Associate Professor in Youth Mental Health and Neuroimaging

Job Description

Thompson Institute, Birtinya QLD
Academic Level D, $151,576 – $166,930 p.a. plus up to 17% superannuation
Full-time, fixed-term appointment until 30 June 2025

The opportunity

UniSC’s Thompson Institute (TI) based in Birtinya on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, is a world-class hub for mental health research addressing Australia’s most pressing mental health issues. The TI is the only facility in Australia to integrate and co-locate research, clinical services and education – a unique model that enables the fast translation of research evidence into clinical practice.

The TI is led by our Director, Professor Jim Lagopoulos, an internationally respected expert in mental health and neuroscience research, with more than 20 years’ clinical research experience. Prof Lagopoulos’ research impact is outstanding with more than 300 published articles, more than 10,000 citations and an H-index score of 60. His research areas are focused on youth mental health, healthy brain ageing and dementia, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury.

The TI has one of the most sophisticated brain imaging platforms across Australia which includes a research-dedicated 3T MRI scanner, a 128-channel MR-compatible Geodesics EEG system, two 128 channel Biosemi EEG laboratories, a 32 channel neurofeedback laboratory, a Magventure TMS laboratory along with dedicated behavioural testing suites.

As our Associate Professor in Youth Mental Health and Neuroimaging, you will assume a leadership position within the youth mental health program and will contribute to our world-first Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study.

This ambitious study records young people’s brain development every four months between the ages of 12 to 18 years. Using advanced neuroimaging and cognitive and psychological assessments we’re examining factors associated with mental health and wellbeing in the crucial developmental phase of adolescence.

The study is also establishing a world-leading database of the adolescent brain at each phase of its development.

You will

• Engage in primary research, managing the research activities youth mental health program which includes junior researchers and PhD candidates. Authoring publications, delivering presentations (national/international), and facilitating related collaborative efforts with UniSC’s other research centres and research institutions;
  conduct neuroimaging analyses, building upon an existing python pipelines and lead the development of novel, machine learning and AI algorithms for multimodal image analysis, connectomics, and diagnostics as part of the youth mental health program
• Develop and apply novel computational approaches to multimodal image and connectivity analyses, and patient outcome prediction problems using structural, diffusion and functional MRI data, along with clinical and cognitive data; and
• Lead the computational and neuroimaging analyses for several cutting-edge trials at the including those focused on youth and other clinical disorders.

The Thompson Institute

UniSC’s Thompson Institute addresses society’s most pressing mental health issues.

The Institute integrates world-class research, clinical services and education under one roof, enabling fast translation of the latest research breakthroughs into cutting-edge mental health practice.

The work conducted at the Thompson Institute is underpinned by the latest neuroscience, which uncovers promising new insights into mental health and how it is linked to our brain structure and function.

The Institute’s work is focused around four central themes:

• Clinical services provision
• Advocacy for patients and their carers
• Conducting ground breaking translational Research
• Education and teaching

A critical distinction between the Thompson Institute and other facilities is the unique integration and co-location of specialised clinical services within a cutting-edge research environment, translating research into clinical practice through education, ultimately improving the outcomes for people dealing with mental health conditions. Notably, our objectives are focused on a community engagement and lived experience model which has resulted in the Thompson Institute establishing itself as a centre of excellence in the fields of youth mental health and suicide prevention, as a direct result of the Commonwealth Government funding for these programs.

The 2022-23 federal budget allocated a commitment of $3.9 million over three-years for our youth mental health and suicide prevention programs.

For more information about UniSC’s Thompson Institute, see: https://www.usc.edu.au/thompson-institute

About you

You will possess experience in the day-to-day management and coordination of a team including post doc researchers and students involved in longitudinal data acquisition and image analytics that involve multimodal MRI and neuropsychological data.

You will also possess

• Strong mentoring skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written scientific communication; and
• A nationally and internationally recognised reputation for your technical and scientific leadership as demonstrated by your publication record in premier medical and imaging conferences and journals.

Ideally you will also be able to demonstrate

• Significant contribution to research in the field of youth mental health;
• Experience with machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms in clinical applications;
• Experience in the management of core facilities, for example, MRI, EEG or similar;
• Postgraduate qualifications in higher education; and
• Formal external and/or internal recognition for excellence in learning and teaching and/or research.
  UniSC is an equal opportunity employer and has a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion. We encourage people with disability; women in STEM; First Nations Peoples; and people of all cultures, genders, abilities, and experiences to apply. Should you require additional support, email usccareers@usc.edu.au or phone +61 7 5430 2830.

Contact

For confidential discussion, please contact:

Professor Jim Lagopoulos BSc Syd., MBiomedE NSW, PhD Syd., LIMSEA Harvard., FQA., FAINM

Director, Thompson Institute

Email jim.lagopoulos@usc.edu.au or Telephone +61 7 5456 3545

Apply

Please apply by Midnight, Tuesday 14 March 2023.

A completed application includes:

Academic CV
A statement of suitability not to exceed three pages. This statement should outline your skills, knowledge and qualitities that will make you a success at UniSC.
Benefits of working at UniSC

UniSC is a community which recognises and embraces diversity among our staff, students and community partnerships. We provide an inclusive environment where each person feels they belong and are respected, connected and empowered to rise, and shine.

UniSC is a proud recipient of the prestigious Athena SWAN Bronze Award, granted as part of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative which aims to address and improve gender equity in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) disciplines. Attaining an award is recognition of our ongoing commitment to improving gender equity and ensuring that women from diverse backgrounds, as well as underrepresented groups, are best positioned to reach their full potential.

UniSC offers career enhancement opportunities such as professional development and specialised leadership and management programs. We are an inclusive employer offering flexible work options and extensive and generous leave options. For more information, visit our website/ https://www.usc.edu.au/about/work-at-unisc/benefits-of-working-at-unisc.