Research Associate (Real-World Evidence) (Fixed Term)

Full Time, 30th September 2027

 We wish to appoint a Research Associate to design, execute and report the results of real-world data analytic studies in mental healthcare as part of a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) programme to improve clinical outcomes in people with mental disorders. The aim of the research programme is to develop Real World Evidence (RWE) that will be implemented in clinical practice to reduce treatment delays and improve access to NHS mental healthcare.

The appointee will work with a multidisciplinary team of data engineers, clinicians and data analysts to lead epidemiological research on largescale electronic datasets and generate evidence to improve mental healthcare outcomes.

The team conducts research using de-identified EHR data acquired through the Clinical Records Anonymisation and Text Extraction (CRATE) and Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) tools which enable the assembly of data from patients receiving mental healthcare in UK NHS mental health trusts. The research will involve leading multi-centre epidemiological studies whose findings will inform future NHS mental healthcare service policy.

The research programme is led by Dr Rashmi Patel (Assistant Professor in Real-World Data Analytics), an NIHR Advanced Fellow who has completed several research studies to investigate clinical outcomes in mental disorders using real-world data derived from EHRs, and will be in collaboration with Dr Rajeev Krishnadas (Assistant Professor in Psychosis Studies) who has expertise in predictive and causal modelling and is pursuing the use of virtual wards in psychiatry.

The appointee will have a unique opportunity to develop skills in mental health research, epidemiology and healthcare service research using state-of-the-art clinical informatics methods such as natural language processing (NLP), machine learning and Bayesian statistics. The appointee will be expected to lead the writing of research protocols and ethics applications, publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference abstract and grant applications. They will join a highly productive research department with the opportunity to develop applications for independent postdoctoral research funding. The role will be hybrid with office work based at the Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

For further details of the post and the application process, please read the further particulars. 

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to: Dr Rashmi Patel, project lead at  rkrp2@cam.ac.uk.

If you have any queries regarding the application process please contact Simon Gurry, HR Coordinator at hradminpsychiatry@medschl.cam.ac.uk.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click 'Apply' above.

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and a CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

The closing date for applications is: 12th January 2025

The interview date for the role is: To be confirmed

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

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