Research Assistant in Nutritional Sciences - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

Research Assistant in Nutritional Sciences - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

About Us

The Department of Nutritional Sciences explores the relationship between diet, health and disease from molecules to populations. Based at King’s Waterloo Campus, the Department of Nutritional Sciences combines over 60 basic and applied scientists, dietitians, nutritionists, doctors and public health experts. Our mission is to find new ways to improve health and to prevent and treat nutrition-related disease.

We began in 1953 as the first university department of nutrition in Europe and have been at the forefront of research in nutrition science and dietetics ever since. We have developed new food applications to impact blood glucose control, collected big data through citizen science to understand individual responses to food, pioneered the low FODMAP diet as a treatment for IBS, and are developing new cereal processing techniques to unlock the natural iron and zinc in staple foods.

Our Department is based in the School of Life Course & Population Sciences , one of six 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. In REF 2021, the Department and School were returned under Unit of Assessment 3 (Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy) where 70% of research was 4* (world-leading) and 95% of research was 4* and 3* (world-leading or internationally excellent), and importantly, 100% of the research environment was rated 4* (world-leading). This resulted in the highest ranking in the UK for UoA3 for research, research output, research GPA and research power. 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.

About the role

We are looking to recruit two Research Assistants in Nutritional Sciences to join our team and run a state-of-the-art large clinical trial that investigates the impact of plant foods on gut and cardiometabolic health. The post holder will be involved in setting up, coordinating and conducting a large trial on a dietary intervention. The project will involve the preparation and provision of foods and meals to healthy participants, and the collection of clinical outcomes related to gut and cardiometabolic health.

The post holder will assist in the day to day running of the project, including (but not necessarily limited to) preparation/sourcing of the dietary intervention products, coordination of meal deliveries, liaising with service providers, recruitment of study participants, delivery of the dietary intervention, maintaining study documentation, coordinating subject correspondence, conducting study visits, ensuring measurements of primary and secondary outcomes are conducted according to standard operating protocols, collecting and processing biological samples, acquiring relevant regulatory approvals, and assisting with data entry and analysis. The post-holder will be based within the department of Nutritional Sciences in the School of Life Course and Population Sciences (Waterloo campus) and will report to Dr Eirini Dimidi.

It is a rare and incredibly exciting opportunity to work across the research spectrum at a centre of excellence for diet and health research. This is an exciting opportunity for the post-holder to develop and refine nutrition research skills in an emerging scientific area, and work closely with a dynamic team of diet, nutrition, gut and cardiometabolic health experts.

These are both full time posts (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31/08/2028.