We wish to appoint a Research Assistant to work on a clinical trial called the Autism-CHIME (Children's Improvisational Music Therapy Evaluation) Study at the Autism Research Centre (ARC), in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge. The study will evaluate whether improvisational music therapy is effective at improving autistic children's social communication skills, and their wellbeing.
About the role
The Department has an outstanding international reputation in the field of psychiatric research, rated the best psychiatry department in the UK and in Europe. The ARC's mission is to conduct research that both deepens our understanding of autism, and has real-world relevance for improving the health and wellbeing of autistic people and their families. The ARC views autism as both a disability and an example of neurodiversity. The ARC's values are summarised here: https://www.autismresearchcentre.com/our-values/. The ARC values inclusion for autistic people to maximise their wellbeing, and consults with the autism community on every research project it undertakes.
The appointee will be supervised by Dr Artur Jachke, the Research Associate leading the project, and work with other members of the team from the ARC (Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and Dr Carrie Allison), the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) (Dr Jonathan Pool), and CHIME (Dr David Greenberg, also at the ARC). This clinical trial is funded by the charities the Autism Centre of Excellence at Cambridge (ACE) (following a generous donation from the John Lambton Estate), the Rosetrees Trust and the Stoneygate Trust.
The Research Assistant will undertake detailed assessments of autistic children and will collect online data from their parents/carers. The appointee will be required to travel to locations from Cambridge for data collection at schools on most days. They will also be responsible for project administration, including communicating with schools and parents/carers of autistic children, data entry, and supporting community engagement. They will participate in team meetings. All necessary training will be provided.
Who you are
The successful applicant will have a good degree in Psychology or a related relevant discipline. Experience of working on a school-based research project or a clinical trial is desirable. The successful applicant must also have a clean driving licence and access to a car to travel to data collection sites. Essential qualities include strong organisational and communication skills, especially with children, parents, and teachers, and excellent attention to detail, time management skills, and an ability to work independently.
Desirable qualities include experience working with autistic children, an understanding of research methods, basic statistics (e.g., use of SPSS or R), and data manipulation (e.g., using Excel).
