Lecturer in Ageing and Dementia

We seek to appoint an applicant with significant early-career potential, or an established track record of research excellence, in the area of ageing and dementia, with a focus on research conducted from a psychosocial perspective which can yield practical benefits for the lives of older people, people living with cognitive disability and dementia, and/or their family carers.

The post-holder will be part of the Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health (REACH; see http://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/REACH), which is part of the School’s Clinical Psychology Research Group. REACH, recently established in Exeter, is a growing Centre that currently comprises 11 staff and doctoral students, holds grants totalling around £7 million, and collaborates in major projects in the UK and internationally.  The aim of REACH is to improve the lives of older people and people with dementia through research focused on three main themes: maintaining cognitive health in later life, living well with age-related cognitive disability and dementia, and supporting family care. This work has a psychosocial emphasis, draws primarily on perspectives from social gerontology, clinical and behavioural psychology, neurorehabilitation and public health, and uses a range of methods including randomised controlled trials, observational and cohort studies, and evidence syntheses.

REACH benefits from close links with the University of Exeter Medical School Institute of Health Research and PenCLAHRC, which offer outstanding support for health-related research. There are also excellent opportunities for collaboration across a range of disciplines and integration with ongoing projects, such as the IDEAL (http://www.idealproject.org.uk/) and CFAS-Wales cohort studies. REACH has strong links with local service providers and NHS services, as well as partnerships with key national and international organisations and with the Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Promoting Cognitive Health and Preventing Cognitive Decline.  

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in Psychology and will have, or be developing, an independent, internationally-recognised research programme complementary to our areas of strength. S/he will be able to demonstrate a strong track-record in attracting, or demonstrable potential to attract, research funding; ability to work in collaboration with existing group members; an active and supportive approach to inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research that will help to foster interactions and links both within the University and externally; the motivation and ability to engage in continuing professional development; the aptitude to develop familiarity with a variety of strategies to promote and assess learning; and enthusiasm for delivering undergraduate programmes. A professional qualification in clinical psychology would be an advantage, but is not essential. We particularly welcome applications from candidates holding individual fellowships and may make additional appointments to suitably qualified candidates.

Our Exeter Academic initiative supports high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career.

The department is proud to have a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of their commitment to providing equality of opportunity and advancing the representation of women in STEM/M subjects. All of the University of Exeter’s STEM/M departments hold an Athena SWAN award.

The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer which is ‘Positive about Disabled People’. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.