Research Assistant

University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

University of Edinburgh invites applications for a Research Assistant in Psychiatry. The post-holder will remotely support equipment setup and data collection by families in their homes, with evening availability for troubleshooting.

The role includes coordinating logistics, contacting participants, and organizing equipment couriering to and from participants. The position is full-time (35 hours per week), fixed-term until 30 June 2028, based in Edinburgh, with hybrid working options.

Qualifications

• Degree in psychology, psychiatry or related discipline.
• Experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• Previous work with the SYNGAP1 community is valuable.

Responsibilities

• Remotely support equipment setup and data collection by families at home.
• Be available in the evening to troubleshoot technical difficulties.
• Manage logistics: contact interested parties, provide study information and organise couriering of equipment.

Skills

Intellectual disabilities

Psychology background

Evening availability

SYNGAP1 experience

Education

Psychology/psychiatry degree

Job description

Grade UE06: £34,610 to £39,906 per annum

Institute of Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research, CCBS

Full time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: until 30th June 2028

The Opportunity:

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Research Assistant in Psychiatry. The post-holder will assist in the running of an international research study which builds on a previous study of sleep in children with SYNGAP1-related disorder, a condition associated with intellectual disability, epilepsy and significant sleep problems. This new study will use multiple types of sleep monitoring equipment to evaluate equipment feasibility and reliability of data.

Together we can do great things. Be part of something bigger.

With roles from hospitality to research,there’sa career for everyone at the University of Edinburgh. We can offer opportunities for you to develop in your career and make a real difference in the communities around us while contributing to the world at large.

The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We are a large University covering a wide range of activities. In Professional Services, we support the University’s research and teaching, offering many career and role specialisms.

The post would be suitable for a candidate with a degree in psychology, psychiatry or a related discipline who has previous experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities. Previous work with the SYNGAP1 community would be particularly valuable. The principal role of the post holder will be to remotely support equipment setup and data collection which will be done by families in their own homes. This will include being available in the evening to troubleshoot any technical difficulties. Other tasks will include managing the logistics of the study such as contacting interested parties, providing study information and organising couriering of equipment to and from participants.

The environment in which the position is based offers outstanding opportunities for research and career development. The post is part of the Clinically Applied Research in Intellectual Disability (CARID) group affiliated with the Patrick Wild Centre (PWC) and the Simons Institute for the Developing Brain (SIDB), both philanthropically funded centres investigating autism and intellectual disabilities. More broadly, state of the art facilities for clinical, laboratory and data science research exist across the University of Edinburgh campus including the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, the Clinical Research Imaging Centre, the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, the Usher Institute and the MRC Human Genetics Unit.

People have always been at the heart of our work. Our people are at the centre of the University community and everything we do. We value colleagues with drive, determination and a passion for what they do. We are a place where everyone is welcome and offer a range of policies and benefits designed to support you in building the right meaningful flexibility that works for you.

A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:

• Contributing to leading-edge research – SYNGAP1-related disorder is rare and relatively understudied. Its related sleep problems are poorly understood and this study will therefore add to the relevant literature through detailed characterisation of sleep in this group.
• Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is a core part of our working ethos and will be a great opportunity for the successful candidate to make links with the global SYNGAP1 community.
• Opportunities for publication in academic journals.

Further details are available in the job description, including the person specification and an outline of the expected roles of the post. Prospective candidates wishing to discuss the appointment should, in the first instance, contact: Dr Lindsay Mizen, [e-mail].

This post is full time, however, flexible working patterns will be needed to meet the requirements of the post. Hybrid working will be possible to include remote and on campus responsibilities.

This role is conditional on a successful PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) check.

View the full job description.

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab).

On this occasion the University will not consider applicants requiring sponsorship for this role. International workers will therefore only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 9 October 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interviews will be held late October.