Fixed Term Contract to 28/02/2028
Old Age Psychiatry Dementia Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Biomedical Campus
We are seeking to appoint a Research Associate to join the Old Age Psychiatry Research Group at the University of Cambridge. The successful candidate will work on neuroimaging analysis projects using multi-modal MRI and PET imaging across several ongoing studies. The primary focus will be the PREVENT-Dementia study, a multi-site longitudinal cohort study investigating midlife risk factors for dementia. This study involves follow-up of 700 participants who have undergone clinical and cognitive assessments and 3T MR brain imaging at three time points. The appointee will analyse longitudinal multi-modal imaging data including structural sequences, DTI, NODDI, ASL, resting-state and task fMRI, MRS, and amyloid PET imaging, alongside blood and CSF biomarker data. Responsibilities also include data transfer, quality control, and collation of imaging data from study sites.
Additional opportunities include contributing to the PREVENT - Rugby Football study, which examines neuroimaging data from 150 retired elite rugby and football players, and studies on Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease. These projects utilise Near Infra-red Spectroscopy (NIRS), MR and PET imaging with established and novel ligands targeting amyloid, tau, synaptic density, and inflammation. The findings will enhance understanding of early brain changes in dementia and support development of novel biomarkers.
The post holder will work within Professor John O'Brien's research group, a vibrant interdisciplinary team of basic and clinical scientists conducting biomarker and clinical studies. The group is part of the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre Dementia and Neurodegeneration theme and collaborates closely with teams in Psychiatry, Clinical Neurosciences, Psychology, Engineering, and external partners such as Dementias Platform UK and the European E-DLB consortium.
Key responsibilities include designing and conducting imaging studies, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and supervision of junior researchers. Candidates should hold or be near completion of a PhD in neuroimaging, medical imaging, biomedical engineering, computational neuroscience, or a related field. Candidates awaiting viva will be appointed at Research Assistant scale until PhD confirmation.
Essential skills include brain imaging analysis and effective communication with multidisciplinary teams. Desirable experience includes programming (e.g., Matlab, Python, R), expertise with neuroimaging software (e.g., SPM, Freesurfer, FSL, AFNI), multimodal data integration, and familiarity with longitudinal data pre-processing and statistical analysis pipelines.
Informal enquiries may be directed to Professor John O'Brien ) or Dr Maria-Eleni Dounavi ).
The successful candidate will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check and a research passport. Subject to funding, the role may be extended.
Applicants must have (or be close to obtaining) a PhD.
Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will initially be appointed as a Research Assistant (Grade 5, Point 38 £34,132) moving to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon confirmation of your PhD award.
Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.
Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.
Closing date: 12th October 2025
Interview date: 24th October 2025
Please quote reference RN47377 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Key information
Department/location
Department of Psychiatry
Salary
£37,694-£46,049
Reference
RN47377
Category
Research
Date published
24 September 2025
Closing date
12 October 2025