Faculty of Medicine and Health
School of Psychology
Leeds Nutrition and Behaviour Group (Human Appetite Research Unit)
Research Assistant/Officer/Fellow
This post is available from January 2016 for a period of 9 months in the first instance
Project Title: A study of the acute and chronic effects of 100% Florida Orange Juice consumption on cognitive performance and gut microbiota in 7-9 year old UK school children
A Research Assistant/Officer/Fellow is required to work on this exciting project within the internationally renowned Leeds Nutrition and Behaviour Research Group in the School of Psychology.
You will be responsible for recruiting children to the study and will undertake the running of the experimental test sessions, administering test drinks, cognitive tests and measures of subjective state. Data collection will be carried out at one or more local primary schools.
You will additionally be required to analyse data using SPSS and SAS, write papers and disseminate the findings. You will work under the supervision of the Principal Investigators Professor Louise Dye and Dr Clare Lawton. You will be supported by the Human Appetite Research Unit (HARU) research dietitian and dietetic placement and undergraduate and postgraduate students who will assist with data collection.
You should have a BSc in Psychology, Neuroscience, Nutrition or a related discipline. Experience of conducting a research project within a psychological or school-based setting using cognitive tests and dietary interventions is essential. You should be a good organiser, be highly motivated and able to communicate effectively with children, parents, teachers and other members of the research team.
Additionally for appointment at Grade 7 you should have been awarded or recently submitted a PhD or have equivalent experience in a relevant topic area. You must also be experienced in data management and the statistical analysis of cognitive test data using appropriate statistical packages (e.g. SPSS or SAS).
As considerable time will be spent in a school setting, an interest in education and some experience of working with young people would be advantageous. This experience might be in a formal setting such as a school or an informal setting e.g. youth groups, or sports coaching.
The University of Leeds is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. The university is a charter member of Athena SWAN and holds the Bronze award. We will be happy to consider job share applications and are committed to flexible working for all our employees.
University Grade 6 (£25,769 - £30,738) or 7 (£31,656 – £37,768) depending on qualifications and experience.
Informal enquiries regarding the post should be directed to Professor Louise Dye, email: or Dr Clare Lawton, email: or Dr Neil Boyle, email:
If you have any specific enquiries about your online application please contact Louise Walton, tel: +44 133 343 5709 or email:
Please note that it is anticipated that the interviews will take place on 22nd January 2016.
Job Ref: MHPSY1016 Closing Date: 11 January 2016
JOB DESCRIPTION
There has been widespread research interest into the potential for macro- and micronutrients to impact upon cognitive performance. Food components are thought to alter cognitive function by exerting effects on neural cell structure, neurotransmission, energy supply to the brain, and metabolism. Increasing interest has been shown in the potential for food products and components to impact upon cognitive function, especially in children.
The successful candidate will carry out a dietary intervention study of the effects of daily supplementation (10 weeks duration) with 100 % fresh orange juice versus placebo orange drink on cognitive performance and subjective state in 7-9 year old school children.
The study will employ a randomised 10 week, parallel groups, double blind, placebo controlled design. Following screening, participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) Active group: 100% orange juice, (2) Placebo group: orange drink. The active and placebo groups will receive a 10 week daily supplemental drink delivered as a school-based morning intervention administered by researchers. Participants, parents and teachers will be blind to their assigned condition. Researchers will also be blinded until completion of the data analysis.
The study will be conducted within local primary schools. All screening, testing and administration of the test products will be conducted in the school environment alongside the normal school day. Following a practise session at screening to familiarise the participants with the cognitive tests and measures of subjective state, participants will take part in 3 cognitive test sessions – at baseline (Week 0), after first drink (start of Week 1) and post-intervention (end Week 10).
Faecal samples will be collected from a subsample of children at Week 0 and Week 10 to examine the gut microbiota pre and post drink intake. These samples will be collected by parents using a home sample collection kit.
Although not essential, a full UK driving licence and access to a car would be advantageous as the study involves frequent trips to primary schools in the Garforth area which includes transportation of study consumables.
Main Duties and Responsibilities of the Post
You will be expected to:
· Be responsible for participant recruitment and carrying out testing/data collection within local primary schools
· Present information on research progress and outcomes to the research group and research sponsors
· Keep abreast and maintain a good working knowledge of the pertinent literature and current developments in the field of the project
· Ensure the project conforms to the requirements of the school ethics committee (and NHS ethics where appropriate)
· Take responsibility for ensuring good day-to-day progress of the project
· Contribute to day-to-day decisions on matters that affect the research programme
· Provide day to day supervision to research/placement students attached to the project (UG and PG).
· Participate in group discussions on methods and techniques used by members of the team and contribute to the evaluation of results by other team members
· Attend departmental and institute research seminars and meetings and undertake training courses where required
· Understand broader issues relating to the management of research, including Health and Safety implementation
· Undertake any other duties as appropriate
This job description is not intended as an exhaustive list of duties to be conducted but rather it is intended as indicative of the key responsibilities of the post.
Additional responsibilities for appointment at Grade 7
· Take responsibility for acquiring, analysing and interpreting data
· Evaluate methods and techniques used and results obtained by other researchers and relate such evaluations appropriately to your own work
· Present research results through peer-reviewed publication and other recognised forms of output
· Be responsible for the analysis of the research project
· Attend relevant national and international conferences, meetings and courses and other knowledge transfer activities as appropriate
· Build internal contacts and participate in internal networks for the exchange of information and for future collaboration and
· Work with the principal investigators to identify future opportunities for research, prepare proposals and funding applications
Responsible to: You will report to the supervisory team (Dr Clare Lawton and Professor Louise Dye) on a day to day basis and be accountable through the Head of School to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health.
