Overview

Research Assistant in the Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience – Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

About us

King’s College London (KCL) offers an intellectually stimulating environment in which to work, where staff are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and learning, all in the service of society. And as a member of the Russell Group, an association of leading UK research-intensive universities, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards in research and education. 
 
The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute at KCL’s Denmark Hill Campus houses up to 250 scientists and clinicians with strong links to clinical neurology services at King’s College Hospital. An important example of this is the King’s Motor Neuron Disease (MND) Care and Research Centre, which remains one of the leading centres for MND research and the development of new treatments in the world. 

About the role

The research assistant  will help our team further investigate the neuronal dysfunction that characterises motor neuron disease. The focus will be on a stage of disease when both confirmation of the diagnosis and measurement of therapeutic response remain challenging.
 
You will be specifically involved in two parallel studies making use of a portable, noninvasive muscle recording device in both home- and hospital-based settings. This will be applied to two clinically important disease contexts: Workstream 1 – as a ‘real-world’ diagnostic aid in the early stage of disease; and Workstream 2 – as a measure of therapeutic response in a genetic subgroup of patients receiving a novel therapy.
 
In total, 200 patients will be recruited across the two workstreams. Although the study will also involve two external UK sites in addition to King’s, you will principally aid data collection and analysis at King’s. The quantitative analysis for both studies will provide readouts for fasciculation parameters and motor neuron behaviour.
 
Ultimately, you will be involved in deriving a fast-track diagnostic test based on a ‘body map’ of motor neuron dysfunction, as well as a remote home-based monitoring framework that is sensitive to therapeutic intervention. These achievements would represent significant advances in the field of biomarker development in motor neuron disease, providing opportunities to publish and present the results internationally.
 
You will be part of a broader team working on developing and testing novel biomarkers and treatments in motor neuron disease. You will be based in the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute on the Denmark Hill Campus  and the patient-centred work will be carried out in the Clinical Research Facility at King’s College Hospital. This post is supported by a LifeArc-funded grant led by Dr James Bashford and Professor Chris Shaw.
In summary, we are looking for a highly motivated, hard-working member of the team, who can work independently but also interact creatively within the team. We expect you to share our passionate curiosity for science and commitment to develop new biomarkers and therapies for patients with ALS.
 
This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an a fixed term contract for 36 months
 
Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
 
Essential criteria
  1. BSc (or equivalent) in relevant field
  2. Experience in clinical neuroscience
  3. Knowledge of neurodegenerative diseases
  4. Ability to work independently and in a team
  5. Motivated and enthusiastic
  6. Conscientious and organised
Desirable criteria
  1. MSc (or equivalent) in relevant field
  2.  Experience in neurophysiological analysis
  3. Has published and presented clinical neuroscience research  
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 page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
 

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