31 Postdoctoral Fellowship at King’s College London, United Kingdom

We are seeking a full-time, fixed-term Post Doctoral Research Associate for the UKRI research project  PHAWM (Participatory Harm Auditing Workbenches and Methodologies). The project produces workbenches that support stakeholders in assessing the quality and potential harms of AI. The participatory audits will be embedded in methodologies which guide how, when and who carries out these audits.

The successful candidate will be based in the Distributed Artificial Intelligence group in the Department of Informatics. They will undertake research into participatory auditing of AI writing assistants for article generation, using LLMs, focusing on articles about health in under-resourced languages.

The post holder will play a leading role in a Wellcome funded clinical trial “FOCUS: Function and Cognition in Early Psychosis”, led by Dr Rob McCutcheon. Cognitive deficits are a core feature of the early phases of psychosis. All licensed pharmacological treatments for psychosis act by blocking dopaminergic neurotransmission and do not improve these deficits. Recently the drug xanomeline-trospium which acts via non-dopaminergic mechanisms has been shown be the first effective non dopaminergic treatment for psychotic symptoms. Its effects on cognition, however, are unclear. The FOCUS trial will investigate the effects of xanomeline-trospium compared to standard dopamine blocking therapies on cognitive function in individuals with early psychosis. In addition, the integration of comprehensive neuroimaging batteries will provide the opportunity for insights regarding both the pathophysiology of psychosis, and mechanisms of treatment.

This role is for a qualified and experienced scientist who has been working in an academic or commercial research laboratory/company related to the differentiation of human iPSC into different cell lineages, and the assembly of complex tissue culture models from these cellular elements. The cells used in this experimental system will be genetically modified such that cellular functions like glucose transporter trafficking can be visualized. We will study these circuits by immunocytochemistry and live cells imaging, in close collaboration with members of the partner groups at UCL and University of Cambridge. The aim of the project is to establish a co-culture system that can be used to evaluate the impact of environmental and genetic factors on metabolic abnormalities that cause type 2 diabetes in humans, and to test potential therapeutics that stop or reverse the disease process. 

We are seeking a highly motivated researcher, holding a PhD in engineering, computer science, mathematics or related disciplines that has experience and is interested in developing bespoke algorithms and interfaces in open-source software, for the processing of images to create a 3D digital model. 

The aim is to be able to take a scan of a residual limb from which a digital model can be created, to aid in the creation of prostheses and monitor user’s limb health. The candidate will work in Blender to develop algorithms to process a scan and build an interface for clinicians. This will provide an alternative approach for accessible and inclusive limb difference care, focusing on the capture of residual limbs using smartphone technology, suitable for clinical and remote settings. PPI engagement and end-user design will be critical during the project.

The research will investigate the ethical and social challenges associated with Large Language Models deployed in morally loaded contexts (such as healthcare, justice and education). Among these challenges, the communication of uncertainty is of particular interest.

The Post Doctoral Research Associate will be managed by Prof. Sylvie Delacroix at King’s College London and is offered as a full time 14-month contract with a provisional start date of 01 March 2025.

You should hold a PhD in Philosophy or Computer Science and have a track record of conducting research at the intersection between computer science and social sciences /humanities at high standards and delivering presentations at academic conferences.

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior research associate to work on establishing fNIRS research at the IoPPN within the PMC/CAP as well as in other departments. The Researcher will be based in KCL, London and work closely with Prof Rubia but will be assisting several teams at PMC/IoPPN/KCL that will use fNIRS technology.

The aim of the post-holder is to provide his/her expertise in fNIRS imaging acquisition, analysis and interpretation to any teams at PMC and IoPPN/KCL that will use this technology.

The post-holder will be therefore working on different projects across different psychiatric and neurological disorders, as needed. He/she will be teaching and/or assisting researchers in fNIRS imaging acquisition, data analysis and interpretation and will be involved both in grant applications and paper writing. They will have ample experience in fNIRS technology, both in the technical as well as interpretational aspects. They will be experts of fNIRS technology through a PHD and post-doctoral experience and ideally have some experience of multimodal neuroimaging.

