Qualitative Research Associate – Strand WCR LS

Qualitative Research Associate – Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

About us:

The successful candidate will became a member of the Qualitative Applied Health Research Centre (QUAHRC) within the Health Services & Population Research Department, and will also be affiliated with the Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, both within the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London.

The post provides an exciting opportunity to join a thriving centre for qualitative research that uses rigorous and innovative methods to understand and improve the experiences of people with mental health problems. The postholder will work closely with Professor Vanessa Lawrence, Professor in Qualitative Health Research and Head of the QUAHRC at Kings and Professor Cynthia Fu, Professor of Affective Neuroscience & Psychotherapy and Principal Investigator of HOME and BDEP.

We invite applications for a Qualitative Research Associate to contribute to two NIHR-funded clinical trials investigating home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a treatment for depression (the “HOME” Trial) and bipolar depression (“BDEP”) within the NHS. HOME aims to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of home-based tDCS for individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), while BDEP will evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and implementation of home-based tDCS for individuals experiencing bipolar depression.

Both studies include a qualitative process evaluation to explore participants’ experiences of home-based neuromodulation, examine mechanisms through which the intervention influences outcomes, and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation and adherence within NHS care settings. The successful candidate will conduct qualitative interviews with trial participants and clinicians and lead the analysis of the qualitative data to inform interpretation of trial outcomes and planning of future implementation strategies.

Key responsibilities include:

• Recruit participants to the qualitative process evaluations, liaising closely with the trial manager, research staff and clinical teams.
• Conduct in-depth, sensitive qualitative interviews with people with major depressive disorder participating in HOME, individuals experiencing bipolar depression participating in BDEP, and clinicians involved in delivering the interventions.
• Lead the analysis of qualitative data to develop an in-depth understanding of participants’ expectations and experiences of home-based tDCS and to inform the interpretation of trial findings.
• Attend and contribute to study meetings, presenting updates on research progress and qualitative findings to the wider study team.
• Prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and contribute to reports, conference presentations, seminars and other dissemination activities for academic, clinical and public audiences.
• Contribute actively to the vibrant research culture of the QUAHRC, bringing ideas and enthusiasm to its programme of research, methodological development and knowledge exchange through initiatives such as research group meetings, the Qualitative Special Interest Group, the Qualitative Open Mic podcast, the Qualitative Summer School, the Qualitative Impact Blog and other collaborative activities.

This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 18 months.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade
7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.