University Values
All staff are expected to operate in line with the university’s values and standards, which work as an integral part of our strategy and set out the principles of how we work together. More information about the university’s strategy and values is available at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/comms/strategy/
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Grade 6 and 7
Essential
· BSc degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Nutrition or a related discipline
· Experience of conducting a research project within a psychological or school-based setting
· Evidence of experience and training in methodological approaches to assess cognitive function
· Experience of data analysis using SPSS
· Evidence of effective interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral
· Evidence of an ability to work both individually and as part of a multi-disciplinary research team
· Experience of working in a busy environment
· Ability to work with a range of professionals across different organisations and disciplines
· Ability to prioritise work and manage time effectively and flexibly to meet strict deadlines
· An enthusiastic, proactive and co-operative approach
· Ability to use initiative as appropriate
· Attention to detail
· Evidence of a commitment to own development, including a willingness to learn new techniques
Desirable
· Previous experience of working with young people (in a formal or informal setting)
· Experience and training in monitoring and measurement of subjective states (especially mood)
· Experience of working on dietary intervention studies
· Experience in giving guidance, support and advice to students on research related work
· Basic certificate in Food Hygiene
· First Aid Training or recognised certificate
Additionally for appointment at Grade 7
Essential
· Completed or submitted a PhD, or have equivalent experience, on a topic relevant to this research project
· Evidence of a strong research background in an area related to this project
· Evidence of experience and training in methodological approaches to assess cognitive function - including the design, programming and administration of cognitive tests using CANTAB, EPrime or other cognitive test software.
· Evidence of experience and training in monitoring and measurement of subjective states (especially mood)
· Evidence of experience of working on dietary intervention studies
· Evidence of experience in data management and of analysing complex data-sets that require extensive processing (e.g. filtering, averaging and other forms of transformation)
· Ability to identify areas for future research, develop new research methods and to extend the research portfolio of the group
Desirable
· Master’s degree in the field of Psychological Research Methods, Neuroscience or Nutrition
· Experience of data analysis using SAS
· Evidence of peer-reviewed publication
· Experience of contributing to research funding applications
FURTHER INFORMATION
Faculty Information
With more than 6,000 students, 1,600 staff and annual research income of £50m, the Faculty of Medicine and Health at Leeds is bigger than some universities. Leeds has one of the largest medical and bioscience research bases in the UK, and is an acknowledged world leader in cancer, cardiovascular, psychiatric, genetic, musculoskeletal and health services research. Treatments developed in Leeds are transforming the lives of people around the world living with conditions such as HIV, TB, diabetes and malaria.
The School of Psychology
The School of Psychology has an overarching strategy that encourages a symbiotic relationship between teaching and research with the goal of achieving excellence in these two pedagogical activities. Following a process of mapping external needs against our internal capabilities we have developed an impact-focused research strategy with five Grand Challenges. Our Grand Challenges provide a framework for flexible research groupings and encourage working across disciplines to address major research questions. They cover broad areas within which we aim to have impact: Health and Well-Being; Nervous System and its Disorders; Successful Ageing; Successful Childhood Development; and Behaviour Change. Focus and leadership is provided by Grand Challenges leaders who meet on a monthly basis to agree strategic priorities. We have a Director of Research & Innovation who is responsible for leading the development, promotion and delivery of the School's research objectives and overseeing the development and quality of the School's research portfolio. The School also has a Director of Student Education who plays a major strategic role in developing teaching within the School and is responsible for delivery of the academic portfolio for psychology students. The delivery of a strong culture of ethical research lies at the heart of activities within the School of Psychology. Therefore you will be well supported within an outstanding network of colleagues committed to excellence in student education and research.
The School has a strong track record in research impact and was well positioned for the recent REF. We enjoy unparalleled collaborative links with colleagues across the University campus including projects with Engineering, Healthcare, Dentistry, Psychiatry, Genetics and Clinical Psychology. These links allow researchers to exploit a number of funding opportunities available within RCUK (e.g. EPSRC, ESRC, MRC) and out with (e.g. NIHR grants). The varied ethical issues in such cross-disciplinary research make this an interesting and rewarding role. The School is within the Faculty of Medicine and Health and is benefitting from major investment from the University ensuring that the School has the infrastructure necessary to meet our goals. The School also benefits from a strong strategic partnership with the Bradford Institute of Health Research, sharing several joint posts and PhD students. The BIHR is well networked with healthcare organisations and clinicians across the region and currently hosts three NIHR programme grants.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional Information
Details of the terms and conditions of employment for all staff at the university, including information on pensions and benefits, are available on the Human Resources web pages accessible via the links on the right hand side, or at http://hr.leeds.ac.uk/policies
University Teaching and Research Award
The Senate of the University has agreed that all newly appointed staff with a contract of 0.5 FTE and above who have a teaching/ research role and are deemed new to teaching or research in Higher Education should be required to complete successfully all of the requirements of the University of Leeds Teaching and Research or an appropriate alternative. Whether or not this applies to you, will be decided as part of the appointment procedure at interview.
Further details of the ULTRA are available at http://www.sddu.leeds.ac.uk/sddu-ultra.html
Staff with contracts of less than 0.5 FTE may take the ULTRA provided that they have a broad enough range of teaching, research and assessment to complete the requirements of the Programme: this will be decided in conjunction with the School and the course providers.
Disclosure and Barring Service checks
This post falls under the remit of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. As such, all applicants are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, including any pending criminal prosecutions and those which would otherwise be considered 'spent' under the 1974 Act. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013) provide that certain ‘spent’ convictions and cautions are now 'protected' and are not subject to disclosure to employers , and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Disclosure and Barring Service website. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service and at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1198/pdfs/uksi_20131198_en.pdf