Research Fellow / Postdoctoral Researcher

We are seeking an experienced and intellectually ambitious Research Fellow / Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Social Brain and Development Lab in the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey.

This is an 18-month fixed-term post supporting Professor Kathrin Cohen Kadosh’s research on nutrition, the gut microbiome, cognition, development and mental health. The postholder will contribute to Surrey’s role in the Horizon Europe NUTRIMIND project, which investigates how diet, biological markers, the gut microbiome and mental health interact across the lifespan.

The role will focus on the intellectual integration of Surrey’s contribution to NUTRIMIND and related gut–brain research. This includes bringing together evidence and data across mental-health outcomes, dietary exposure, sleep, cognition, biological markers, microbiome-related measures and developmental context.

The postholder will work closely with Professor Cohen Kadosh, members of the Social Brain and Development Lab, junior research staff, and consortium partners across Europe.

The role will involve:

• contributing to the intellectual development of Surrey’s work on nutrition, mental health, cognition, development and gut–brain mechanisms;
• supporting conceptual integration across dietary exposure, mental-health outcomes, sleep, cognition, biological markers and microbiome-related measures;
• helping develop harmonisation approaches for mental-health, behavioural and developmental outcomes across studies;
• contributing to analysis planning and interpretation of findings;
• drafting and coordinating sections of project deliverables, manuscripts, conference abstracts and reports;
• working with consortium partners to align Surrey’s contribution with wider NUTRIMIND work packages;
• supporting and supervising junior research staff, including a part-time Research Assistant;
• contributing to the wider research culture and day-to-day activities of the Social Brain and Development Lab;
• helping ensure research outputs are scientifically rigorous, well documented and delivered on time.

This role would suit a postdoctoral researcher who can see the bigger picture, work across disciplines, and turn complex evidence into clear scientific arguments. It requires strong writing, conceptual and organisational skills, as well as an interest in nutrition, mental health, cognition, development, biological mechanisms and/or the gut–brain axis.

We are also open to considering applications from candidates interested in working part-time.