Research Assistant Or Research Associate

Job Description

Job Title: Research Assistant or Research Associate Centre / Department / School / MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis (MRC GIDA), Faculty: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics (J-IDEA), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine Campus location: St Mary’s Campus (Paddington) Job Family / Level: Research Job Family, Research Assistant or Research Associate* (Research salary scale) Responsible to: Prof Neil Ferguson Key Working Relationships Research groups and department staff (internal): Contract type: Full time and Fixed term until 31 March 2023 in the first instance. Part-time/flexible working will be considered, and details can be discussed at interview

Purpose of the Post

Understanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics, impact of NPIs, and vaccination The current COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest threat posed by a respiratory virus since the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic. As countries start to roll out mass vaccination programmes, they must balance the parallel lifting of non-pharmaceutical interventions carefully to prevent another wave of cases, hospitalisations, and deaths. Availability and equitable allocation of vaccines within and between countries will be critical.

Areas of work include:

▪ Real-time analysis and modelling of the epidemic in the UK (and potentially globally), informing UK government policy planning. ▪ Quantifying the potential impact of vaccine roll out strategies on the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for release of non-pharmaceutical interventions. ▪ Quantifying the impact of new variants of concern on transmissibility, severity, vaccine effectiveness and epidemic trajectory.

We are looking for people with experience in:

a) Epidemiological analysis – experience in epidemiological analysis of infectious disease data. b) Data collection - experience with systematic literature reviews, data collection, and extraction. Good overview of the existing COVID-19 literature. c) Programming – strong R programming language skills d) Model development and parameter inference - experience in mathematical modelling and infectious disease transmission dynamics, Bayesian statistical modelling methods.

The post-holder will join a dynamic and collaborative team (within the larger Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team) including several academic staff (Prof Neil Ferguson, Prof Azra Ghani, Dr Marc Baguelin, Dr Anne Cori, Dr Erik Volz and Dr Samir Bhatt). The initial focus of the role will analysis and modelling of UK COVID-19 surveillance data (epidemiological and/or genetic), but there will also be scope to contribute to international projects. The research will be undertaken within the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis and the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and

Job Description

Emergency Analytics (J-IDEA), both within Imperial College’s School of Public Health and the Faculty of Medicine. The Centre and J-IDEA are directed by Professor Neil Ferguson.

The Centre’s mission is to be an international resource and centre of excellence for research on the epidemiological analysis and modelling of novel infectious disease outbreaks. SARS, H5N1 avian influenza and H1N1 ‘swine’ influenza have highlighted the need of the world to improve its readiness for new epidemics. It has built upon a world-leading research group in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London to undertake applied collaborative work with national and international agencies in support of policy planning and response operations against emerging infectious disease threats. The post will benefit from the translational focus of the Centre and the close existing links it has with public health bodies. Further information can be found at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mrc-global- infectious-disease-analysis

At Research Associate level: To carry out research programmes in SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics, impact of NPIs, and vaccination, undertake project management and/or supervise multi-disciplinary teams. The Research Associate will be expected to submit publications to refereed journals and to attract external research funding. Key Responsibilities

Main Duties:

▪ To analyse epidemiological data relevant for the research project • To visualize model results and data to generate insight • To identify and develop suitable techniques, and apparatus, for the collection and analysis of data • Assist with the analysis of data • Ensure the validity and reliability of data at all times • Maintain accurate and complete records of all findings • Assist with the writing of reports to research sponsors • Present findings to colleagues • Provide advice to other staff and students • Assist with the publication of findings • Attend relevant workshops and conferences as necessary • Develop contacts within the College and the wider community • Promote the reputation of the Group, the Department and the College

In addition, at Research Associate level:

• Take initiatives in the planning of research • Direct the work of small research teams • Write reports for submission to research sponsors • Submit publications to refereed journals • Provide guidance to staff and students • Provide guidance to PhD Students • Contribute to bids for research grants • Conduct and plan own scientific work with appropriate supervision. • Maintain highly organised and accurate record of experimental Work. • Actively participate in the research programme of the Group • Publish in high quality journals and to present data at national and international meetings. • Participate in Group research meetings and internal seminars. • Collaborate with other allied scientists within Imperial College and elsewhere in London and abroad, as appropriate.

