Research Associate / Research Fellow in Health Psychology

Job id: 099066. Salary: Research Associate: £44,105 - £51,485 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance; Research Fellow: £52,874 - £55,694 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 07 November 2024. Closing date: 01 December 2024.

Business unit: IoPPN. Department: Psychology.

Contact details: Harriet Waine. Harriet.waine@kcl.ac.uk

Location: Guy's Campus. Category: Research.

About Us

This post will be based in the Health Psychology Section, Department of Psychology, embedded within a team which brings together expertise in long-term condition (LTC) management, implementation, and intervention research. The post is hybrid, with mandatory office days and the option to work from home on other days. The Health Psychology Section has been influential in the evolution of Health Psychology as a discipline in the UK. We are internationally recognised for excellence in research and teaching, including:

• Fundamental research to establish the psychosocial and neurological processes underlying adaptation to long-term conditions and the experience of symptoms.
• Translational research testing the efficacy and effectiveness of theory-based psychological interventions for people with LTCs.
• Development and evaluation of innovative methods for supporting self-management of health, symptoms, mood and adherence, including digital interventions.
• Delivering two courses; the MSc in Health Psychology and the IAPT LTC top-up training.

At King’s we are deeply committed to embedding excellent equality and diversity practice into all our activities so that the university is an inclusive, welcoming, and inspiring place to work and study, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates from black and minority ethnic groups which are under-represented within the University at higher academic levels.

About The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary team that includes world experts in managing symptoms in long-term health conditions, health economists, statisticians, implementation scientists and policymakers. The post-holder will join a team of researchers on REFUEL-MS, which is a 5.5-year programme of research jointly funded by the MS Society and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Programme Grant.

REFUEL MS aims to develop, optimise and implement a blended, app-based digital intervention for multiple sclerosis (MS)-related fatigue, in the NHS.

We are 2 years into the programme and during this time, we have co-developed the intervention content and designed and built the first version of the app. This has involved reviewing existing evidence-based exercise and behavioural interventions, conducting qualitative interviews with people living with MS (pwMS), carers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs), and collaborating with key stakeholders and diversity consultants to develop a personalised, HCP-supported digital fatigue treatment.

The post-holder will act as a senior member of the team; contributing to papers and taking a lead role in shaping an innovative study on an app undergoing regulation as software as a medical device. The post-holder will be responsible for supporting the development of a national implementation plan for the REFUEL-MS intervention using the findings of a completed acceptability study and early learnings from a randomised controlled trial that will begin in 2025. The successful candidate will support the design and development of the subsequent trial, an implementation trial in real world settings. There is an opportunity to be involved in the exciting digital therapeutics landscape and contributing to preparation for health technology assessment.

In addition, the post-holder will shape an existing healthcare professional training programme into an implementable package utilising the latest implementation literature in close collaboration with our expert co-investigators. You can learn more about our programme and team at www.refuel-ms.com or via our social media (@refuelms on Instagram and @refuel_ms on X).

The post holder will join a vibrant team of researchers including a Programme Manager, a Research Associate, a Health Psychologist and another Research Assistant. You will also work with the wider REFUEL-MS team from institutions across the UK, diversity consultants and advocates, and our Patient Advisory Group.

This is a full-time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31/01/2026. We have the right to close the advert earlier than advertised if we receive a sufficient number of applications.

About You

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

Research Associate

Essential criteria

• PhD in psychology, health services research or related discipline (awarded or close to completion)
• Effective project management skills
• Experience of quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Experience of conducting research in NHS settings including gaining the necessary research approvals
• Outstanding communication and organisation skills
• Ability to work autonomously and lead on tasks where appropriate
• Evidence of publication in internationally peer reviewed journals.
• Experience of data input, data cleaning and data management

Desirable criteria

• PhD or Stage II training in health psychology
• Knowledge of implementation science
• Knowledge of developing fidelity checks in interventional research
• Knowledge of fatigue in long term physical health conditions
• Knowledge of multiple sclerosis
• Knowledge of healthcare professional training

Research Fellow Essential criteria

• PhD in psychology, health services research or related discipline
• Research experience at Postdoctoral level.
• Effective project management skills
• Experience of quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Postdoctoral experience conducting research in healthcare settings including gaining the necessary research approvals
• Outstanding communication and organisation skills
• Ability to work autonomously and lead on tasks where appropriate, including ability to supervise the work of others
• A good publication record commensurate with level of career
• Evidence of ability to attract grant funding
• Experience of data input, data cleaning and data management

Desirable criteria

• PhD or Stage II training in health psychology
• Excellent knowledge of implementation science
• Knowledge of developing fidelity checks in interventional research
• Knowledge of fatigue in long term physical health conditions
• Knowledge of multiple sclerosis
• Knowledge of healthcare professional training

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.