The successful applicant will have a number of roles. First and foremost, they will be responsible for the UK element of the SHARE project, which involves conducting, analysing and publishing the findings of interviews with UK health researchers about their experiences of using tools designed to reduce the environmental harms associated with health research. The role also includes leading a collaboration with other members of the globally distributed research team who will be conducting similar interviews, to comparatively analyse empirical research outputs. Collaborating with public engagement specialists, health researchers, tool developers and the wider research team, these insights will be used to develop practical resources for the research community.  This will involve the successful applicant co-conducting workshops, analysing findings, and writing publications. Finally, responsibilities will involve contributing to the community building strand of the project, including supporting the generation of webinars on topics of interest to the community, and the making of video case studies, demonstrating best practice in sustainable health research. The role holder will also be expected to manage administration aspects of the SHARE project.

We are seeking to appoint a biophysicist or a cell/molecular biologist (preferably with a PhD in Physics, Cell/Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Bioengineering or related disciplines) with proved experience in any area of mechanobiology.

This project aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which extracellular mechanical forces travel long distances inside the cell to reach the nucleus on biologically-relevant timescales, and how mechanical forces activate force-induced transcriptional programmes. 

The project can be attacked from different perspectives (single molecule, single cell, or tissue level) but in all cases requires extensive experience in the relevant mechanical techniques, according to each relevant length-scale. The project is funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The project will be developed between the Francis Crick Institute and the Department of Physics at King’s College London

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research associate to join a project investigating new approaches for retinal neuroprotection and restoration of vision. The research is a part of a large project to identify and develop new treatments for glaucoma and spinal cord injury. Neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma cause irreversible damage to neurons in the retina and optic nerve, leading to a loss of vision. Spinal cord injury causes irreversible damage to axons which control movement and sensation.

The role will use preclinical models to test and develope gene therapy approaches for retinal neuroprotection and optic nerve regeneration, whist using cell and molecular techniques to study the mechanisms controlling axon regeneration, and bespoke bioinformatic approaches for target identification.

The work will involve collaborating with researchers and partners aiming to move treatments towards clinical treatments, with collaborations in London, Cambridge and Stockholm (Karolinska Institutet).

There are two fixed-term Postdoctoral Research Associate positions available in the group of Professor Paula Booth. One position is for up to 14 months, and the other is up to 20 months (with funding available until 30 August 2026) – both with the potential for extension. The research will focus on the folding and biogenesis of integral membrane proteins.

This is part of a long-term multi-disciplinary project investigating the co-translational folding of membrane proteins using innovative approaches across biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology and chemistry.

The post-holder will work within a vibrant research laboratory and will be able to direct their work and collaborate with other lab members and external research groups. They will also be able to develop new approaches to investigate membrane protein folding. The successful candidate will work in Professor Booth’s laboratories at King’s College London and the Frances Crick Institute. They will also be able to participate in exciting new research initiatives as part of King’s new interdisciplinary research centre for the Physical Science of Life.

We are seeking to appoint a Research Associate to join the CHILDs group within the School of Life Course and Population Sciences. The successful candidate will serve as the qualitative researcher for a mixed-methods ARC South London study focused on multi-morbidity in children.

The ARC South London Children and Young People theme addresses critical issues, as many children in the region experience poor health and unequal care outcomes. There is a particular need to improve services for children with disabilities, complex needs, and other significant challenges. This role involves conducting qualitative research and engaging stakeholders, including children, to identify opportunities for prevention activities and improvements in health service delivery for children with multi-morbidity.

This post sits within the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, working closely with Biostatistics and Health Informatics, and will be part of a team working to digitally simulate populations of people with motor neuron disease for the purposes of clinical trial design and optimisation.

The role sits within the UK Motor Neuron Disease Research Institute and the NIHR BRC Motor Neuron Disease theme, and is part of the Precision ALS programme in the TRICALS Consortium, Europe’s largest MND research initiative.

We are looking for an independent thinker who wants to be part of a growing team to lead statistical methodology and improve the efficiency of trial designs within the MND space. You will improve the generalisability of observational and interventional studies through the generation of digital twins of patients.

