Research Associate Biostatistician

Salary: £33,966 to £44,263 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 06 May 2024

The Role

The main purpose of this role is to develop and apply innovative statistical methodology relevant to laboratory based biomedical research. 

You will be a member of the Biostatistics Research Group (BRG, http://www.newcastle-biostatistics.com) and will collaborate on new and existing biomedical research projects led by teams within and beyond the Faculty, in conjunction with BRG senior statisticians. 

The BRG provides statistical expertise to a large portfolio of ongoing clinical trials and observational studies, working closely with the Newcastle Clinical trials Unit and the North East and North Cumbria NIHR Research Support Service (RSS). The group has significant strengths in both applied and methodological medical research. We are looking for candidates who are interested in developing and growing our collaborations in laboratory-based translational biomedical research. Current collaborations include in melanoma, liver cancer and diabetes. Partly funded by an EU Horizon 2020 Mission Cancer award THRIVE (Tumour Host Interactions in liver cancer of childhood and adults), this role will also involve working closely with European co-investigators and biostatisticians supporting the Newcastle NIHR BRC Liver Theme (https://www.newcastlebrc.nihr.ac.uk/liver-disease). 

The BRG also provides statistical teaching for the faculty and this post would be expected to contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses. The post located at Newcastle University but some travel, including international, may be required.

As part of our commitment to career development for research staff, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

This is a full time position for 36 months

To discuss informally this post before application, you can contact Professor Dawn Teare or Dr Jérémie Nsengimana.

Key Accountabilities

• The principal responsibility will be to work with scientists to improve the efficiency of laboratory based research and preclinical studies, and drive the use and implementation of innovative statistical methods in the design, analysis and reporting of the research
• To determine appropriate statistical methods for use in research, and draft statistical analysis plans under the mentorship of more senior statistical colleagues. Examples of methods that might be required include machine learning applied to molecular data, pathology imaging and routinely collected data
• To undertake statistical analyses and prepare reports for project teams  
• To liaise with project teams to provide statistical input to the preparation of papers for publication, or for presentation at conferences
• To contribute to the teaching of biomedical statistics within the Institute/Faculty, prepare suitable instructional material and websites and assist in the supervision of students if required 
• To undertake suitable activities to ensure their own professional development

The Person    

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Technical and methodological statistical skills relevant to laboratory based or preclinical medical research
• Experience of using or aptitude to learn machine learning methods for multidimensional data analysis 
• Evidence of completed research and published research projects, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of one or more statistical analysis packages (SAS, STATA, R)
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and administrative skills
• Ability to work flexibly, on own initiative and as part of a multidisciplinary team

Desirable

• Experience of working as a statistician within a bioscience or health research setting
• Experience of working as a medical statistician in an academic setting
• Experience in computer coding to handle and integrate datasets from multiple sources
• Experience of contributing to successful applications for national/international peer reviewed research funding
• Experience of teaching
• Experience in the design and analysis of research projects

Qualifications

• A PhD or MSc in biostatistics, bioinformatics or a closely related subject or Eligible to apply for Royal Statistical Society Graduate Statistician Status: https://rss.org.uk/membership/professional-development/gradstat/
• (Applicants without a PhD would be encouraged to undertake and a complete a PhD within the timelines specified by the university’s PhD regulations)

Desirable

• PhD in biostatistics or bioinformatics with a substantial component relevant to the design of experiments in preclinical research.  (Applicants without a PhD would be encouraged to undertake and a complete a PhD within the timelines specified by the university’s PhD regulations)

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 26838