Download Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit

Department of Epidemiology and Population Health
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
(University of London)
Research Fellow: Mathematical Modelling
Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, an internationally renowned centre for
research and postgraduate education in public health and tropical medicine, is seeking to recruit an
enthusiastic Research Fellow to work on modelling HPV transmission and control. HPV remains
one of the major causes of cancer in women, despite cervical cancer screening programmes and,
as of the last few years, vaccines to protect against the most oncogenic types. The aim of the
research is to determine optimal screening regimes in vaccinated populations. This will involve
developing and parameterising mathematical and economic models of HPV and related disease.
The post-holder will have access to data from a number of large-scale trials conducted across
Europe, and therefore there is considerable potential to gain a unique insight into HPV infection
and related disease. The post-holder will join a supportive and stimulating group in one of the UK’s
most highly rated research institutions.
The appointment will be for two years.. Starting salary will be in the range of £35,370-40,188 per
annum.
Applications should be made on-line via our website jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. The reference for this post is
RW01. Applications should include a CV and the names and email contacts of 2 referees who can
be contacted immediately if shortlisted. Any queries regarding the application process may be
addressed to [email protected]. Closing date for the receipt of applications is 19 August 2010.
“The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal
opportunities employer.”
FURTHER PARTICULARS
THE SCHOOL
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is Britain's national school of public health
and a leading postgraduate institution worldwide for research and postgraduate education in global
health.
Part of the University of London, the London School is the largest institution of its kind in Europe
with a remarkable depth and breadth of expertise encompassing many disciplines. The School was
ranked one of the top 3 research institutions in the country in the Times Higher Education's 'table of
excellence', which is based on the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), ahead of the
London School of Economics, Oxford, Imperial and University College, London. The institution also
achieved the largest increase in ranking compared with 2001 of any of the top 10 institutions in the
RAE rankings. In 2009, the School became the first UK institution to win the Gates Award for
Global Health.
The School's environment is a rich multicultural one: there are almost 4000 students from 100+
countries following 22 taught masters courses delivered either in London (~650) or through
distance learning (~2700), and undertaking research degree training (~400). Over 40% of these
students are from non-European countries. The largest growth has been in distance learning
students (>40% over 3 years), though the London-based student population (where
accommodation limits growth) is at its highest level ever. Alumni are working in more than 180
countries. The School has about 1300 staff drawn from over 60 nationalities.
There are research collaborations with over 100 countries throughout the world, utilizing our critical
mass of multidisciplinary expertise which includes clinicians, epidemiologists, statisticians, social
scientists, molecular biologists and immunologists. At any one time around 80 School staff are
based overseas, particularly in Africa and Asia. We have a strong commitment to partnership with
institutions in low and middle income countries to support the development of teaching and
research capacity.
The School has expanded greatly in recent years. Its research funding now exceeds m£60 per
annum, much of it from highly competitive national and international sources. The commitment of
staff to methodological rigour, innovative thinking and policy relevance will ensure that the School
continues to occupy a leadership position in national and global health, adapting quickly to new
challenges and opportunities.
Mission
The School's mission is to contribute to the improvement of health worldwide through the pursuit of
excellence in research, postgraduate teaching and advanced training in national and international
public health and tropical medicine, and through informing policy and practice in these areas.
THE FACULTY
The Faculty of Epidemiology & Population Health (EPH) houses a large group of
epidemiologists, demographers, statisticians and nutritionists working on issues of major public
health importance in the UK and globally. EPH has approximately 294 staff members organised
into five research departments.
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Department of Population Studies
Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology
Department of Medical Statistics
Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology
Department of Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research
The Faculty has a teaching programme consisting of nine MSc courses: Epidemiology,
Demography and Health, Medical Statistics, Public Health in Developing Countries (run jointly with
the Faculties of Infectious & Tropical Diseases and Public Health & Policy), Public Health Nutrition,
Reproductive & Sexual Health Research, Veterinary Epidemiology (run jointly with the Royal
Veterinary College), and the Distance Learning courses in Epidemiology and Clinical Trials. The
Faculty also has approximately 149 research students studying for an MPhil, PhD or DrPH degree.
The Head of Faculty is Professor Laura Rodrigues.
THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (co-heads; Helen Weiss and Oona
Campbell) conducts research on the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases of public
health importance and also on maternal and neonatal health. Work is carried out both in
developing countries and in industrialized countries including the United Kingdom. Research
ranges from ecological studies of variations in disease frequency in different populations, through
observational case-control and cohort studies to define risk factors for disease, to randomized
controlled trials to test the impact of specific preventive and curative interventions.
The Department has major field research programmes in Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Ghana, Brazil
and Europe and numerous collaborative projects in other countries in Africa, Asia and Latin
America. Major interests are in the epidemiology and control of HIV and other sexually transmitted
diseases, tuberculosis and other mycobacteria, malaria and other tropical parasites, hepatitis,
measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, respiratory diseases and gastro-intestinal
infections. The Department is home to the Tropical Epidemiology Group, and a large research
programme on maternal and neonatal health. The Department includes both medical and statistical
epidemiologists, and there is considerable interest in methodological work, including research on
statistical methods, transmission models, genetic epidemiology and immunoepidemiology. There
are strong collaborative links with other departments within the Faculties of Infectious and Tropical
Diseases, particularly the Clinical Research and Immunology Departments.
Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases (CMMID)
Mathematical modelling of infectious diseases has a long history at LSHTM. Models are becoming
an increasingly important tool to understand how infections are transmitted within populations and
to evaluate the potential impact of control programmes in containing their spread and in reducing
morbidity and mortality. Currently within the Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious
Diseases (CMMID) researchers in all three school departments are involved in the development
and application of mathematical models to interpret infectious disease data, to understand the
natural history of infections and to predict the impact of control strategies at the population level
such as vaccination, treatment and case-finding. Researchers are applying these models to a
range of infections including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, hepatitis
C, pandemic and seasonal influenza, malaria, sleeping sickness and vaccine preventable
diseases, such as rotavirus, varicella and measles.
The Centre offers excellent research facilities, including access to high-performance computing,
and a friendly and stimulating working environment.
Much of our work is collaborative with those involved in epidemiological and clinical data collection
as well as laboratory-based work, as well as collaborators worldwide. A particular strength of this
research is that most of the modelling work benefits from the availability of extensive empirical data
from the School's many epidemiological field studies. We also work closely with policy makers and
economists to ensure that our work addresses issues of public health concern. The post-holder
would be expected to be a member of CMMID in addition to being in the Faculty of Infectious
Disease Epidemiology.
See http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/cmmid/index.html
THE POST
Applications are invited for a mathematical modeller to join the Department of Infectious Disease
Epidemiology Unit (IDE), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSTHM). The post holder
will work on the EU funded PREHDICT project (health-economic modelling of prevention strategies
for HPV-related diseases in European countries). The post involves adapting and applying
mathematical models to investigate the control of HPV in Europe. This will involve the development
and parameterisation of an individual-based dynamic model, capable of simulating the
transmission of HPV and the development of disease (e.g. cervical dysplasia & cervical cancer).
The model will be used to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of alternative screening and
vaccination programmes. The successful candidate has considerable scope to develop his/her own
research within this field in collaboration with colleagues at LSHTM. It is expected that the work will
involve a range of complex and original scientific work and requires a high degree of personal
motivation. The post holder is expected to identify opportunities for future research in liaison with
colleagues at LSHTM.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Post: Research Fellow in Mathematical Modelling
Grade: 6 (£35,370 – 40,188)
Responsible to: Richard White (Senior Lecturer in Infectious Disease Modelling) and John
Edmunds (Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling) and
Key Responsibilities
1. To combine, analyse and interpret demographic, behavioural and epidemiological data from
a number of sources to investigate the epidemiology of HPV and cervical cancer and
parameterise mathematical models.
2. To extend an existing individual-based STI transmission model to HPV natural history,
screening and transmission.
3. To combine the epidemiological model with health outcome and cost data to assess the
potential cost-effectiveness of alternative screening programmes in the presence of
vaccination.
4. To build a simplified economic model of HPV and cervical cancer to estimate the costeffectiveness in a range of settings
5. To act at the key liaison person between LSHTM and colleagues in Imperial, VU University
Medical Centre, Amsterdam, University of Malmo and other project partners.
6. To participate in dissemination of novel modelling methods within the Centre for
Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases.
7. Participate in identifying knowledge gaps and developing proposals to fund research
projects to address these areas.
8. To supervise postgraduate students, as appropriate.
9. To take an active role in teaching mathematical modelling at LSHTM, including the
production of teaching materials as necessary and participation in other relevant training
activities.
10. To help co-ordinate relevant collaborative projects within the School, wider academia and
public health bodies, both nationally and internationally.
11. To produce reports for presentation at national & international meetings and for publication
in peer-reviewed journals.
12. To advise on the design and analysis of epidemiological studies both within the LSHTM
and with national and international collaborators.
13. To contribute to the wider dissemination of scientific findings through both specialist and nonspecialist publications and national and international media. This will involve presenting highly
complex information in a manner comprehensible to both non-specialists and the general
public.
Person Specification
Essential
 Higher degree in mathematical modelling, statistics or a related-discipline with a substantial
modelling component
 Experience of constructing and analysing mathematical or statistical models of infectious
diseases
 Programming using specialist mathematical or statistical packages and/ or of programming
languages, ideally C/C++
 Evidence of ability to write clearly and produce high quality written reports
 An ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of disciplines
 A publication record with respect to mathematical modelling or statistical analysis of
infectious diseases
Desirable
 PhD in relevant discipline
 Experience of health economic assessments
 Data management, analysis and reporting
 Experience of post-graduate teaching
 Interest in conducting methodological research
 Ability to travel to international meetings.
SALARY AND CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT
The appointment will be made on LSHTM’s Academic scale grade 6, £35,370 - £40,188 per
annum. The post will be subject to the LSHTM terms and conditions of service. Membership of the
pension scheme is available. The School's retirement date is 30 September following the 65th
birthday. It is the School's policy not to appoint candidates aged 65 or over.
APPLICATIONS
We encourage you to apply for this post online at our website jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. The reference for
this post will be RW01. Online applications will be accepted by the automated system until midnight
on 19 August 2010. If you are unable to apply online, please contact us at [email protected] or
telephone 0207 927 2173. The supporting statement section should set out how your qualifications,
experience and training meet each of the selection criteria. Please provide one or more paragraphs
addressing each criterion. The supporting statement is an essential part of the selection process
and thus a failure to provide this information will mean that the application will not be considered.
An answer to any of the criteria such as "Please see attached CV" will not be considered
acceptable. It is hoped to hold the interviews the week commencing 30 August 2010. Please note
that if you are shortlisted and are unable to attend on the interview date it may not be possible to
offer you an alternative date.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal opportunities
employer.