ROYAL FREE & UNIVERSITY COLLEGE MEDICAL SCHOOL

DEPARTMENT OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Medical Statistician (RAIB or RAIA depending on qualifications
and experience)

Salary: Starting salary (17,626 to 24,435 pounds) plus 2,134 London
Allowance depending on qualifications and experience.

Place of Work: Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Royal Free
and University College London Medical School

Hours of Work: Full-time - Monday to Friday 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

Managerially responsible to: Dr Judith Stephenson, Senior Lecturer in
Epidemiology and Dr Andrew Copas, Lecturer in Medical Statistics

Job Summary: The post holder will primarily be responsible for data
management and statistical analysis of a large, cluster-randomised trial of
peer-led sex education in schools.

Background: The Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Head: Professor Ian Weller)
is part of the Windeyer Institute of Medical Sciences, within the newly
amalgamated Royal Free and University College Medical School at University
College London. Established in 1979, it is a large multidiscplinary
department with research, teaching and clinical interests. The staff of the
department include clinicians, research nurses, epidemiologists, social and
behavioural scientists, public health and health promotion specialists,
statisticians, administrative and information technology officers. The
statistical 'team' currently includes Andrew Copas, and Cath Mercer who
works primarily on the analysis of the 2000 National Survey of Sexual
Attitudes and Lifestyles. There are plans to create another post later in
the year.
The research interests of the department are varied and include
epidemiological, clinical and basic science aspects of sexually transmitted
infections, including chlamydia, genital herpes, human papilloma virus,
viral hepatitis and HIV infection. The epidemiology and social science
section has had a major role in studying the epidemiology and social and
behavioural aspects of HIV, sexually transmitted infections and sexual
health. It has developed a growing interest in the development and
evaluation of innovative interventions to reduce adverse sexual and
reproductive health outcomes. Members of the department are currently
involved in two large behavioural intervention trials, and in conducting the
second national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles. The department
also has a long-standing interest in viral hepatitis research including the
epidemiology of sexually transmitted hepatitis viruses, the natural history
of chronic hepatitis B and studies of novel antiviral agents. The department
is one of the major collborating centres for the MRC HIV clinical trials
programme and is heavily involved in the evaluation of antiretroviral
agents, in close collaboration with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit based at
UCL. The department also has close links with the Department of Statistical
Science at UCL through the joint lectureship post held by Andrew Copas.
The department has a library and a full range of computer facilities
in-house, including access to the internet and electronic mail via the
university. Staff have full access to the library facilities within the
medical school and college. Computer support is available within the
department. A 'research in progress' meeting is held every two weeks for the
presentation of ongoing planned or completed studies by different members of
the department. There is a monthly series of outside speaker lectures on
topics related to sexual health.

The Study: a randomised trial of peer-led sex education in schools in
England (RIPPLE).
The aim of the study, which is funded by the Medical Research Council, is to
test the hypothesis that peer-led sex education is effective in promoting
young people's sexual health. Sex education for young people is a
much-debated topic. Over the past few years, use of peers to deliver health
promotion interventions has become increasingly popular. Although a good
deal of research has been done on this, and on sex education in general, few
studies have been set up to generate reliable evidence about the extent to
which different approaches work in promoting young people's sexual health in
both the short- and long-term.
This study has been set up to look at the effect of peer-led sex education
on young people's sexual health and behaviour. It is funded by the Medical
Research Council and being run collaboratively by members of the department
and Professor Ann Oakley, Director of the Social Science Research Unit, at
the Institute of Education. Twenty six schools in England are taking part in
the study; they have been randomly divided into two groups, with one group
providing peer-led sex education and the other continuing with their normal
sex education curriculum. In the peer-led group, 16-17 year old pupils
volunteer to be trained by an external training team to give a short sex
education programme to 13-14 year old pupils.
The study began in September 1997. Information is being collected from young
people in all the schools before and after they receive sex education. All
information from the baseline and follow-up questionnaire surveys (carried
out in 1999, 2000, and 2001) has been entered onto computer. The next
follow-up survey will take place in Spring 2003. Some analysis of the study
is being conducted currently.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:
The post holder will be responsible for setting up the dataset from the
third follow-up pupil questionnaires (data collection to be completed in
Spring 2003), and becoming familiar with the datasets already created from
earlier questionnaires. (S)he will be responsible for carrying out
statistical analysis to an agreed plan, under supervision. Techniques for
the analysis of clustered data are likely to be used; training in such
techniques can be provided as necessary. (S)he will also be expected to work
collaboratively with all members of the team from UCL and the Institute of
Education, to attend meetings relating to the study as required and to help
draft papers and reports. Depending on the interests of the post-holder, the
opportunity to work on other departmental projects may be available.

Confidentiality:
The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that all information
relating to participants and staff is treated as strictly confidential at
all times.

Management and Support Structure :
General statistical advice and support is available from Dr Andrew Copas.
The person appointed to this post will be a member of the Department of
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Head, Professor Ian Weller) and will work
within the epidemiology and social science group. The post holder will be
managerially responsible to Dr Judith Stephenson and Dr Andrew Copas, and
ultimately to the Head of Department.

Person Specification

Essential qualifications are the following:
(i) A degree with a substantial component of statistics
(ii) Experience of statistical programming and data management
(iii) Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
(iv) Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary research team
(v) Ability to work to strict deadlines
(vi) Some understanding of the evaluation of health interventions

Desirable skills that applicants will possess are:
(i) An Msc or higher degree in Medical Statistics or Statistics
(ii) Experience of programming in STATA
(iii) Familiarity with analysis of complex datasets
(iv) Familiarity with analysis of clustered data
(v) Experience of writing or publishing scientific papers or reports
(vi) Some understanding of issues around sexual health and sex education

Terms and Conditions

Appointment: Funding is available for 12 months in the first instance. A
further application for an extension to the study will be submitted to the
MRC. There is a 3 month probationary period subject to satisfactory
performance and medical screening.

Starting salary: 17,626 to 24,435 pounds, depending on qualifications and
experience, plus 2,134 pounds London Allowance per annum.

Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave. Also there are 8 public holidays and 6
days at Christmas and Easter when the college is closed.

Pension: Eligible to join the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
(Employee contribution = 6.35% Employer's contribution = 18.55% of salary)
or to take out a personal pension.
Season Ticket Loan: Season ticket loan is available to all staff once they
have completed their probationary period. Further details available from UCL
Finance Dept.

Application Procedures:

Application is by full curriculum vitae (including publications), supporting
statement and cover letter including the names and addresses of two (2)
referees.
Submit applications to: Ms Louise Knapp, Department of Sexually Transmitted
Diseases, Mortimer Market Centre, off Capper Street, London WC1E 6AU.
For informal discussion: Dr Andrew Copas, Lecturer in Medical Statistics or
Dr Judith Stephenson, Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology. Tel: (020) 7380 9878
email: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]

Closing date for applications: 28th May 2002
Interviews will be held in early June 2002.