Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Royal Free & University College Medical School
University College London
Job Description
Job Title: Medical Statistician (RAIB)
Salary: Starting salary (16, 286 to 18, 185 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
Job Summary: The post holder will work on a variety of research projects
in a multidisciplinary department with major research interests in the field
of HIV and sexual health. Specifically, the post holder will spend
approximately half the time being responsible for data management and
statistical analysis of a large, cluster-randomised trial of peer-led sex
education in schools. Supervision of work on this important project will be
supervised by a collaborating senior statistician.
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 a lecturer, but is expanding to include
two new posts.
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 (headed by Prof. Anne Johnson) 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 a joint lectureship post.
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. General statistical advice and support is available from other
members of the statistical team. 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, and montly
meetings of the Clinical Trials Forum are held within the department
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
baseline information has been entered onto computer; large follow-up
questionnaire surveys are scheduled in 1999, 2000, 2001 and beyond to
determine the effects of sex education on relationships, sexual behaviour,
sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. The research team is
collaborating with a group who are conducting a large cluster-randomised
trial of teacher-led sex education in schools in Scotland.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The post holder will spend approximately half the time working on the
peer-led sex education project, and half the time working on other
departmental research projects. Some flexibility in division of time
between these two main responsibilities will be needed, depending on the
demands of different research projects.
The peer-led sex education project
The post holder will be responsible for setting up the trial dataset, and
carrying out statistical analysis, under supervision from Dr. Judith
Stephenson and a senior statistician collaborating on the project. (S)he
will be responsible for maintaining the study database on an ongoing basis
and working to an agreed plan of analysis. Multi-level modelling is likely
to be applicable; 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.
Other research projects
A wide variety of clinical, epidemiological and sociological projects are
in progress at any time in the department. These cover research interests
in HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy, herpes and hepatitis viruses,
sexual behaviour, HIV and STD control, surveillance of HIV and associated
risk behaviours, illicit drug use and sexual health intervention trials.
Together with other members of the statistical team, the post holder will
be expected to support some other research projects, through giving
statistical advice to clinicians and other researchers, assisting in the
design and analyis of projects, including some database design and data
entry. (S)he will also have the opportunity to contribute to teaching on
postgraduate courses run by the department. Work on these departmental
research projects will be supervised by Dr. Andrew Copas, Lecturer in
Statistics.
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 Structure
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 division (headed by Professor
Anne Johnson). The post holder will work as part of the investigating team
of epidemiologists, clinicians, sociologist, health promotion specialists
and psychologists. The post holder will be managerially responsible to Dr
Judith Stephenson, Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology and, ultimately to the
Head of Department.
Person Specification
Essential qualifications are the following:
o An Msc or higher degree in Medical Statistics or Statistics
o Experience of programming in STATA, SAS or SPSS
o Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
o Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary research team.
o Ability to work to strict deadlines
o Some understanding of the evaluation of behavioural interventions in
sexual health promotion
Desirable skills that applicants will possess are:
o Familiarity with analysis of complex datasets
o Familiarity with multilevel modelling techniques
o Experience of writing or publishing scientific paper or reports
o Experience of programming in Splus or MLn.
o Some understanding of issues around sexual health and sex education
Terms and Conditions
Appointment:
Funding is available from 1st October 1999 until February 2002.
Contracts are issued on an annual basis. There is a 3 month
probationary period subject to satisfactory performance and medical
screening.
Starting salary: 16, 286 to 18, 185 pounds, depending on
qualifications
and experience
Supplements: 2,134 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 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 Jan Smith, Administrator,
Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases,
Mortimer Market Centre,
off Capper Street,
London WC1E 6AU.
For informal discussion: Dr. Judith Stephenson, Senior Lecturer in
Epidemiology, or
Dr. Andrew Copas, Lecturer in Statistics
Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
tel: (0171) 387 9878
e.mail: [log in to unmask]
e.mail: [log in to unmask]
Closing date for applications: 10th September 1999
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