Research Fellow – Genetic Epidemiologist

Research Fellow – Genetic Epidemiologist

The UCL Division of Psychiatry, located within the Faculty of Brain Sciences, is a world-renowned centre of excellence in mental health research. Our mission is to improve mental health through cutting‑edge research and education. By leveraging insights from basic science, we address clinical problems with the aim of improving patient outcomes and public health. Moreover, we take pride in delivering innovative teaching that is directly relevant to clinical practice and informed by our research.

Join our team and help us drive forward the field of mental health research and education.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a talented and ambitious quantitative researcher to join a multi‑centre project funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK), investigating whether adherence to UK dietary guidelines can reduce the risk of dementia. Working within a collaborative team spanning UCL, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Exeter and Cambridge, you will apply cutting‑edge genetic epidemiology methods to address one of the most important public health challenges of our time.

This role offers the opportunity to work with world‑leading researchers, analyse large‑scale datasets including UK Biobank, publish high‑impact research, and contribute to evidence that could inform future dementia prevention strategies.

Duties and responsibilities:

You will undertake high‑quality quantitative genetic epidemiology research to investigate the causal relationship between dietary patterns and dementia risk. Using large‑scale genomic and population datasets, you will conduct analyses including genome‑wide association studies (GWAS), Mendelian randomisation, and polygenic risk score analyses, while contributing to the development of novel analytical approaches. You will lead and contribute to scientific publications, present findings at national and international conferences, and work closely with collaborators across multiple institutions.

The role offers excellent opportunities for career development, mentorship and progression towards research independence.

• The post is graded on the UCL Non‑clinical grade structure at Grade 7, the annual salary for which ranges from £45,103 to £52,586 per annum (including London Allowance).
• The appointment is available from 1st of July 2026 and is funded until 30th of June 2028 in the first instance.
• Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Grade 6B, with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.

You will hold a PhD (or be close to completion) in genetic epidemiology, statistics, data science or a related quantitative discipline, with strong experience conducting research using advanced statistical and quantitative methods. You will have experience working with large cohort datasets and developing reproducible analytical pipelines in statistical software such as R, alongside a strong track record of scientific writing and publication.

The ideal candidate will have experience applying genetic epidemiology methods such as genome‑wide association studies, Mendelian randomisation and polygenic risk score analyses, together with experience working with genetic and genomic datasets. Experience using UK Biobank data, working within multidisciplinary teams and collaborating across institutions would be advantageous.

You will be highly motivated, organised and able to manage competing priorities effectively. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential, as is the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a diverse research environment. We are looking for someone committed to conducting research to the highest ethical and professional standards, with a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle…