Postdoctoral Scientist - MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit - Ref DM/360

Overall purpose:

To develop, support and promote the use of online psychological testing methods at the MRC CBU. The post-holder will work with programme leaders and research staff at the CBU to develop online testing procedures for assessing aspects of cognitive function, perception and mood. These procedures will allow volunteers – recruited internally, externally or via social media – to complete experimental tests of behavioural performance hosted on servers based at the CBU with testing performed at home using their own PC, tablet or smartphone.

Main duties / key responsibilities:

• Develop server configuration, code and associated infrastructure for online testing ensuring data security, confidentiality and compliance with data protection legislation and MRC CBU best practice (in collaboration with CBU IT and Administrative staff)
• Construct experimental tests that implement a range of behavioural measures including, but not limited to speech and language, spatial and executive cognition, short term memory and questionnaire measures (in collaboration with CBU Programme Leaders)
• Develop robust, efficient methods for assessing and validating data collected in online experiments to ensure that good quality data is collected and potentially problematic observations or participants are flagged (in collaboration with CBU Methods staff and Programme Leaders)
• Disseminate methods, results and best practice from all the above activities in talks, web pages, conference presentations and scientific papers
• Support other researchers and PhD students in doing the same
• Contribute to developing and evolving CBU practice for participant recruitment through external companies (e.g. Prolific), social media and face-to-face presentations (e.g. at Fresher’s Fares) in collaboration with the CBU volunteer panel office
• Contribute where relevant to other innovative studies including experience sampling via smartphone, smartwatch and other devices.

Working relationships:

The post holder’s will be line managed by Drs Matt Davis and Tom Manly and work closely with Dr Rogier Kievit. These will form the three main programmes contributing to the development of the first wave of online experiment.

The post-holder will collaborate with technical, IT, administrative and support staff at the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit as necessary for completion of server configuration, programming, online testing and participant recruitment/payment.

In time, online testing methods will be extended to other groups and programme leaders and (as needed) to external partners who collaborate with these research programmes. The post-holder will therefore work with other PLs and researchers as needed to support online testing across the CBU as a whole.

The post-holder will create documentation and web pages to disseminate methods more broadly, and contribute to the training and supervision of more junior staff (RAs, PhD students) who wish to use online methods for participant testing and data collection.

Additional information:

The post holder will be expected to take a lead role in designing, implementing and analysing the behavioural/cognitive research that will be implemented in online testing. In some cases responsibilities will extend to first authorship of papers that arise from completed research.

The post holder will also be required to report results to colleagues within the CBU and collaborators, and to contribute to the writing of scientific papers arising from the data, including the possibility of first-author leadership

The post holder will also be required to keep up to date with technical and scientific developments in online testing, including possibilities for new testing methods (e.g. virtual/augmented reality), new testing devices (e.g. smart watches), or new experimental protocols (e.g. sleep monitoring, experience sampling).

 It is expected that the post holder will contribute to the MRC’s engagement with the public and in the translation of research methods and findings into improvements in health care.

Education / Qualifications / Training required:

Essential:                                                   

PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience or Experimental Psychology, either awarded or about to submit.

Programming skills sufficient for developing online tests

Statistical training for automated analysis of data collected from online tests

Desirable:

Experience of teaching/disseminating programming and analysis methods

Background research areas relevant to one or more of the programmes

Previous work experience required:

Essential:

Implementing online behavioural testing and analysis of resulting data

Participant testing in behavioural tasks used to quantify cognitive processes.

Writing up research for publication (first and joint authorship)

Desirable:

Working with online providers of participants for testing (e.g. Prolific)

Familiarity with social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter)

Presenting research in public (oral / poster presentations at conferences)

Public understanding and science communication

Supervising more junior colleagues (students/assistants)

Knowledge and experience:

Essential:

Experience in paradigm design, data analysis and interpretation in experimental psychology

Programming skills sufficient for developing online tests to run on a range of platforms (including smart phones, tablets and standard web browsers)

Experience of standard office software (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), statistical software (e.g. R/Matlab), and other programming environments (Python, JavaScript, HTML5)

A good and efficient writer, as evidenced by success at first-authored paper writing

Desirable:

Computer programming in Matlab, Python, C or similar.

Experience programming computer-based cognitive tests in standard packages (e.g., Eprime, Presentation)

Experience with statistical modelling and scripting data analysis protocols (in R, Matlab).

Personal skills/behaviours/qualities:

Essential:

Ability to communicate effectively with a range of colleagues and volunteers

Desirable:

Enthusiasm for solving programming challenges and helping others to do the same