.
- To carry out administrative tasks such as keeping comprehensive and well-organised records if participant information, clinical, cognitive and neuroimaging data using electronic databases (e.g. Redcap), and other data collection, recording and maintaining records and data as required for the proficient running on the project, with supervision.
- To support and train others in the project team as required in the project procedures.
- To ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in respect of equality and diversity, data protection, copyright and licensing, security, financial and other University policies, procedures and codes as appropriate. To undergo personal and professional development including Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Training for Research that is appropriate to the role and which will enhance performance.
- To work flexibly as part of a team to achieve the study objectives, adapting to new procedures, taking on new tasks consistent with the role, and facilitating the development of the study.
- To perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

**General Duties**
- Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.
- Abide by University policies and undergo appropriate personal and professional development.
- Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.
- Uphold the Professional Services Values & Behaviours or local equivalent.

**Person Specification**

**Essential Criteria**

Qualifications and Education-
- Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- 3. Specialist knowledge within as many of the following:
- i. Working with clinical or vulnerable populations
- ii. Undertaking cognitive assessments
- iii. Neuroimaging, including- a. MRI
- b. MEG- vi. Data entry and use of databases such as excel, SPSS and/or Redcap
- 4. Knowledge of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder.
- 5. Experience of working in an administrative role or environment and ability to set up standard office systems and procedures, making improvements to these as appropriate.
- Communication and Team working
- 6. Ability to communicate specialist and complex information effectively and professionally to a range of customers with varying levels of understanding.
- 7. Evidence of excellent organisational skills and ability to work well in a team.
- Planning, Analysis and Problem Solving
- 8. Proven ability to work on own initiative and unsupervised to strict deadlines, planning, organising and setting priorities for own work appropriately.
- 9. Evidence of high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- 10. Evidence of ability to solve problems using initiative and creativity; identify and propose practical solutions and to resolve problems where there are a range of potential options available monitoring priorities.
- **Desirable Cr