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The following job advertisement will appear in the Guardian shortly: * * * * * * UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL MEDICINE Lecturer in Medical Anthropology/Sociology * * * * * * Applications are invited for this position within the Department of Social Medicine, where research interests are in the broad areas of health services research, aetiological epidemiology and public health. This appointment is designed particularly to strengthen those aspects of the research programme which could benefit from greater understanding of the social and cultural aspects of illness and health care. The successful candidate will contribute to the existing research programme, and continue to develop their own research programme in collaboration with members of the Department. The post holder will also teach undergraduate medical students and contribute to the MSc in Health Research Methods. The successful candidate will have completed postgraduate research training at PhD level. The post is offered for five years in the first instance. Further details are available from the Personnel Office, University of Bristol, Senate House, Bristol BS8 1TH (tel 0117 925 6450) Closing date: Tuesday 12th May 1998. [further details below] _______________________________________________ UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL MEDICINE Lecturer in Medical Anthropology/Sociology JOB DESCRIPTION The University of Bristol Department of Social Medicine conducts teaching and research in health services research, aetiological epidemiology, and public health medicine. The skills of a variety of health care researchers including statisticians, epidemiologists, sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, health economists, public health physicians and nurses, are all available and contribute to the excellent working environment in which to undertake interdisciplinary research and teaching. The Department comprises some 80 staff. The Department has its own library and good computer facilities, and has been selected to host the main centre of the Medical Research Council’s Health Services Research Collaboration. There are extensive collaborations with many clinical and other departments in the University of Bristol, throughout the UK and internationally. Research is informed by the principle that the pattern of disease in populations and the benefits of health care can best be understood through interdisciplinary enquiry combining an interest in biological mechanisms, the epidemiological/statistical investigation of population distributions, an understanding of the social and cultural aspects of illness experience and health care utilisation, investigation of the effectiveness of treatment, and a concern with resources and policy. Constructs of ill health, perceptions and experiences of symptoms and treatment-seeking strategies show social and cultural variations, and the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the work of the Department in developing a more detailed understanding of the ways in which sociocultural context may influence health status and access to and utilization of health services. The development of a more nuanced understanding of the relationships between health status and life experiences will also be assisted by the contribution of anthropological/sociological insights. It is therefore envisaged that the successful candidate will contribute to the development of the major research programmes of the Department through providing additional insights and contributing to the methodological approaches used. Multidisciplinary working is particularly encouraged. The existing programme is concerned with two broad areas, though most senior academics contribute to both: Health Services Research, which may be defined as research into all aspects of health care technology and the delivery of health care, is becoming increasingly important in providing reliable information on which to base decisions on the allocation of limited resources, decisions which may well have an ethical component. A priority is to develop trial methodology to assess the effectiveness of treatments, incorporating the perceptions of patients. Evaluative studies include patients’ experiences and the acceptability of interventions, as well as effectiveness and cost. This programme is expanding with the establishment of the new MRC Health Services Research Collaboration. Aetiological Epidemiology, in particular lifecourse epidemiology - the ways in which exposures at different stages interact to produce patterns of chronic disease. Until recently studies of this sort have been almost exclusively concerned with the effect of factors acting in adult life but attention has recently turned to the long term influences of factors operating in the intra-uterine and early post-natal period. This research is based upon the study of a series of major cohorts, and several more are currently being constructed. Research into the lifecourse approach to disease aetiology will be strengthened by an approach which does not attempt to abstract individual lifecourses from their social context and sees what are often regarded as “exposures” as themselves outcomes of social processes which can be subject to investigation. The post holder will have completed postgraduate research training at PhD level, have experience of designing and conducting their own research, achieving publications from such studies, and ideally experience of securing research funding. Departmental teaching includes a major commitment to undergraduate medical education, with a key role in developing a new medical curriculum where social sciences, including anthropology and sociology, are coming to increasing prominence. In addition, the Department is developing a new MSc in Health Research Methods, with a considerable qualitative component, as a part of the commitments under the MRC HSR Collaboration. The post holder will also be expected to contribute to relevant short courses run by the Department for postgraduate students, research staff and public health medicine trainees, and to contribute to advice given to researchers within and outside the Department on research methodologies relevant to their expertise. As well as contributing to ongoing studies, the post holder will be encouraged to continue developing their own research programme in collaboration with members of the Department. A commitment to teaching is essential. The post holder will be expected to supervise doctoral students. All new lecturing staff joining the University attend a part-time Teaching and Learning Programme. This provides, on a modular basis, a practical introduction to teaching in Higher Education. The course is formally accredited by the University’s School of Education. Although further details will be provided on appointment, informal enquiries about the programme are welcome: please contact Staff Development. The appointment will be on the Lecturer A/B scale and is offered for five years in the first instance. Professional and managerial accountability will be to the Head of Department. The terms and conditions of employment will be those for the Academic Staff of the University, and include the Standing Orders of Council Governing the Appointment of Members of the Non-Professorial Academic Staff. The University does not issue application forms. Applications should be made by letter, stating special academic and research interests, and include the names, addresses and, if possible, telephone numbers of three referees. The letter should be accompanied by a curriculum vitae, setting out date of birth and, in chronological order, details of university and subsequent career with qualifications, previous appointments and publications. Applications should be sent to the Personnel Office (EO), University of Bristol, Senate House, Bristol BS8 1TH, quoting reference number 4698, by the closing date of Tuesday 12th May 1998. Prospective candidates are encouraged to discuss the post with Professor Stephen Frankel on 0117 928 7203 (email [log in to unmask]). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%