We are recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Associate to investigate development of gene therapies and genome editing strategies for muscular dystrophies: a group of disorders characterised by progressive skeletal and cardiac muscle weakness and wasting. The successful applicant will become part of the EU Horizon-funded ‘MAGIC’ project creating advanced humanised muscle models and innovative gene therapy approaches, ultimately improving the lives of individuals affected by these debilitating diseases (https://magic-horizon.eu). Performance of the work will mainly require experience/skills in cell and molecular biology, but some bioinformatics skills would be an advantage. The role will involve experimentation and so will be lab-based. The post-doctoral researcher will be based in the Zammit group and be responsible to Professor Zammit. 

The Post-Doctoral Research Associate will work on the project Mapping Injury: The Embodied, Socio-cultural and Material Sites of Political Emergence. The PI is Professor Vivienne Jabri, and the project is a UKRI Frontier Research Grant (funded as part of the UKRI Horizon Europe guarantee) The Postdoctoral position is for a 2-year duration and will be based in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. 

The project takes a wide and interdisciplinary conceptualisation of ‘injury’ (from the embodied, to the cultural, to the physical or material aspect of lived spaces, including the environmental) and seeks understanding of the socio-cultural, socio-legal, material and political dynamics that relate injury to the emergence of political agency. We have a particular focus on the Global South, with research focused on Colombia, Lebanon, Nigeria and South Africa as well as regional and international institutions.

The Postdoctoral RA sought for this position will work on Colombia. Knowledge of Colombia’s political and juridical systems, its socio-cultural and economic context, and issues relating to the indigenous peoples of Colombia is essential.

(18) Postdoctoral Fellowship Position

Postdoc Fellowship Position summary/title: Postdoctoral Research Associate on equitable adaptation pathways for climate mobilities

Deadline : 06 January 2025.

View details & Apply

This is an exciting opportunity to work on cardio-immunology within King’s BHF Centre of Excellence. Myocardial infarction is the commonest cause of heart failure and there is compelling evidence implicating excessive inflammation as a key contributor. Cardiac-resident leucocyte subsets are important mediators of the inflammatory response to cardiac injury, but it is not clear how signalling in these cells is regulated. 

The project aims to delineate signalling in leucocytes after myocardial infarction using in vivo models and multi-platform ‘omics’ approaches. These studies will provide invaluable knowledge on the regulation of inflammation after MI. We aim to identify and target novel signalling pathways and genomic and transcriptional regulators of inflammation that we can translate to the bedside to alleviate progression to heart failure. 

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic candidate to join our pre-clinical and translational research. The successful applicant will be expected to develop and undertake research of high quality consistent with the aims of the project. They will contribute to all facets of the lab, including managing specific work packages and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team. The post will be originally offered for 2 years with the possibility of extension.

This role is intended to innovate in the area of multi-tracer imaging with positron emission tomography (PET), using kinetic modelling and AI to separate the information for at least 2 tracers so that simultaneous multi-tracer total body PET imaging can be conducted. The emphasis will be on the use of total body PET data with the new Quadra PET scanner.   

This will entail novel developments in a number of areas related to PET imaging and analysis:

1. Generation of highly realistic training data examples for dual-tracer PET imaging
2. Multiplexed PET data acquisition methodology and image reconstruction for simultaneous imaging of more than one PET radiotracer
3. Image analysis and separation of single-tracer images from the multiplexed data acquisition

We are seeking an ambitious and motivated computational research scientist to join our new Wellcome-funded Imaging Machine learning And Genetics in Neurodevelopment (IMAGINE) lab.

The project aims to

1. organise and manage large multicentre datasets of neuroimaging data
2. develop machine learning / AI tools to identify abnormalities in epilepsy and other neurodevelopmental disorders
3. create translational tools for evaluation on clinical cohorts.

The post-holder will also be expected to work collaboratively on a range of projects within the IMAGINE lab, which includes engineers, data scientists and clinicians.

