Research Assistant/ Associate

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary
Research Assistant £33,951 - £35,608 per annum pro rata.
Research Associate £36,636 - £37,694 per annum pro rata.

The Role
You will lead a project aiming to make progress with the development and delivery of a new form of sound therapy for tinnitus (persistent ringing in the ear(s)), which has shown some early indicators of success in quieting tinnitus. You will work with a newly-developed iOS and Android app, and its web-based researcher portal, recruiting volunteers with tinnitus to test this out, running focus groups for their experiences, and setting up and running a first 1-2 rounds of clinical trials run through the app.

You will join an internationally leading auditory neuroscience group, based in Newcastle University Medical School. Your work will be overseen by a supervisory and collaborative team, in Newcastle University, with input from a researcher in Zurich, Switzerland, and a tinnitus patient expert in Sheffield.

The aim of this project is to improve this form of tinnitus sound therapy - termed Acoustic Ripple Therapy (ART) - in its acceptability, efficacy in quieting tinnitus and tailoring to the needs of the tinnitus community, to bring it closer to commercial release. You will be the central figure in this project, running all activities, taking charge of using the app and delivering trials, and liaising with all team members. You will not be required to modify or create the app itself, which is already built, but will liaise with the software developer for any modifications required. You are not required to create or adapt new forms of sound therapy, but there is substantial opportunity to use your creativity and/or acoustic signal processing skills to do this, should you wish.

The project is ambitious and time-critical. In order to be appointable to this post, you must have established technical skills in auditory science, acoustic signal processing, statistical data analysis (including large datasets ideally) and research coding.

To apply, you must hold a PhD or equivalent in a relevant research area. The post aims to start on the 1st of September 2026, but this could be delayed slightly. The fixed end date is 28th February 2027, irrespective of the start date.

For informal enquiries contact: Dr William Sedley: william.sedley@newcastle.ac.uk. Dr Sedley is the line manager for the position. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Dr Sedley before applying.

To apply formally, please submit a CV and covering letter indicating how you meet the key requirements for the post, and any other information you wish to highlight.

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: Faculty of Medical Sciences | Faculty of Medical Sciences | Newcastle University

Find out more about our Research Institutes: Translational and Clinical Research Institute | Faculty of Medical Sciences | Newcastle University

Contact for the post is william.sedley@newcastle.ac.uk.

Duration of post is until 28/02/2027.