Research Assistant in Nutritional Sciences

Job description

These 9-month posts are for a HCPC registered dietitian with experience of NHS dietetics and will involve recruiting to a large dietary intervention study in inflammatory bowel disease. The post holders will assist in the day to day running of the project, including (but not necessarily limited to) recruitment of study participants from several NHS hospital sites, delivery of the dietary intervention, maintaining study documentation, co-ordinating subject correspondence, conducting both virtual and face to face study visits, ensuring measurements of primary and secondary outcomes are conducted according to standard operating protocols, collecting and processing biological samples, and assisting with data entry and analysis. The post-holders will be based within the department of Nutritional Sciences in the School of Life Course and Population Sciences (Waterloo campus) and will report to Professor Kevin Whelan.

These posts will be offered on a fixed-term contract until 31/12/2023.

They are full-time posts - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

• Screening and recruiting study participants from several NHS Trusts, which will require attendance at outpatient clinics
• Delivery of dietary intervention
• Maintaining study documentation
• Conducting virtual and face to face study visits
• Measuring trial outcomes according to standard operating procedures
• Collecting and processing biological samples (stool, urine, blood, and biopsies)
• Assisting with regulatory approvals and administration where required
• Assisting with data entry and analysis
• Attending and contributing to project team meetings

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

1. BSc or MSc in Dietetics

2. Registered Dietitian with the Health and Care Professions Council

3. At least 1 years’ experience of working within clinical dietetics

4. Ability to work independently and as part of a team on a research project

5. Evidence of excellent organisational skills and attention to detail

6. Ability to take initiative to solve technical and logistical problems

7. Flexible approach to working (including travel, hours, locations)

8. Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, actively addressing areas of potential bias.

Desirable criteria

9. Experience of working on human clinical trials/dietary intervention studies

10. Experience of recruiting participants to a study

Candidates are strongly encouraged to specifically address the essential criteria outlined in the Person Specification in their covering letter.

Further information

The School of Life Course & Population Sciences is one of five Schools that make up the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at King’s College London. The School unites over 400 experts in women and children’s health, nutritional sciences, population health and the molecular genetics of human disease. Our research links the causes of common health problems to life’s landmark stages, treating life, disease and healthcare as a continuum. We are interdisciplinary by nature and this innovative approach works: 91 per cent of our research submitted to the Subjects Allied to Medicine (Pharmacy, Nutritional Sciences and Women's Health cluster) for REF was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. We use this expertise to teach the next generation of health professionals and research scientists. Based across King’s Denmark Hill, Guy’s, St Thomas’ and Waterloo campuses, our academic programme of teaching, research and clinical practice is embedded across five Departments.

More information: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/slcps