We are looking for a grade 6 researcher to join the laboratory of Professor Kevin O’Byrne, in the Department of Women and Children’s Health, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital Campus.  Working in Professor O’Byrne’s team, the post holder will provide high quality research commensurate with the BBSRC funded research involving cutting-edge technologies, including optogenetics, chemogenetics mini-endoscopic imaging of complex neural systems in the hypothalamus and limbic brain regions of conscious mice.  We also use computational modelling to enhance our understanding of reproductive neuroendocrinology with our collaborators at the University of Exeter.  Current projects include examining the operational characteristics of the central regulator of the reproductive system, the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator, impact of stress on fertility and role of emotional limbic brain in reproduction and sexual behaviour.

The Dementia Community Research Network (DCRN) is a team comprising community, public and research partners from across South London, working together for inclusive dementia care by facilitating equitable research partnerships with people from minoritised ethnic communities.

The primary purpose of this role is to oversee the co-production and management of the DCRN, engaging with community partners and people with lived experience of dementia to bring research and public communities closer together for meaningful involvement of people from minoritised ethnic communities. This will involve close liaison with current DCRN members and relationship-building with prospective members from diverse communities across South London. The postholder will also lead the day-to-day management of the DCRN, arranging meetings and maintaining social media engagement.

In addition, the postholder will support established dementia research projects across both the Health & Social Care Workforce Research Unit and the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation. This will include coordinating public engagement activities, including events as part of the Festival of Applied Dementia Research, and supporting dementia research activities, including data collection, analysis, and manuscript and grant writing. The postholder will support three NIHR Dem-Comm Fellows, receiving regular supervision and mentorship with training opportunities.

The Shiftability team uses pharmacological probes to examine differences in brain responsivity in neurodiverse individuals. Thie includes a study using psilocybin to investigate differences in the autistic and non-autistic brain response to the serotonin targets of psilocybin.

We are looking for an experienced researcher and functional MRI analyst to work together with the shiftability team and Professor Grainne McAlonan. The post holder will provide support to research, management, and leadership activities as required. Meticulous attention to detail is essential. Along with the ability to manage their own workload effectively, they will be required to work both independently and work well as part of a busy team, responding and adapting to priorities.

The successful applicant will bring enthusiasm, strong organisational skills and a proactive approach to the job. The role involves working with both professional service, research and academic colleagues and is suited to an individual who is personable and good at relating to others

Professor Graham Lord is a leading expert in immunology and translational medicine whose research team focuses on the regulation of gene expression in T cells and dendritic cells, during autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation. A significant aspect of his research is importance of immune tolerance and has identified defects in suppressive function of Tregs in patients with Crohn’s disease, highlighting their critical role in maintaining immune homeostasis (Lo JW et al., Nat Commun. 2024, 2023, Goldberg R et al., J Crohn’s Colitis. 2021, Goldberg R et al.,  Gastroenterology. 2019, Powell N et al., Gastroenterology. 2015).

The post-holder will support the Lord group on a research project funded by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, contributing to cutting-edge research. We are seeking an experienced and ambitious applicant with a significant experience in molecular biology and immunology, with expertise in quantitative PCR, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, tissue handling, immunohistochemistry, FACS, and the isolation and culture of Tregs. Attention to detail, meticulous record-keeping, and strong interpersonal and organisational skills are essential for success in this collaborative research environment. Full training will be provided as needed, but prior relevant experience is required.

This exciting postdoctoral position is funded by a British Heart Foundation Project grant entitled “Molecular MRI signatures of fibrosis to detect heart failure and response to treatment”.  The research aims to answer the clinically important question whether molecular MR imaging can provide readouts for precision imaging of cardiac fibrosis to detect adverse cardiac remodelling, hearts at risk of failing and monitor therapeutic response. 

The candidate will work in an interdisciplinary team consisting of physicists, imaging biologists, chemists, and clinicians to develop novel MR imaging techniques for the non-invasive detection of cardiac fibrosis using new molecular imaging probes in preclinical models of heart failure. The research team is located at St Thomas´ Hospital in the Research Department of Cardiovascular Imaging which has access to 10 state-of-the-art clinical research scanners with field strengths varying from 0.55T, 1.5T, 3T to 7T. 

