Research Fellow in Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre

UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology

Job Description

Research Fellow

Research Department

Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre

Reports to

Director, Professor Mike Hanna

Head of Research Department, Professors

Nick Fox & Sarah Tabrizi

Princilple Investigator, Dr Angeliki Zarkali Research Fellow

Line manager: Dr Angeliki Zarkali

Context

Grade: 7

Location: Russell Square House / On-site First Structure of the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology The Research Department of Neurodegenerative Disease is one of the foremost international centres for the study of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. The research portfolio encompasses Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.

Highly multidisciplinary and interactive studies span structural and molecular biology, neurogenetics and the full spectrum of clinical research including major cohort studies and therapeutic trials. The research philosophy is to combine basic and clinical translational research; many of the key contributions towards understanding the basic biology of these diseases have come from clinical and neuropathological observations, and efficient translation of basic laboratory research to the clinic is essential to provide benefits for patients at the earliest opportunity.

The UCL Dementia Research Centre is a hub for clinical research into various forms of dementia. Our work focuses on identifying and understanding the disease processes that cause dementia, the factors that influence these disease processes, and how best to support people with dementia and

their families. In addition to our research, we also provide cognitive disorders clinics within the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

Main purpose of the job

We are seeking a Research Fellow to help advance a research programme on developing neuroimaging-informed non-invasive stimulation approaches.

You will integrate structural, functional and neurochemical imaging measures to identify brain circuits associated with cognitive decline and help define targets for focused ultrasound stimulation. You will also contribute to the delivery and evaluation of ultrasound stimulation studies, the interpretation and dissemination of findings, and the development of new analytical approaches and research questions across the programme.

You will be part of a dynamic and friendly lab within the Dementia Research Centre, working to understand how dementia happens in Parkinson’s and related diseases and how we can leverage advances in neuroimaging to develop novel, non-invasive therapeutic approaches.

The post is available from 01 January 2027 and is funded by UKRI for one year in the first instance.

Duties and responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to a portfolio of publishable outputs across three connected workstreams:
• structural and functional correlates of cognitive outcomes in Parkinson’s disease patients treated with deep brain stimulation, 2) clarifying the functional networks associated with cognitive deterioration in a longitudinal Parkinson’s cohort, 3) develop a neuroimaging informed framework for non-invasive stimulation target selection.
• Contribute to planning and delivery of focused ultrasound stimulation studies, including MRIbased targeting and assessment of treatment effects.
• Perform advanced statistical analyses and contribute to interpretation of complex multimodal datasets.
• Support participant recruitment and data collection and coordination across the team
• Develop, optimise and document reproducible neuroimaging analysis pipelines.
• Lead the drafting, submission, and revision of manuscripts (targeting 2–3 primary outputs during the appointment), and contribute to additional scholarly outputs (e.g., conference abstracts, posters, talks).
• Prepare high-quality figures, supplementary materials, and reproducible analysis scripts (R/Python/MATLAB), using robust documentation and version control where appropriate.
• Maintain high standards of data management, governance, reproducibility and research integrity.
• Support supervision and training of students and junior researchers where appropriate.
• Contribute to wider activities of research group, including seminars, meetings, public and patient engagement, and dissemination.

Teaching, research, and development

• Provide teaching on topics related to your work as requested by your line manager or Head of Research Department.
• Contribute to your Department’s multidisciplinary research projects as aligned with the departmental strategy.

• Prepare and analyse data for publications for the dissemination of research and for presentation at internal meetings at UCL, meetings with external collaborators, and national and international conferences.

General

• Attend and contribute to Departmental, Institutional, and university meetings, committees, and initiatives as appropriate.
• Always act in accordance with the highest professional standards and ensure that these are maintained in the delivery of all aspects of research.
• Actively promote equality of opportunity and inclusivity, supporting policy within the remit of your role.
• Ensure the highest standard of record keeping, maintaining accurate, complete, and up-todate records.
• Ensure confidentiality is maintained as applicable.
• Follow and actively promote the UCL Ways of Working.
• Takes responsibility to carry out duties in a way that embodies UCL's environmental and social sustainability values, actively supporting objectives within the remit of your role.

UCL’s Equal Opportunity

UCL's Sustainability Strategy, policies and The above description is not exhaustive, and you will be required to undertake any other duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope, spirit, and purpose of the post.

