Research Fellow, Brain and Mind Institute

Research Fellow, Brain and Mind Institute

Entity            Medical College

Location        Karachi, Pakistan

Introduction    Aga Khan University chartered in 1983 as Pakistan's first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research, and health care of international standards relevant to Pakistan and the region. The affiliated Aga Khan University Hospital provides state-of-the-art clinical facilities and well-equipped diagnostic services. The University currently has teaching sites in Pakistan, East Africa, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan, and is a major component of Aga Khan Development Network.

As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.

The Brain and Mind Institute (BMI) is a newly minted entity at the Aga Khan University (AKU), with key hubs in Nairobi (for East Africa) and Karachi (for South and Central Asia). The BMI seeks to build capacity in the domains of mental health and neuroscience. In collaboration with partners, the Institute is advancing research leadership capacity and support service delivery across East Africa and South Asia, and other regions served by the AKU. The Institute supports a hub for scholarship exchange and action on mental health issues, as well as educational, clinical, and community-based programs. BMI’s research focuses on the context of today’s youth in Africa and South Asia, while our programmatic offerings address mental health related and brain health issues, including stigma and resiliency. A significant area of interest is the implementation of science-based programming in hospital and community settings that translate new discoveries into prevention and treatment programs.

This is a grant-funded contractual position.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible for:

• developing objectives and designing research projects and proposals
• formulating and conducting scientific experiments, performing data collection, and analyzing and evaluating test and research results
• replicating, evaluating, refining research strategies and approaches, recommending improvements, testing, customizing, and implementing new methods and procedures
• responding to research questions, troubleshooting problems, developing and writing advanced experimental protocols, monitoring ongoing projects, and proposing and implementing changes
• proposing techniques to improve research quality and team productivity
• contributing to and writing research findings for publications, papers, presentations, grants, and other documents
• assisting with grant and manuscript submissions
• reporting equipment problems and assisting with setting up new equipment
• guiding, training, and advising junior researchers and students, and supporting senior research staff
• supporting the establishment and development of the regional team
• providing administrative and organisational support to the programme lead 
• contributing to the development of regional action plans, including planned evaluation
• contributing to and arrange awareness raising activities at regional level
• supporting the development of culturally sensitive messaging approaches
• planning and maintaining records publications and workshops/seminars undertaken
• three to four research projects on a yearly basis
• one to two publications annually.

Requirements

You should have:

• a master's degree with major coursework in Computer Science, Statistical Analysis, or Research Methodology
• at least four years of relevant experience
• computer literacy and strong mathematical, analytical, and research skills
• excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills
• knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research principles, concepts, practices, and methods
• knowledge of scientific laboratory research techniques
• knowledge of statistical concepts and methods and their application to research analysis; of measurement, testing, and evaluation; and of research methods, principles, techniques, and philosophies.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.