King's College London

About us:

This is an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher, with a strong background in public health and mental health research and epidemiology, and with expertise in quantitative methods, to develop a programme of work examining upstream environmental and social determinants of mental health.

King’s College London is an internationally renowned university delivering exceptional education and world-leading research. The university is dedicated to driving positive and sustainable change in society and realising our vision of making the world a better place. The Strategic Vision 2029 looks forward to King’s College London’s 200th anniversary in 2029 and sets out ambitious plans in five key areas:

• Educating the next generation of change-makers

• Challenging ideas and driving change through research

• Giving back to society through meaningful service

• Working with our local communities in London

• Fostering global citizens with an international perspective

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) is a Faculty of King's College London and the largest academic community in Europe devoted to the study and prevention of mental illness and brain disease.

The post will be based in the Centre for Mental Health Policy and Evaluation (CMHPE) at King’s College London. The Centre is home to a team of expert policy evaluation and implementation science researchers, including statisticians and epidemiologists.

CMHPE is based in the Department of Health Service & Population Research (HSPR) whose main goal is to conduct world-leading research and education using the social and health sciences to better understand and to improve health outcomes, systems, and care, both locally and globally, particularly in disadvantaged and marginalised populations.

About the role:

We are seeking an outstanding and enthusiastic individual with an interest in statistics/data science, epidemiology (social/environmental), and population mental health research to work on an exciting programme of inter-disciplinary research funded by Wellcome and NHS. The first aim of the post is to explore the impacts of extreme ambient heat and other environmental stressors on the mental health of urban communities. The second aim is to investigate the impact of mental health on benefit receipt.

The post will be based across three departments: Health Service and Population Research Department (HSPR), Department of Psychosis Studies and Psychological Medicine. The post is initially available for 9 months (Grade 6) with a possibility of extension at 12 months, from October 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. The Research Associate will join a multidisciplinary team of public mental health researchers, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, psychologists, data scientists, environmental exposure modellers, database managers from the three departments.

The post provides an excellent opportunity to design, analyse and interpret findings from rich datasets from large prospective cohort studies, including electronic medical records, in a world-class environment. The post-holder will be involved in a wide range of activities within research contexts that span environmental epidemiology, statistics, and formal quasi-experimental evaluation studies.

The post involves  the use of existing clinical and research databases, and the post-holder will need to work closely with staff in the relevant organisations (for example, the information technology departments of each partner NHS Trust and the South London and Maudsley/IoPPN Biomedical Research Centre).

Expertise in programming for efficient statistical analysis and data management would be expected. The post-holders would be encouraged to participate in the wider academic programme of both the Health Service & Population Research Department and the Department of Psychosis Studies and Psychological Medicine department.

We would welcome applications from researchers who themselves have experience of using health services.

The posts will be located at the IoPPN, King’s College London, Denmark Hill Campus, De Crespigny Park, London.

About you:

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

Essential criteria

1. PhD or MSc with equivalent working experience in relevant subject area (statistics, geography, epidemiology, data science, public health, psychology, econometrics with a specific focus on public health research or policy evaluation)
2. Postgraduate level of skill in statistical analysis, using at least one of Stata or R, and able and willing to extend skills (e.g. to use SQL)
3. Experience of preparing large datasets for analysis from longitudinal surveys or routine healthcare settings
4. Experience working as a data analyst in a research environment
5. Able to write succinctly and with clarity
6. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
7. Strong time and personal management skills and ability to work to deadlines
8. Good communication skills (spoken and written)
9. Excellent working knowledge of Excel, Word, PowerPoint

Desirable criteria

1. Knowledge of epidemiological and advanced statistical techniques such as time series analysis
2. Competence in the analysis of longitudinal studies
3. To have published in peer-reviewed journals

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. 

Further information:

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.