Job descriptions are reviewed on a regular basis including at the annual appraisal. As duties and responsibilities change, the job description may be amended in consultation with the post-holder.

You will be expected to actively follow all UCL policies and procedures and complete UCL mandatory training, maintain an awareness of Fire and Health & Safety Regulations, attend meetings as required, and undertake such training and development as may be needed for the post.

All staff are required to act professionally, cooperatively, and flexibly in line with the requirements of the post and the Institute’s Code of Conduct.

Person Specification

Note to job applicant: copy and paste the following criteria into your “Statement in support of your application” and describe underneath each criteria how you meet it, giving examples. You will be scored on how you meet each criteria.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications, experience and knowledge

PhD (or be near completion) in a relevant discipline (e.g., neuroscience, neurodegeneration, psychology, or related discipline) Experience in quantitative research methods, programming and statistical modelling with the ability to plan and execute rigorous statistical models Experience with quantitative analysis of neuroimaging data, particularly structural imaging and connectomics Evidence of scholarly productivity, including peer ‑ reviewed publications, and the ability to lead manuscripts from analysis to submission Good understanding of research ethics and data governance, including secure handling of sensitive data and GDPR ‑ aligned practice, and experience securing ethical approval for human participant research

Skills and abilities

Experience analysing neuroimaging data (structural and diffusion MRI preferred) and/or working confidently with neuroimaging datasets Familiarity with common neuroimaging tools and workflows (eg. FSL, Freesurfer, AFNI) Excellent oral and written communication skills

IT proficiency at advanced user level (MS Office suite, web-based systems, databases, file management etc) Proactive and resourceful, with the ability to act on own initiative An interest in research and a commitment to supporting high-quality research Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact successfully and work cooperatively with people from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds

Desirable Criteria

Excellent coding skills in a relevant language (Python, Matlab or R) Hands ‑ on experience with structural MRI analysis tools (e.g. Freesurfer, FSL, SPM) and structural connectome analyses Prior experience in neurodegeneration, especially people with Parkinson’s disease or dementias (imaging analysis of patients treated with deep brain stimulation is preferred)

Apply

To apply for this position visit: ucl.ac.uk/jobs Please complete the online application form and use the supporting statement section to outline your interest in joining the Zarkali lab at the department of Neurodegenerative Disease, and how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role. Please also upload a recent CV.

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact the Institute HR Team, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 23 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG (email: ion.hradmin@ucl.ac.uk).

For informal enquiries about the role please contact Dr Angelika Zarkali (email: a.zarkali@ucl.ac.uk).

The post is available from 01 January 2027 and is funded by UKRI for one year in the first instance.

Salary

The post is graded as UCL Grade 7 with salary in the range £47,186 - £55,099 per annum, including

London Allowance.

Progression through the salary scale is incremental. Cost of living pay awards are negotiated nationally and are normally effective from 1 st August each year.

Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be as Research Assistant/Grade 6B (salary £40,603 - £43,749 per annum) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis. It is expected that you will have had your viva prior to commencing in post.

Probation

Appointments are subject to receipt of satisfactory references and a probationary period of nine months.

Hours of work

Full time, 36.5 hours per week; times of work are as determined by the line manager or Director.

Hybrid working arrangements

The nature of this role requires you to spend most of your time working on-site (On-site First) and you are expected to spend at least 80% of your working hours on campus.

Annual leave

Annual leave is 27 working days for a full-time member of staff + 6 UCL closure days in addition to 8 Bank Holidays.

Pension

Appointments are superannuable under the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

Other benefits

UCL is a dynamic, global university based in one of the most exciting capital cities in the world. Not only does working at UCL offer the opportunity to work with some of the greatest intellects in the world, it also offers competitive terms, conditions and benefits to its staff. In our 2025 staff survey, 95% of ION staff rate the Institute as an enjoyable place to work and over 90% feel that the Institute has a positive working culture.

As part of the UCL community you can access free lunch hour lectures, exhibitions and museums and collections. On campus UCL has the Bloomsbury theatre hosting a range of performances and a series of bars, cafes, and other facilities, which UCL staff can use.

In addition to 41 days annual leave (inclusive of public holidays and closure days) and generous pension schemes, UCL provides a number of other staff benefits.

UCL benefits and policies apply equally, whatever the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of employees. Benefits and policies relating to employees’ partners includes both different sex and same sex partners.