Research Assistant/Associate: SWEET-PLUS

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary
Research Assistant Salary: £32,546 - £34,132 per annum.
Research Associate Salary: £35,116 - £38,249 per annum.

The Role
We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic research assistant/associate with well-developed qualitative skills to support delivery of a project developing a support package to help women with breast cancer take a new type of drug (CDK4/6 inhibitors) as prescribed.

Most women with breast cancer are diagnosed with early-stage disease which is sensitive to the hormone oestrogen. These women are prescribed oral hormone therapy which they need to take daily for at least five years. A new class of biological drugs - called CDK4/6 inhibitors - have recently been approved for use alongside hormone therapy for two or three years. We know that many women struggle to take hormone therapy as prescribed, often skipping doses or stopping prematurely. Trial data suggests there are also problems with adherence to CDK4/6 inhibitors. To get full benefit of these new drugs - and to prevent the cancer coming back - women need to be supported to take them as recommended.

This new study, called SWEET-PLUS, will explore what helps and hinders women with early breast cancer to keep taking CDK4/6 inhibitors. We will use that information to develop, with patients, a support tool to help women take these drugs as intended.

The project has three phases. Phase 1 will involve in-depth interviews with ~25 women with breast cancer who have experience of these drugs. Phase 2 will involve focus groups with ~20 health professionals about their experiences of prescribing CDK4/6 inhibitors and how/what they advise women about stopping/continuing. Phase 3 involves working with patients to design a support tool. This will be an add-on module to the interactive web-app within our HT&Me support package which helps women adhere to hormone therapy; more information about HT&Me can be found here https://www.sweetstudy.co.uk.

This is a full-time post available from 1st June 2025 for a fixed-term of 18 months in the first instance.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Professor Linda Sharp (linda.sharp@newcastle.ac.uk) for an informal discussion.

Please note that Newcastle University is a campus-based university; while blended working arrangements may be possible, we would be unlikely to consider applicants who wish to work entirely remotely.

You will join the REACH team (Research on Equity, Access and Cancer Health outcomes) which is a multi-disciplinary applied cancer research team in the Population Health Science Institute, within the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University. Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/.

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

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