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Job title: Senior Statistical Modeller
Division: Emergency Response Department
Unit/Department//Laboratory: Microbial Risk Assessment
Accountable to: Mathematical Modelling Team Leader
Salary: Band 7 £29,091 - £38,352 pa
Grade: AfC band 7
Location: Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Porton Down
Hours: Full-time – 37.5 hours per week
The Microbial Risk Assessment (MRA) team within the Health Protection Agency
(HPA) currently has a vacancy requiring a candidate with a PhD in Statistics
or Mathematics, or substantially equivalent experience to that which would
be gained by PhD, preferably with Bayesian statistics as a significant
component. The role demands employing your considerable statistical skills
in order to develop predictive and/or inferential models to help assess and
mitigate the risks posed by disease threats arising from emerging exotic,
zoonotic and vector-borne infections. Such diseases may be introduced
through deliberate or accidental releases, or through importation, whilst
change to the ecology and/or epidemiology over time must be considered in
the developed models. A robust knowledge of probability distribution theory
is essential and the application thereof to Bayesian/frequentist inference
techniques.
The HPA is an independent body that protects the health and well-being of
everyone in England and Wales. The Agency plays a critical role in
protecting people from infectious diseases and in preventing harm when
hazards involving chemicals, poisons or radiation occur. We also prepare for
new and emerging threats, such as a bio-terrorist attack or a virulent new
strain of pathogen.
The MRA team is a multidisciplinary group of mathematical modellers,
infectious disease biologists, epidemiologists, geographic information
system (GIS) and IT development specialists that provides a range of
underpinning research, and technical and scientific support to assist in
emergency preparedness and response operations. This includes developing
evidence-based risk assessments to help advise the Department of Health,
Health Protection Agency and related sister agencies and departments on
policy, contingency planning and public health countermeasures ahead of time
for new and (re-)emerging infectious disease threats, including those posed
by bioterrorism. The group also develops and provides specialist systems to
help with training exercises and real-time outbreak management and control
based on its recognized capabilities in GIS, data analysis, visualisation
and modelling.
With excellent computer literacy and proficiency in the application of
mathematical and statistical software to the interpretation of data you will
be able to produce formal reports and peer-reviewed scientific research
papers. With some experience of or a strong interest in modelling infectious
disease processes you will be able to work in a team and collaborate
effectively with key groups within and outside the Agency. The successful
candidate will be encouraged to apply for UK Security Clearance.
For more information please visit: www.hpa.org.uk/careers
Reference No: 4106757
Closing Date: 5th December 2008.
In line with other NHS employers, this post is subject to a terms and
conditions review (Agenda for Change)
The Health Protection Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
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