"Research Associate"

We are seeking a part-time (0.5 FTE) Post-Doctoral Research Associate to join the Aston Institute for Health & Neurodevelopment (IHN) and contribute to a Cerebra-funded project focused on delivering and evaluating a novel anxiety intervention for autistic children with rare genetic syndromes and moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. You will:

• Provide project oversight, supporting the PhD student and research team in delivering and evaluating the intervention
• Lead aspects of project management, including monitoring milestones, supporting ethics and governance processes, and liaising with project partners
• Contribute to narrative and systematic literature reviews
• Support data interpretation, dissemination of findings (e.g., co-authoring publications, attending conferences), and knowledge exchange with external stakeholders such as syndrome support organisations
• Actively contribute to the wider strategic goals of the Cerebra Network for Neurodevelopmental Disorders - including collaborative research initiatives and network-wide outputs - and support the development of future grant applications and research opportunities aligned with the Network’s aims
• Work with NHS partners to evaluate the impact of ongoing Network work integrated into services
• Attend meetings and dissemination events with project partners at various locations in the UK as required.
• Conduct semi-structured interviews and behavioural assessments with children and families
• Contribute to the broader activities of the Aston IHN as capacity allows

Additional responsibilities include:

• Engaging in continuous personal and professional development aligned with the role’s demands
• Ensuring and promoting the personal health, safety and wellbeing of staff and students
• Carrying out duties that promote fairness and engender trust
• Promoting equality of opportunity, supporting diversity and inclusion, and contributing to the University’s environmental sustainability agenda

This 0.5 FTE post is ideal for a post-doctoral researcher experienced in working with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or underserved populations. It offers a unique opportunity to be embedded within the Cerebra Network — a pioneering collaborative research network that integrates knowledge, expertise, and resources across four world-leading institutions (Aston University, University of Birmingham, University of Warwick, and University of Surrey), focused on autism, mental health, sleep, and behaviour to improve assessment and interventions for children with rare genetic syndromes and their families — while working within Aston’s child-centred, translational research environment at the Aston Institute for Health & Neurodevelopment, which drives impactful “molecules to minds” research to support child development and wellbeing.

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