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Dear all, Please follow link for details: https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection=912366432 though the main advert text is copied here too ################################################### 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 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 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. Interview are due to take place the week commencing 7th December 2009