M25E115 - Psychiatry Research Registrar Post in First Episode Psychosis

Department of Psychiatry, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin 4

This post is part of a program of research in psychosis funded by the Health Research Board and it is entitled: ‘Psychosis Recovery Optimisation through Guidelines and Research Based Evidence in Service Strategies’ (PROGRESS). This post is for a psychiatry trainee who has completed their Basic Specialist Training (BST).

The PROGRESS project consists of six work packages in areas of the treatment of psychosis, specifically (i) increasing autonomy in decision-making in relation to medication; (ii) protecting the physical health of people with psychosis; (iii) treatment resistance; (iv) prescribing antipsychotic for females; (v) adjunctive treatments for improving negative symptoms and cognitive functioning; (vi) developing a clinical tool to support service users and clinicians in making decisions in relation to discontinuation. More information on this programme of research is available at www.progressresearch.org. The successful candidate will primarily work on the work package (ii) which is focused on physical health interventions, but they may be asked to work on other projects across different work packages.

This is a full time research position and the successful candidate will receive support throughout the stages of research towards publication. Opportunities for undertaking a higher degree, such as an MD or PhD, are also available and can be initiated during this post and completed during higher training.  The successful candidate will have on-call duties as part of the Registrar on call rota at St Vincent’s University Hospital and will participate in the weekly academic training.

The successful candidate will be supervised by Prof Brian O’Donoghue

Required:

The successful candidate must:

• have completed their BST (this post is suitable for trainees who are yet to commence HST)
• be in possession of the MRCPsychIre or MRCPsych qualification or equivalent

Desirable:

• Have conducted research previously

Academic Training:

The successful candidate will be expected to attend the academic session at St Vincent’s University Hospital on a Thursday morning and be actively involved in teaching. The successful candidate is expected to chair some of the journal club sessions.

Enquiries:

Prof Brian O’Donoghue

UCD Professor of Psychiatry

Brian.odonoghue@ucd.ie