The specific aim of the post will be to test and validate recently developed fibrosis probes and MRI protocols to accurately extract the molecular signatures of cardiac fibrosis in rodent models of heart failure. The imaging data will be correlated to ex vivo tissue analyses

The appointed person will make a leading contribution to the project*: Media capture* work package (WP) of the HORIZON project Rescuing Democracy from Political Corruption in Digital Societies (RESPOND). The position is for 15 months, ending no later than June 2026.  

Specifically, the postholder is responsible for conducting, managing and publishing research on media capture practices, policies, mechanisms and indicators by drawing on the literature of corruption in the media, media capture, existing indicators, legislation and policies at UK and EU levels. The postholder will also assist in managing this complex project. 

The research component of this post will comprise working as part of the Skin Therapy Research Unit under the supervision of Professor Catherine Smith. You will receive comprehensive training, for instance in the conduct of skin barrier assessments and statistical analyses and participate in all aspects of clinical research from design through to delivery and communication of results. The main focus of the research is atopic eczema and psoriasis, in particular the mySkinomics and BSTOP studies, as well as clinical trials including the PLAN-psoriasis feasibility trial and the BEACON trial. You will work as part of and be supported by a large and well established multi-disciplinary research team with a strong track record of producing high impact, translational research. There will also be opportunities to present at national and international meetings.

This is an outstanding development opportunity for a talented and experienced researcher who wishes to advance excellent and innovative research on the care and support of children and young people with life limiting conditions and their families.

This research post will be working with our Chair of Palliative Care and Child Health, Lorna Fraser on an NIHR funded programme – Improving Care for children with life-limiting Conditions: developing, adapting, impLementing and Evaluating interventions (ICICLE). You will also have the opportunity to be a senior member of the CHILDS research group.

The post holder will be responsible for overseeing the protocol development, study setup activities (i.e. obtaining ethical approval) and conducting data collection, and evaluation across several studies within this programme. They will conduct the following tasks:  lead PPI activities; recruit for studies; undertake qualitative data analysis; facilitate co-production workshops; lead further grant applications; disseminate findings.

We are appointing a Research Assistant to work on the MHPRU.  The post provides an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated mixed-methods researcher to collaborate with policy makers to generate rapid and robust evidence on a range of priority policy areas.

The successful candidate will work closely with Prof Alan Simpson, Co-Director of the MHPRU and Professor of Mental Health Nursing, and Dr Kylee Trevillion, Deputy Director of the MHPRU and Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Services Research, joining a multidisciplinary team of applied mental health researchers across KCL, UCL, and other UK universities.

The successful post-holder will hold an undergraduate and Masters degree (or have equivalent experience) in public health, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, or other relevant disciplines. They should have experience of conducting and analysing quantitative and/or qualitative research and a good understanding of mental health policy research methods. Training and/or experience in conducting systematic reviews is expected. Experience of co-production and/or working collaboratively with service users is highly desirable, as is experience of publishing research papers in academic journals.

We are appointing a post-doctoral (or close to completion of a PhD programme) Research Associate to work on the MHPRU.  The post provides an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated mixed-methods researcher to collaborate with policy makers to generate rapid and robust evidence on a range of priority policy areas. 

The successful candidate will work closely with Prof Alan Simpson, Co-Director of the MHPRU and Professor of Mental Health Nursing, and Dr Kylee Trevillion, Deputy Director of the MHPRU and Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Services Research, joining a multidisciplinary team of applied mental health researchers across KCL, UCL, and other UK universities.

The successful post-holder will be a mixed-methods researcher in public health, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, or other relevant disciplines. They should have experience of conducting and analysing quantitative and qualitative research methods in an applied health research context, and experience of conducting systematic reviews. They will be experienced in managing research project meetings with a diverse group of stakeholders and have experience of conducting research in a rapid manner. Experience of co-production and/or working collaboratively with service users is highly desirable, as is experience of quantitative analysis of healthcare datasets.