Postdoctoral Research Associate in Mechanisms of Mental Health

King's College London; London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious university in London is seeking a motivated postdoctoral researcher to lead an exciting project focused on adolescent mental health. You will develop and pilot assessment tools, engage with young people, and contribute to exciting research outputs. Strong skills in quantitative data management and communication are essential. This full-time position offers flexible working arrangements and is set for 11 months, starting September/October 2025.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Opportunity for public engagement

Collaborative environment

Qualifications

• PhD awarded (or near completion) in a relevant field.
• Experience managing quantitative data and relevant software.
• Demonstrated ability to manage research tasks independently.

Responsibilities

• Lead EMA items development for young people.
• Co-design and implement feasibility study.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams and lived experience experts.

Skills

Quantitative data management

High-quality manuscript writing

Excellent communication

Proactive problem-solving

Organisational skills

Education

PhD in psychology, mental health, or related field

Tools

R

Stata

Python

Job description

About us:

The Prevention Matters Lab is led by dr. Breedvelt based in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. We focus on advancing outcomes of preventive approaches by understanding what works (and doesn't) for preventing common mental health conditions in children and young people.

In 2026, the department will be based in the newly established Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/pears-maudsley-centre which will offer ample of opportunity to collaborate with academics, clinicians and lived experience experts.

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) is the largest academic community in Europe devoted to the study and prevention of mental illness and brain disease. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/

About the role:

This post is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and ambitious postdoctoral researcher with a background.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and ambitious postdoctoral researcher with a background in adolescent mental health, experience sampling methods, digital phenotyping, or related disciplines.

In your role, you will lead on the development and piloting of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) items tailored for young people, to better understand the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural mechanisms that place them at risk of developing depression. Working with a multidisciplinary team, including experts in lived experience, clinical research, and digital mental health, you will co-design and implement a feasibility study using smartphones and wearable devices with a sample adolescents and young adults.

You will be based within the Pears Maudsley Centre and work closely with lived experience experts to ensure the methodology is youth-centred and developmentally appropriate.

This project will involve both qualitative and quantitative methods, including cognitive interviewing, feasibility testing, and longitudinal data collection and analysis. There will be scope to contribute to the design of visual or interactive outputs (such as infographics or dashboards) and shape the development of a future larger-scale cohort study. You will also be encouraged to lead and contribute to publications, funding applications, and public engagement activities.

The postholder will have an interest in adolescent mental health and a working knowledge of digital or real-time data collection. It would suit someone proactive, organised, and collaborative, with the ability to take initiative while working closely with the wider team.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week) offered on a fixed-term contract for 11 months (up to 14 months if part-time), starting in September/October 2025. Part-time, flexible, and remote working arrangements can be discussed.

About you:

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

Essential Criteria

1. A PhD awarded (or near completion) in a relevant field such as psychology, mental health, behavioural science, digital health, or a related discipline
2. Experience working with quantitative data and relevant software for data management and analysis (e.g. R, Stata, Python, or similar).
3. Skilled in writing and/or contributing to high-quality manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
4. Demonstrated ability to independently manage research tasks, including participant recruitment and data collection.
5. An understanding of data protection, ethical protocols, and issues around confidentiality when working with sensitive mental health data and/or youth populations.
6. Excellent communication skills, including the ability to collaborate with diverse teams (e.g. young people, researchers, clinicians) and to present findings clearly.
7. A flexible, pragmatic, and proactive approach to solving problems and progressing research activities.
8. Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and manage time effectively.

Desirable Criteria

1. Experience co-designing research with young people or involving people with lived experience in research.
2. Experience in the design and analysis of studies that use (intensive) longitudinal data (e.g. EMA, digital phenotyping, mobile sensing)
3. Familiarity with cognitive interviewing, user testing, or participatory design methods.
4. Experience in developing or working with digital tools or platforms for data collection (e.g. apps, wearable tech).
5. Knowledge of open science practices (e.g. preregistration, reproducible workflows

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, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click "Apply Now". This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit ' pages.

Interviews are due to be held w/c 11th and 18th of August