Clinical Research Fellow

We are seeking a medically qualified Clinical Research Fellow to join a multidisciplinary clinical‑academic programme focused on improving the physical health of people with severe mental illness. The post offers a distinctive opportunity to combine direct patient care with clinical research, service evaluation and experimental medicine. The postholder will be based principally at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at Denmark Hill, with regular work across South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust clinical services and imaging visits at Hammersmith Hospital.

The postholder will work predominantly within TUNE‑UP, a new specialist NHS metabolic psychiatry service and associated research programme for people experiencing, or at high risk of, antipsychotic‑associated weight gain and related cardiometabolic complications. Current projects include evaluating the clinical and metabolic effects of switching to novel treatments such as xanomeline‑trospium, and developing and evaluating new approaches to preventing antipsychotic‑associated weight gain, with a particular focus on GLP‑1 receptor agonists.

Under appropriate senior supervision, the postholder will assess and review patients, contribute to treatment initiation and monitoring, and evaluate mental state, physical health, treatment response and adverse effects. They will also identify, recruit and consent research participants and undertake structured clinical and research assessments. The postholder will additionally contribute to experimental medicine studies using advanced cardiac and brain imaging, detailed clinical phenotyping and biological sampling to investigate cardiometabolic abnormalities in people with first‑episode psychosis and those receiving clozapine.

They will contribute to study delivery, data analysis, conference presentations and peer‑reviewed publications, with support to develop applications for higher degrees or competitive clinical academic fellowships. The postholder will report to Dr Toby Pillinger. This is a full‑time post, offered on a fixed‑term contract for 12 months in the first instance, with the possibility of extension for a further 12 months subject to funding.

An anticipated start date of January 2027 is preferred. Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro‑rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the , applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension. We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance. Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant’s own work and…