Imperial College London
Job Description
Job Title:
Research Associate
Section:
Infectious Diseases and Immunity
Division:
Infectious Diseases
Department:
Medicine
Job Family and Level:
Academic and Research, Level B
Salary Range:
£27,400 - £31,300 per annum pro rata
Responsible To:
Professor Jon Friedland
Reporting To:
Professor Jon Friedland and Dr Sally Hargreaves
Working closely with:
Dr Samia Hasan, Clinical Lead for Planned Primary
Care, IC GP Practice, Dr.Shamini Gnani, Academic
Dept of Primary Care & Public Health, ICL
Location:
Hammersmith campus
Contract:
Part-time, 0.8 FTE
Duration:
One year
Research Programme
This research programme is led by Professor Jon Friedland and focuses on migrant
health and is within the International Health Unit in the Section of Infectious Diseases
and Immunity. Migrants form a significant percentage of those attending Imperial
College Healthcare NHS Trust – Imperial College London’s associated NHS Trust and approximately 30% of patients in the Trust’s adjoining GP practice where Dr
Samia Hasan is based. Most TB, HIV and hepatitis B/C occurs in migrant populations
in UK. This study which crosses the primary/secondary care divide, aims to review
migrant health at GP registration and pilot development of selected additional
questions to new patient checks. This will result in screening for TB, hepatitis B/C
and review of immunisation status in addition to broaden HIV testing (routine at
Hammersmith Hospital only). Immediate outcomes would be improved screening and
diagnosis of targeted infections and better vaccine uptake.
Job Summary
The post doctoral Research Associate will undertake research to develop and
implement a pilot study that will seek to explore the feasibility of expanded screening
for presenting migrants for TB, Hep B/C, HIV, as well as vaccination-preventable
diseases in the Imperial College Healthcare General Practice, based in an area of
London with a large and diverse number of new migrants.
The postholder, working with Dr Sally Hargreaves, will be involved in developing
templates for use in general practice Vision computer system using appropriate Read
codes. The intention is to document the current number of new patient diagnoses of
TB, HIV and hepatitis B/C. The number of patients requiring vaccinations will be
determined. An educational outreach interventional program will be trialled. This will
include raising awareness among practice staff of key infections among new
migrants and to distribute copies of local screening guidelines and other useful
resources. This work will involve liaising with front line staff - Practice Mangers, GPs,
health-care assistants at the GP practice. Communication with GPs will be crucial in
the collection of baseline data and seeking ethical approval.
In phase 2 of the project, the pilot screening project will be put in place and all new
migrants among those registering with the practice will be asked relevant questions
and screened with a single blood test. In addition, all patients identified to require
additional immunisations will receive necessary vaccines. The postholder will also
collect qualitative data from both GPs and patients as to the acceptability of and
potential barriers to screening in the different migrant groups. In the final phase of the
project the postholder will analyse and compare new data with retrospective data in
terms of both local health benefits with consideration for the health economic impact
and savings to the NHS. Both the quantitative and qualitative study will be written up
for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
The main project measures/outcomes will be:
1) Increased screening for TB, HIV and hepatitis B/C.
2) Increased diagnosis/treatment for TB, HIV and hepatitis B/C in migrants
3) increased uptake of immunisations by migrants
The intention is to develop a large grant programme on the basis of this preliminary
work to fund a larger clinical trial in this area, and there is a possibility that a suitable
candidate will continue with this work.
Research Duties
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Undertaking research activities as agreed with Professor Jon Friedland and
Dr Sally Hargreaves
Collecting and analysing patient data in relation to the projects and
awareness of patient confidentiality issues
Liaising daily with a wide variety of health-care staff and migrant groups to
both set up and implement the studies
Ensuring the validity and reliability of data at all times
to develop computerised templates in general practice for data collection
Maintaining accurate and complete records of all findings
Contributing to the writing of research reports and publications
Presenting findings at internal and external meetings
Actively participate in group meetings and seminars
Keeping up-to-date with the advances in the field
Willingness to work out of normal working hours (including weekends) where
the project demands
Willingness to travel within the remit of the project (mainly between
Hammersmith and Charing Cross)
Collaborating with other researchers as appropriate
Contributing to the smooth running of the Group
To comply with the College, Division, and local safety practices and to attend
courses on safety when appropriate
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Any other duties as may be deemed reasonable by Head of group as well as
Head of Section/Division/Department
Other Duties
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To undertake appropriate administration tasks
To attend relevant meetings
To comply with relevant College policies, including Financial Regulations,
Equal Opportunities Policy, Promoting Race Equality Policy, Health and
Safety Policy, Information Systems Security Policy, Intellectual Property
Rights and Register of Interests Policies
To undertake any necessary training and/or development
Any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as directed by line
manager/supervisor
Job descriptions cannot be exhaustive and so the post holder may be required
to undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key
responsibilities.
The post holder is expected to observe and comply with all College policies
and regulations, for example Health and Safety, Data Protection etc.
Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity and to eliminating
discrimination. All employees are expected to adhere to the principles set out
in our Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy, Promoting Race Equality
Policy and Disability Policy and all other relevant guidance/practice
frameworks.
Person Specification
Qualifications
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PhD in an appropriate discipline or a closely related discipline, or
equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience
Knowledge / Experience
Essential
 A proven record of working in a research team to a high standard
 Practical experience relevant to the post
 Computer literate with a good knowledge of relevant computer programmes
 Knowledge of research methods and statistical procedures
 Dealing with specific groups of people, e.g. sponsors, patients
 Understanding of primary care data recording and use of Read codes for
computerised template development within general practice
Desirable
 Interest in migrant health and/or the NHS's health inequalities agenda.
 Experience in the design and implementation of qualitative and/or quantitative
studies within the NHS context or among vulnerable groups
Skills and Abilities
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Proven skills in relevant techniques
Excellent organisational skills
Creative approach to problem-solving
Ability to prioritise own workload in response to deadlines
Ability to interact with multidisciplinary scientific staff
Troubleshooting skills
Ability to use own initiative and work independently and as part of a team, as
required
Ability to interpret data, undertake descriptive and statistical analysis and
prepare results for publication
Good verbal communication skills
Ability to record the progress of research work such that others may
understand and repeat the work
Ability to develop effective working relationships with all levels of staff,
students and external contact
Skills with appropriate software packages
Personal Attributes
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Enthusiasm to work as part of a team and to be open-minded and cooperative
Flexible attitude towards work
Diligence and punctuality
Willingness to undertake any necessary training for the role
Willingness to travel both within the United Kingdom and abroad to attend
conferences and if necessary for research
Application Guidance
Please read the person specification carefully and describe, as part of your
application, how much you feel you meet each of the criteria. If you need more
space, please attach additional sheets to the application form.
The recruitment monitoring section of your application will be detached and will be
used only for monitoring and audit purposes as a basis for supporting our
commitment to Equal Opportunities.
An application form and full CV quoting reference number HM2012031 should be
sent, by the closing date of Friday 7 March (midnight GMT), online via the
Imperial College iRecruitment website.
Interviews will be held on Thursday 15 March 2012.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted as soon as possible after the closing date.
Thank you for your interest in this post. We look forward to receiving your application.