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Statistician post at Public Health England (PHE) working on developing a user-friendly tool to assist in the control of chlamydia Salary range £37,175-£39,196 pa An exciting opportunity has arisen for a statistician to contribute to development of a user-friendly tool that will enable decision makers to explore the costs, benefits and uncertainties of introducing point-of-care (POC) testing for chlamydia infection in different clinical settings and target populations. This tool will use a dynamic transmission model of chlamydia infection. The project is funded by the Technology Strategy Board and is led by Public Health England’s HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections Department and Modelling and Economics Unit, with a strong group of inter-disciplinary collaborators (including Johns Hopkins University, University of Oxford, St George's University of London, University College London, and industrial partners). This project will improve our understanding of fundamental chlamydia epidemiology as well as developing an important tool. The post-holder will gain valuable experience working closely with epidemiologists, statisticians, modellers and health economists at PHE and experts in collaborating institutions to analyse the extensive data-sets that PHE holds (National Chlamydia Screening Programme; Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset; and Chlamydia Testing Activity Dataset) and help develop the model at the heart of the decision-makers' tool. Other data that will inform the work come from the recently-completed MSTIC (Maximising STI Control) study, and new data collected from clinic patients as part of this study. This post provides an ideal opportunity to gain experience in policy-driven infectious disease research. Public Health England Colindale, in NW London, is an internationally renowned centre of excellence for expertise, reference and research, surveillance and epidemiology in relation to human health. It is an excellent place to conduct public health research that can help shape policy both nationally and internationally. The post-holder will lead on the statistical and epidemiological analysis required for this project. He/She will analyse chlamydia epidemiology at the local level to determine the range of patterns observed that the model must be able to represent. The post-holder will undertake statistical analyses of data from multiple sources and will undertake empirical data collection. The post will involve writing papers for peer-reviewed publication. We are seeking an able statistician with proven high-level statistical skills and an interest in epidemiology or public health. The successful applicant will have the ability to work well in a team with colleagues in statistics, epidemiology and modelling disciplines. For further information see https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection=913073103. (Reference number J84-HPS-11608091). The application deadline for this post is 22 April 2013. PHE Colindale’s modern purpose built centre is well equipped and provides excellent Library, Occupational Health and Refectory facilities. There is also a Gym on site. If you wish to discuss either post then please contact Dr Anthony Nardone ([log in to unmask]) or Dr Peter White ([log in to unmask]). Please do not contact the original poster of this message. Please note the information below is provided for the convenience of interested parties; applicants should consult the online documents for full details. About the HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections Department The HIV and STI Department is the national centre for surveillance of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Department consists of around 65 staff including medical epidemiologists/public health specialists, scientists and data managers, statisticians, IT specialists and administrative staff. It works particularly closely with the national reference laboratory for HIV (the Virus Reference Department) and the national Sexually Transmitted Bacteria Reference Laboratory (STBRL). The aims of the Department include: Describing the trends in the prevalence and incidence of HIV and other STIs Monitoring the transmission of HIV and other STIs in ‘at risk’ populations and estimating the incidence of particular infections (especially HIV) in important behavioural risk groups Providing information for planning, targeting and evaluating prevention activities (health promotion) aimed at reducing risk behaviours and interrupting transmission of HIV and other STIs Training for those working in HIV and STI surveillance and control About the Modelling and Economics Unit (MEU) The Modelling and Economics Unit is a dynamic and stimulating group comprising infectious disease modellers and health economists working on diverse projects relating to the burden of infectious disease and modelling the impact of interventions against infections, both nationally and internationally. It is a world leader in its field and has numerous collaborative links with external academic and non-academic institutes, including Harvard University, Imperial College, Johns Hopkins University, LSHTM, Nottingham University, Queen Mary, UCL, Warwick University, the Department of Health, and other public health agencies. Research funding comes from multiple sources, including the Department of Health, Gates Foundation, MRC, NIHR, Technology Strategy Board, Wellcome Trust, WHO, and others. Background This project offers the opportunity to gain valuable experience in an important, rapidly-growing area of infectious disease epidemiology: the development of user-friendly tools for evaluation of policy options by non-specialists. In addition it will provide valuable experience working closely with epidemiologists, statisticians, modellers and health economists at PHE and with a strong group of inter-disciplinary collaborators (including Johns Hopkins, Oxford, Queen Mary, St George's, UCL, and industrial partners). PHE has gained Technology Strategy Board funding to undertake an exciting new project to develop a user-friendly tool that will enable non-specialist users to explore and assess the impact (costs, benefits and uncertainties) of introducing point of care (POC) testing for STIs in clinical settings. POC tests offer clear advantages to the individual, including more rapid diagnosis and immediate treatment, obviating the need for a return visit. At a population level, POC tests that decrease duration of infection and increase the efficacy of partner notification could decrease onward transmission and the number of new infections. However, the scale of this impact as well as the cost-effectiveness of this approach will depend on a number of factors including cost and performance characteristics of the POC test, impact on clinical pathways and the population accessing services. This tool will provide users with evidence, based on infectious disease transmission modelling, to inform decision making, without requiring users themselves to be experts in infectious disease modelling or health economics. Users will be able to compare the costs and benefits of the status-quo of current laboratory assays and existing clinical pathways with a clinical pathway built around novel POC diagnostics. The tool outcomes will include the likely cost-effectiveness and (public) health benefit of adopting POC tests in specialist sexual health (GUM) and non-specialist (primary care) settings, and will therefore facilitate appropriate adoption of cost-effective novel POC diagnostics. Job summary Two posts are funded by this project: (i) a statistician (this post) and a (ii) transmission modeller, who has been appointed. The post-holder will lead on the statistical and epidemiological analysis required for this project. The post-holder will analyse chlamydia epidemiology at the local level to enable us to understand for the first time in detail the correlates of heterogeneity in disease burden, coverage of testing, etc. to enable us to ensure that the transmission model can represent the range of local patterns observed. He/She will undertake statistical analyses of data from multiple sources and investigate the effect of a wide range of parameter values on model outcomes to ensure the model outcomes are robust. Data sources will include MSTIC (Maximising STI control in local populations) data on sexual health care pathways and sexual behaviour, UK population level sexual behaviour data (NATSAL), routinely collected data on chlamydia diagnoses and testing including GUMCAD (GUM Clinic Activity Dataset) and the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, and census data on population demography. The post-holder will also be required to undertake empirical data collection, conducting a survey of patient sexual behaviour in between being tested for chlamydia, receiving the result, and being treated. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Role-specific duties: To provide statistical input to the design, organisation, management, analysis and publication required for this project. This includes writing statistical analysis plans, data verification and organisation prior to analysis, routine descriptive statistics and developing programs for appropriate complex analysis. To investigate and implement statistical methodology specifically relevant to the work of the project. To interpret and review critically the statistical methodology in work published on the epidemiology of STIs. To contribute to the publication and dissemination of the results from statistical analysis through writing scientific papers and authoritative reports. To give presentations at national and international meetings. To develop the statistical skills of workers in the HIV/STI Departments, SMED and other parts of PHE. Responsibilities within the Department: To contribute to the development and implementation of statistical and computing facilities relevant to the work of the HIV/STI Dept and Statistics, Modelling & Economics Department (SMED) through developing and writing statistical tools and programs. To identify and help develop new modelling methodology and applications needed for the work of PHE. To contribute to the publication and dissemination of statistical ideas, applications and methods of general importance through writing papers, reports and presentations. To supervise staff as required. To perform reviews for scientific and medical journals as agreed by the line manager. To provide assistance to senior members of the HIV/STI Dept and the Statistics, Modelling & Economics Department (SMED) and collaborating departments on projects as agreed with line manager. To participate in the teaching and training programmes at PHE Colindale and elsewhere. This includes both informal training of colleagues and participation in formal teaching programmes (including the preparation of teaching materials). To carry out any other duties required and commensurate with the grade. PERSON SPECIFICATION Please note that these are the criteria that are specific to this role; other generic criteria are in the full person specification available online. Candidates must be able to start by 1st July. PHE will apply the Civil Service Nationality Rules, details of which can be found on the CS website http://www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/about/resources/nationality-rules. Qualifications Essential Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area Appropriate post-graduate degree (Master’s or PhD) with relevant research experience Knowledge & experience Essential Using major advanced statistical packages relevant to the work (i.e. STATA, SAS, or R) Successfully preparing scientific papers for publication in high-quality relevant peer-reviewed journals and successfully preparing presentations Desirable Experience of data management Experience of computing and computer systems Experience of STI disease epidemiology and surveillance Experience of coordinating a survey Skills Essential Communicate complex ideas and methods clearly and succinctly both to specialists and non-specialists Identify and solve practical and research problems Maintain required levels of confidentiality Work successfully as part of an interdisciplinary team Have a sound understanding of the most appropriate statistical technique to apply for a range of scientific problems Work independently with minimal supervision You may leave the list at any time by sending the command SIGNOFF allstat to [log in to unmask], leaving the subject line blank.