Research Assistant

Reference
1100690

Branch
UCL

Start date
20/09/2025

Duration
6 Months

Hours and days
36.5 hours

Dress code
Not Applicable

Rate of pay
£20.92

Holiday rate
£3.92

Role

Unitemps are recruiting for a Research Assistant within the Institute of Neurology. The role is to work ASAP and will run until 31st March 2026 full time at 37.5 hours per week . Payment is set at £20.92+ holiday pay per hour and the role will be HYBRID based.

The PLORAS project, led by Professor Cathy Price, aims to better understand and predict the recovery of speech and language after stroke. By enabling precise, individualised predictions, we can begin to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy ensuring interventions are the right type, intensity, and duration. Understanding recovery potential would also enable patients and their carers to better plan for the future.

Our project involves obtaining brain scans and administering speech and language assessments to hundreds of stroke survivors with aphasia. We can then use this wealth of data to investigate the extent to which variability in the speed and degree of aphasia recovery arises from (i) the availability of intact neural structures that can learn to support lost functions, and (ii) non-lesion factors (e.g., therapy dose) that affect the ability to use these intact structures. For more information please click here.

Duties and responsibilities
Data collection and scoring

• Administering patient-reported outcome measures and demographic questionnaires to people with aphasia.
• Administering speech and language assessments, e.g. the Comprehensive Aphasia Test (CAT) to people with aphasia.
• Questionnaire and assessments may be administered either remotely (via telephone, email or videoconferencing) or in person (at the participant’s home or at the research centre), depending on research and participant needs.
• Scoring assessments, adhering to strict test and research protocols.
• Ensure high-quality, person-centred care by supporting participants throughout their involvement with the PLORAS project — including in-person, telephone, and online interactions — with attention to their communication needs, emotional wellbeing, and overall research experience.

Data entry and administration

• Apply clinical precision and attention to detail when entering, monitoring, and quality-checking participant data in the PLORAS database.

Additional duties

•  Occasional administrative and liaison tasks within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager.

General

• Maintain regular and transparent communication with line manager.

Skills and experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent standard in speech and language therapy.
• Experience and understanding of communication needs in people with aphasia (and other acquired neurological speech/language impairments).
• Knowledge of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation 2018.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook), online diary applications, and databases.
• Proven experience of administering language assessments to stroke survivors.
• Experience of working in an academic, health or research environment, particularly NHS or National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• A methodical and accurate approach to work with meticulous attention to detail and excellent record keeping, being wholly reliable and thorough.
• Confidence in ability to interact with vulnerable adults who may need communication support and with a range of health professionals.
• Sensitivity to the needs of stroke survivors and specific considerations related to this population. 
• Good organisational skills and the ability to deal effectively with conflicting priorities.
• Flexible approach to work, including the ability to take up new tasks when required.
• Ability to multi-task, to work under pressure and to tight deadlines in a dynamic working environment.
• The ability to work independently.
• Strong problem-solving abilities.
• Clearly demonstrable enthusiasm for and understanding of the project aims.
• A high level of patience with participants who may need information to be repeated, re-phrased and/or require extra time to express themselves.
• Excellent inter-personal skills with an ability to work co-operatively in a multidisciplinary setting.
• Interested in research and a commitment to supporting high quality research.

Location
Hybrid

Additional information

Please note to be eligible to work within this role, you must have the right to work in the UK, be physically based in the UK and be able to travel to our London based office for a RTW check (if required). This job will close for applications at 11.59pm on Thursday 11th September 2025. Interviews will be held shortly after.

Unitemps reserves the right to close this advert for applications prior to the date specified above, if a high volume of suitable applications are received.

If you have a full-time contract of employment with UCL, you are not able to work through UCL Unitemps at the same time.

Unitemps payroll is monthly, one month in arrears, please see the payroll dates here.

DBS: Please note: This roles requires DBS Check. 'Unitemps is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment’ 

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