Research Assistant

• Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences
• Full-time, 2-years fixed-term position at our Hawthorn campus
• RSCHA salary + 17% super and staff benefits

About the Role
The Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences is seeking a dedicated Research Assistant to join a leading research team and undertake work on the Rhythms and Rewards project funded by the US-based BD2 (2024 – 2027). Swinburne University is the Australian site for an international project investigating circadian moderation of reward activation in people with bipolar disorder, and we are seeking a Research Assistant to manage recruitment, communication with participants and data collection at the Australian site under the direction of Professor Greg Murray and Dr Catherine Orr.

This role will primarily involve data collection, which involves two weeks of monitoring for each participant using actigraphy and Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), followed by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). With supervision and direction from the lead investigator and a Project Manager, you will contact participants to schedule research visits, administer cognitive and mood assessments, manage participants’ MRI visit and manage data.

You will have the opportunity to contribute to high quality research outputs in the fields of mood disorders, neurobiology, EMA and neuroimaging, and will work closely with a leading multi-disciplinary global network of mood disorder researchers. To be successful in this role, you will have strong communication skills, a collaborative mindset and be excited to engage with researchers and build on your current skills. You will have the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and collaborations for a career in mental health research.

Note: imaging is being conducted in the evening (around 8-9 pm), so you will be expected to work outside of regular hours on occasion.

About You
To be suitable for this role you will need to have experience in the below key accountabilities:

• Demonstrated experience in working independently and as part of a team on a research project with human participants.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to develop a good rapport with participants, investigators and project staff.
• Demonstrated ability to work with attention to detail regarding testing protocols, report writing and record management.
• Experience relating to people with significant mental health difficulties.
• Demonstrated experience with clinical assessments and structured clinical interviews in mental health is preferred.

Qualifications

• An Honours degree in psychology or other relevant discipline and/or other relevant qualifications and experience.

About Swinburne University of Technology
Swinburne’s strategy draws upon our understanding of future challenges. We choose to build Swinburne as the prototype of a new and different university – one that is truly of Technology, of Innovation and of Entrepreneurship. We are committed to a differentiated university proposition in education and research.

To Apply
Please submit your CV and Cover Letter addressing the Key Selection Criteria and your suitability for this position.

To review the Position Description and to apply, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

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Please Note: Appointment to this position is subject to passing a Working with Children Check.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application, please contact the Swinburne Talent Acquisition Team on talentacquisition@swin.edu.au

Applications Close: Thursday, 24 July 2025 at 5pm.

Swinburne offers flexible working options contained in our leave and parenting/carer policies to support work-life balance.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Swinburne has become a world-class university, driving social and economic impacts through science, technology, and innovation. As a dual-sector university, our vision is for people and technology working together to build a better world.

Central to our vision is our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We pride ourselves on being an equal opportunity employer focused on attracting, retaining, and developing great talent. We work to remove barriers related to gender identity, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and age.

We strongly encourage applicants from diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Our Moondani Toombadool Centre leads our Indigenous education and culture at Swinburne, guided by community wisdom and leadership.

We support applicants with disabilities. Adjustments can be requested at any time during the recruitment process. For Reasonable Adjustment requests, including accessible formats for the PD, application form or any other document, please contact at DCR@swin.edu.au or call +61 3 9214 3550.

Please note the above number and DCR email address are for disability or reasonable adjustments queries only. General enquiries about the role can be sent to talentacquisition@swin.edu.au (general enquiries will not be answered by phone).

Victoria’s Commitment to Action: Improving international student employment outcomes.
As a signatory to Victoria’s Commitment to Action, Swinburne seeks to remove barriers to international graduate employment. We welcome and encourage applications from international graduates.

As a Circle Back Initiative Employer, we commit to responding to every applicant.
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