Postdoctoral Researcher in Mental Health Ethics at University of Oxford

Location: Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX

We are looking to appoint a Postdoctoral Researcher in Mental Health Ethics based within the Neuroscience, Ethics and Society (NEUROSEC) Team in the Department of Psychiatry. Led by Professor Ilina Singh, the NEUROSEC Team has an international reputation for its work in neuroscience ethics and psychiatric ethics and is uniquely situated within Oxford Psychiatry and Neuroscience, building collaborative research relationships with scientists, clinicians and public stakeholders, whilst maintaining a critical perspective and a portfolio of independent research projects.

The post is for a fixed-term (funded for 36 months) and is full time; however, consideration would be given to candidates wishing to work part-time – minimum 80% FTE, on a pro rata basis.

Funding for this role stems from a Wellcome Trust project investigating the underlying mechanisms of psychological therapy of anxiety and depression in young people. The principal hypothesis is that improvement of social anxiety and depressive symptoms during successful cognitive therapy depends on the generation of surprises (often referred to as expectancy violations) that are salient to the individual and their position in the world. The postholder will lead on a unique opportunity to develop a nested sub-study on the ethical dimensions this intervention, using a co-design approach. The role contributes to the NEUROSEC Team’s pioneering portfolio of empirical ethics methods for research in mental health ethics, working closely with young people.

You will have expertise and experience at the intersection of psychology/mental health, bioethics and co-design. Working independently and collaboratively, you will be expected to work with NEUORSEC and UCL colleagues to develop a strategy; recruit and build capacity in a project Young Person’s Advisory Group (YPAG); and co-design and lead on an empirical ethics project centred on a relevant bioethical challenge, such as epistemic justice. Your strategy will embed our commitments to equality, inclusion and diversity.

You will have, or be close to the completion of, a relevant PhD in bioethics, psychology or a related empirical social science discipline, and will demonstrate a high-level of knowledge and research in the social science or empirical ethics of neuroscience, psychiatry and / or mental health. Personal and/or research understanding of anxiety and depression in young people is desirable.

You will be required to upload a supporting statement, a CV, and details of two referees as part of your online application.

The closing date for this post is 12:00 midday on 7^th August 2023.