Job Description

Ref Number

B02-09903

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

School of Life & Medical Sciences (B02)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

43,981-52,586

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

16-Jan-2026

About us

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We are looking for a Research Fellow to join a project on young people's social media use and how it relates to mental health outcomes.



We are based at University College London (UCL), in the Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology (CEHP), part of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, which ranked 2nd worldwide for Psychology in the latest Times Higher Education rankings by subject.

About the role

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This is a full-time (1.0 FTE) fixed-term post until September 2028. Together with the project lead, Dr Alex Lloyd, and in collaboration with Professor Jonathan Roiser, the Research Fellow will contribute to a new study examining how social media use relates to mental health outcomes in youth. This role will involve the collection and analysis of real-world social media data (that is, data sourced directly from social media apps such as TikTok), and of transdiagnostic mental health symptoms.



We are seeking to recruit an exceptional early career researcher with an interest in the mechanisms that may link social media use to mental health outcomes in young people. The successful candidate will have strong data analysis skills and experience of writing up research for publication.



This role is eligible for hybrid working with a minimum of 60% on site. This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Professional Services Staff. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/conditions-service-research-teaching-and-professional-services-staff for more information.

About you

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The candidate will hold a PhD (or be near to completion) in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Computer Science, and/or a related discipline. They will have a strong theoretical background in social media and mental health and/or cognitive mechanisms relevant for mental health. Excellent programming skills (preferably in R or Python) are essential. The candidate should have experience with at least one of the following: a) working with real-world social media data, b) computational modelling, or c) machine learning.



This is a complex project managing longitudinal data from a range of sources. Therefore, thoroughness and attention to detail while managing multiple competing demands will be vital.



The candidate will be committed to UCL's values of inclusivity, respect, collaboration, and sustainability.

What we offer

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As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:


41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan Immigration loan Relocation scheme for certain posts On-Site nursery On-site gym Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more. For job board postings use the condensed plain text: As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer great benefits. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be under-represented in UCL's workforce.