Job Description (1072)
Post:
Clinical Research Associate
Responsible to:
Professor of International Health, Clinical Sciences
Summary of role:
Mefloquine Cochrane review
Systematic reviews are central to many global and national guideline in health care. The Cochrane
Collaboration has developed methods, produced a large number of systematic reviews, and has
contributed to more transparent approaches to policy making. UK Aid has supported The Cochrane
Collaboration in low- and middle-income countries through a grant to a Consortium.
The travellers’ review related to malaria chemoprophylaxis needs a new edition. This means drafting
a new protocol to adopt new methods for carrying out the review. This will include examining for
effectiveness and looking at observational studies of adverse effects.
Outcome
A completed final draft of a Cochrane review ready for copy editing evaluating adverse effects of
mefloquine prophylaxis.
Tasks
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To join a Cochrane team and develop a new protocol for adverse effects of mefloquine in
travellers, including decisions about types of study to include and defining outcomes, in
collaboration with the team.
To consult with the methodological literature on adverse events and identify appropriate
ways of extracting the data and assess risk of bias.
To screen the search for studies and obtain full text of studies that may fulfil the inclusion
criteria.
To extract data and coordinate the double data extraction checking with a colleague.
To assess risk of bias of the studies, describe them using a standard format, and summarise
the results.
To interpret the results with the team.
To complete the SOF tables.
To take into account editors comments and referee comments in completing the final
submission for publication.
Context
You would work on a daily basis with dynamic and friendly Liverpool team. Your main points of contact
will be, in alphabetical order: Paul Garner (joint co-ordinating editor), Dave Sinclair (joint co-ordinating
editor), and Anne-Marie Stephani (managing editor). Others you will work with include Vittoria Lutje
(information retrieval specialist), Martha Richardson (statistician), Deirdre Walshe, (assistant editor)
and Phil Hinds (editorial assistant). The Consortium is organised in the Liverpool office through Paula
Waugh.
You will need to be able to work to deadlines. You will gain a wide spectrum of experience and skills
in current methods of research synthesis.
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Person specifications
Criteria
Essential
Desirable
Education &
Training
Medical degree or possess another
equivalent professional qualification
Postgraduate qualification in
epidemiology or related quantitative
topic
PhD
Postgraduate teaching qualification
Experience
Critical appraisal of medical literature at
postgraduate level
Analysis of applied health services
statistics or data for a dissertation or
research publication demonstrating
epidemiological and statistical ability
Completed a systematic review of
effects
Author of a Cochrane review, and
experienced in the software used
Experience using GRADE
Experienced in teaching health
professionals at postgraduate level
Track record in published research
Excellent written and oral
communications skills
Working in a multidisciplinary team
Skills &
Abilities
Clear evidence of critical insight into
priority policy questions in international
health relevant to infectious diseases
Good communicator
Ability to work as part of a team as well as
independently
Computer literate with working
knowledge of MS Office applications
Excellent time management and
organisational skills
Knowledge
Systematic reviews and RCT trials basics
Special
Aptitude
Initiative, and ability to organise own time
Fastidious attention to detail.
Able to work flexibly
Enthusiastic approach to work
Ability to work collaborative
Interests
Essential to be interested in developing
countries and infectious disease problems
Circumstances
Needs to be able to travel overseas
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Demonstrable teaching skills to
postgraduate students
Experienced in editing and writing
scientific articles
Committed to capacity development