Postdoctoral Fellow (Preclinical Risk Factors for Dementia) in Randwick

Postdoctoral Fellow (Preclinical Risk Factors for Dementia)

Neuroscience Research Australia – Randwick NSW

Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) is a leading independent, not-for-profit medical research institute whose vision is to prevent and cure disease and disability of the brain and nervous system through leadership, excellence, and innovation in neuroscience research. NeuRA has world-class research facilities and is based at Randwick in Sydney.

Our values are the essence of our organisation. They are the principles that we live by and are at the core of everything we do. Impact. Collaboration. Respect. Excellence. Integrity. Innovation.

At NeuRA, you'll be part of a collaborative and purpose-driven organisation dedicated to advancing neuroscience research and improving lives. You'll work alongside leading researchers and clinicians, contribute to impactful research outcomes, and be supported in your professional development within a world-class research environment.

Overview of the Role:

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Devenney team and lead research investigating risk, resilience and early disease-related change before the onset of overt cognitive impairment.

This role offers the opportunity to work across rich, well-characterised clinical and research cohorts, using longitudinal and multimodal data to better understand the factors associated with dementia risk and resilience. You will develop research questions and analytical approaches, lead complex data analyses, and translate findings into clinically meaningful insights and high-quality research outputs.

Working within a collaborative clinical and research environment, you will work closely with clinicians, researchers, research participants, people at risk of or living with dementia, families and collaborators. You will also contribute to the broader research program through study development, grant applications, ethics and governance activities, publications, mentoring and research team coordination.

This is an ideal opportunity for an early-career researcher looking to build their research profile and develop research leadership while contributing to clinically meaningful research focused on the earliest stages of dementia.

3 Best Things About the Role:

• Lead clinically meaningful research exploring risk, resilience and the earliest changes associated with dementia.
• Work across rich multimodal datasets and well-characterised cohorts alongside experienced clinical and research collaborators.
• Build your research profile and leadership through publications, competitive grants, mentoring and team coordination.

Responsibilities of the Role:

• Preclinical dementia risk and resilience research
• Multimodal and longitudinal data analysis
• Timely manuscript and grant development
• Participant-facing research and team coordination
• Lead research examining preclinical risk factors for dementia and early disease change using multimodal clinical and research data.
• Develop analysis plans and undertake rigorous, reproducible statistical analyses of cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets.
• Integrate findings across modalities, which may include clinical, cognitive, imaging, fluid biomarker, genetic, digital or other measures.
• Prepare and submit manuscripts, abstracts and reports to a high standard and within agreed timelines.
• Contribute to grant applications, ethics submissions and amendments, protocols and study documentation.
• Support participant recruitment, consent, assessment and longitudinal follow-up, working sensitively with people at risk of or living with dementia and their families as required.
• Assist with day-to-day project and team management, including coordinating priorities, monitoring milestones and supporting junior staff and students.
• Maintain high standards of research governance, data quality, confidentiality, reproducibility and compliance with approved protocols.
• Build effective internal and external collaborations and present findings at scientific, clinical and community forums.
• Other duties commensurate with the role, as reasonably required.

To be successful in this Role, you will need:

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

• A PhD awarded or near completion, in neuroscience, psychology, neuropsychology, epidemiology, biostatistics, medicine, allied health or related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience analysing complex health or research data using appropriate statistical software, with the ability to develop analyses independently and interpret findings in their clinical and biological context.
• A strong publication record relative to opportunity, with demonstrated ability to prepare and submit high-quality manuscripts within agreed timelines.
• Excellent scientific writing skills and experience contributing to competitive grant applications, research protocols, ethics submissions or reports.
• Strong organisational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, monitor deliverables and work both independently and collaboratively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary collaborators and to support or mentor junior staff and students.
• Knowledge of research ethics, governance, privacy, data integrity and responsible research practice.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience:

• Experience in dementia, cognitive neurology or neurodegeneration research, particularly direct work with patients, people at increased risk of dementia, research participants and families.
• Experience working with multimodal datasets, such as cognitive, clinical, neuroimaging, fluid biomarker, genetic, digital or physiological measures.
• Experience with longitudinal modelling, data integration or other advanced quantitative methods.
• Experience in clinical research or clinical trials, including GCP training.
• Experience supervising or mentoring students or junior research staff and supporting research team operations.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including developing analysis plans, selecting appropriate statistical methods and interpreting biological and clinical findings.
• Strong understanding of data quality, reproducibility and research documentation.
• Excellent scientific writing and communication skills.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, including coordinating studies and monitoring budgets, timelines, milestones and deliverables.
• Ability to work effectively across clinical, laboratory, data and research teams and with external collaborators.

Personal Attributes:

• Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
• Proactive and self-motivated, with the ability to work independently and manage competing priorities.
• Collaborative and team-oriented, with the ability to build effective working relationships across multidisciplinary teams.
• Analytical and solutions-focused approach to research.
• Commitment to research quality, integrity and reproducibility.

Diversity and Inclusion

NeuRA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating discrimination in all employment practices. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

EEO and Right to Work Statement

You must have the right to live and work in Australia for the duration of your appointment at NeuRA.

Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating discrimination in all our employment policies and practices.

Acknowledgement of Country

NeuRA acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work, and extends respect to all Elders past, present, and emerging.

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