Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Public Health Psychology

University of Liverpool; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Liverpool invites applications for a lead post-doctoral researcher in psychology/public health to work on an NIHR Public Health Research programme evaluating new Government restrictions on marketing less healthy foods in England.

The post is based in the Department of Psychology, Appetite & Obesity research group, with Professor Emma Boyland as lead for one work package and Professor Jean Adams (Cambridge) as overall project lead.

Qualifications

• Lead post-doctoral researcher role in psychology/public health.
• Ability to develop study protocols and conduct quantitative analyses.

Responsibilities

• Development of study protocols.
• Coding and quantitative analysis of social media content published by leading brands.
• Quantitative secondary data analysis of commercial audience research data on television advertising.
• Working as part of a wider team and programme of research.
• Supporting the dissemination of the research, including contribution to research publications and conference presentations.
• Contributing to project reports and presentations to stakeholders where appropriate.
• Identifying and engaging in personal development opportunities to support their own career development.

Education

PhD in Psychology or Public Health

Job description

Hours of work: Full-time (1.0 fte)

Tenure: Fixed term for 18 months

We are recruiting a lead post-doctoral researcher with a background in psychology and/or public health for an NIHR Public Health Research programme funded project evaluating the new (from January 2026) Government restrictions on the marketing of less healthy foods in England. Professor Emma Boyland (University of Liverpool) is lead for one of the work packages, while the overall project is led by Professor Jean Adams (University of Cambridge), with co-investigators from the Universities of Oxford, Stirling, Exeter, Waterloo (Canada) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The researcher will join the Department of Psychology and be based in the Appetite & Obesity research group. The post will involve leading on the development of protocols, coding and analysis of food marketing in social media content, secondary data analysis of television food advertising audience data, and supporting project dissemination.

For related previous research, see:

• Rising to the challenge: Introducing protocols to monitor food marketing to children from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe - PubMed
• The nature and extent of food marketing on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube posts in Mexico - PubMed
• Effect of restrictions on television food advertising to children on exposure to advertisements for 'less healthy' foods: repeat cross-sectional study - PubMed

The earliest start date available for this post is January 2027.

Key responsibilities and duties:

• Development of study protocols.
• Coding and quantitative analysis of social media content published by leading brands.
• Quantitative secondary data analysis of commercial audience research data on television advertising.
• Working as part of a wider team and programme of research.
• Supporting the dissemination of the research, including contribution to research publications and conference presentations.
• Contributing to project reports and presentations to stakeholders where appropriate.
• Identifying and engaging in personal development opportunities to support their own career development.

If you are still awaiting your PhD to be awarded you will be appointed at Grade 6, spine point 30. Upon written confirmation that you have been awarded your PhD, your salary will be increased to Grade 7, spine point 31.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to enhancing a workforce as diverse as our community and particularly encourage applicants who are of minoritised genders and ethnic backgrounds, living with a disability, and/or are members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

£39,906 to £42,254 per annum (Grade 7)