Job Description

• Contribute to the smooth running of the Group’s laboratories and, facilities with other scientists, clinicians, technicians and students within the laboratories. • Assist in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research students and research assistants as required.

Where Imperial or funder conditions necessitate, you will be required to complete timesheets for your work on projects in a timely manner.

Other Duties

• Undertake any necessary training and/or development • Undertake appropriate administration tasks • Attend relevant meetings

Person Specification

Requirements Essential (E)/ Candidates/post holders will be expected to demonstrate the following: Desirable (D)

Education Research Associate: Hold a PhD or equivalent in one of the following areas: E epidemiology, statistics (including computational statistics and machine learning methods), bioinformatics, mathematics, or a similarly quantitative discipline. or a closely related discipline, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience *Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant. Research Assistant: A MSc or near completion of a PhD (or equivalent) in one of the E following areas: epidemiology, statistics (including computational statistics and machine learning methods), bioinformatics, mathematics, or a similarly quantitative discipline Experience Practical experience within a research environment and / or publication in relevant and E refereed journals Data collection and analysis - systematic literature reviews, data collection & extraction E Experience of working with statistical and machine learning methods E Model fitting and inference - experience of statistics or mathematical modelling and E infectious disease transmission dynamics, Bayesian statistical modelling methods and strong R programming skills Practice working with large datasets E Practical experience within a research environment E Experience of dealing with funding sponsors E (Associate) Publication in relevant and refereed journals E (Associate) Research experience in infectious disease epidemiology D Knowledge Knowledge of the existing literature E An interest in infectious disease epidemiology and control E Knowledge of research methods and statistical procedures E Working knowledge of the models relevant to the project D Skills & Abilities Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature E

Job Description

Ability to develop and apply new concepts E Creative approach to problem-solving E Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to deal with a wide range of people E Excellent written communication skills and the ability to write clearly and succinctly for E publication Ability to organise own work with minimal supervision E Ability to prioritise own work in response to deadlines E Advanced computer skills, including word-processing, spreadsheets and the Internet E Ability to direct the work of a small research team and motivate others to produce a high E (Associate) standard of work Other Willingness to work as part of a team and to be open-minded and cooperative E Flexible attitude towards work E Discipline and regard for confidentiality and security at all times E Willingness to undertake any necessary training for the role E Willingness to travel both within the United Kingdom and abroad to conduct research and E attend conferences Willingness to work out of normal working hours (including weekends) if the requirements E of the project demand

Please note that job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, and the post-holder may be required to undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity and to eliminating discrimination. All employees are expected to follow the 7 Imperial Expectations detailed below:

1) Champion a positive approach to change and opportunity 2) Encourage inclusive participation and eliminate discrimination 3) Communicate regularly and effectively within and across teams 4) Consider the thoughts and expectations of others 5) Deliver positive outcomes 6) Develop and grow skills and expertise 7) Work in a planned and managed way

Employees are also required to comply with all College policies and regulations paying special attention to: • Confidentiality • Financial Regulations • Private Engagements • Conflict of Interest • Health and Safety and Register of Interests • Data Protection • Information Technology • Equal Opportunities • Smoking

They must also undertake specific training and assume responsibility for safety relevant to specific roles, as set out on the College Website Health and Safety Structure and Responsibilities page.

The College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions, we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. For more information, see https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-evaluation/

The College believes that the use of animals in research is vital to improve human and animal health and welfare. Animals may only be used in research programmes which are ultimately aimed towards finding new treatments and making scientific and medical advances, and where there are no satisfactory or reasonably practical alternatives to their use. Imperial is committed to ensuring that, in cases where this

Job Description research is deemed essential, all animals in the College’s care are treated with full respect, and that all staff involved with this work show due consideration at every level. http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and- innovation/about-imperial-research/research-integrity/animal-research/

We are committed to equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation. We are an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Disability Confident Leader and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

May 2021