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LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY Cochrane Heart Group FURTHER PARTICULARS THE SCHOOL The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is one of Europe’s leading schools 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). 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 around 3500 students from 100+ countries following 24 taught masters courses delivered either in London or through distance learning, and about 400 undertaking a research degree. Over 40% of these students are from non-European countries. Alumni are working in more than 180 countries. The School has about 1600 staff drawn from over 74 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, economists, molecular biologists, immunologists, ophthalmologists, anthropologists, virologists, pharmacologists and nutritionists. At any one time around 100 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 £67M 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 To improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. 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 330 staff members organised into four research departments. Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Department of Medical Statistics Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology Department of Population Health The Faculty has a teaching programme consisting of ten 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), Nutrition for Global Health, Reproductive & Sexual Health Research, Veterinary Epidemiology (run jointly with the Royal Veterinary College), Global Mental Health (run jointly with Kings College London Institute of Psychiatry) 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 John Edmunds. THE DEPARTMENT The Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology is the main focus of research on the epidemiology of non-communicable diseases at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. While most of our studies have been in the UK or other high income countries, we have a growing programme of research on non-communicable diseases in low and middle income countries, including India and parts of the former Soviet Union. Research interests range from genetic susceptibility to disease, through metabolic and endocrine disease mechanisms to personal behaviours and the population health effects of changes in national diets and drinking behaviours. Themes include determinants of ethnic variation in disease risk; adverse drug reactions; epidemiology of ageing; foetal and childhood origins of adult disease; determinants of reproductive outcomes; cardiovascular disease; growth factors and cancer risk; natural history of genital human papillomavirus (HPV); time trends in cancer survival; non-communicable diseases in low and middle income countries. The department has considerable methodological strength and experience, particularly in the analysis of genetic association studies and the conduct and analysis of large scale longitudinal cohort and record linkage studies. We work closely with colleagues in other departments and faculties and have excellent collaborative links with researchers in other institutions around the world. Funding comes from a wide variety of sources including the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK. The Department head is Prof. Liam Smeeth. The Cochrane Collaboration Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death in most countries of the world and a large amount of information about its prevention, treatment and rehabilitation is published every year. Keeping up to date with the sheer volume of material is extremely difficult for clinicians and policy makers. This leads to delays in applying effective interventions, or removing ineffective ones, and results in substantial loss of potential health gain. The techniques of systematic review and meta-analysis are able to overcome these problems by synthesising the best available evidence in an unbiased way. The expertise that has developed in the Cochrane Collaboration over the last decade since its inception in 1992 has enabled much progress to be made in both the scientific methodology of conducting reviews and their dissemination and use by health professionals. Of particular importance is the need to be aware of the potential pitfalls of summary results produced from trials suffering methodological weaknesses and to examine the sources of heterogeneity between trials. The Cochrane Collaboration approach ensures that high quality reviews are conducted and that commentaries are included which can highlight problems and aid interpretation of reviews. The work of the Cochrane Collaboration is published by John Wiley Publishers each quarter in the Cochrane Library (a CD-rom and on the Internet), which comprises Cochrane systematic reviews, abstracts of other published systematic reviews and a database of randomised controlled trials. Cochrane Heart Group The Cochrane Heart Group was established in July 1998 with the aim of preparing, maintaining and promoting the access of systematic reviews of the effects of interventions for treating ischaemic and all other heart diseases and preventing cardiovascular diseases. We have 26 Editors and 1028 authors across 5 continents who contribute to the Cochrane Heart Group. Since its inception the Heart Group has been one of the leading Review Groups within the Collaboration, and currently ranks in 5th position among the 53 review groups. The editorial group based at the LSHTM is co-ordinated by Professors Juan P. Casas and Shah Ebrahim and also includes the Managing Editor Dr Fiona Taylor, the Deputy Managing Editor Diane Horsley the Trial Search Coordinator, Nicole Martin, and the systematic review specialist Dr Alma Adler. In addition, we recently launched a Satellite group based at the Northwestern University in Chicago, USA, whose mission is to support existing US-based review authors to prepare and up-date their Cochrane reviews and to advocate the use of evidence-based practice in cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines in the US. In addition to the Heart Group, there are two Cochrane Review Groups (Injuries and, Eyes and Vision) also based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which makes of this a unique opportunity to integrate and share experiences and expertise across review groups. JOB DESCRIPTION Job Description Post: Research Fellow (0.5 FTE) Responsible to: Professor Juan P. Casas Grade: Grade 6 Academic Pathway, 0.5 FTE The Research Fellow’s tasks are as follows: Systematic reviews Read and synthesize editorial comments for authors. Work with the Coordinating Editor, Deputy and Managing Editor to prepare editorial comments on draft protocols and reviews. Check compliance with editorial comments. Work with the Co-ordinating Editor, deputy and Managing Editor to assess reviewers’ responses to editorial and peer review comments. Check methodological rigour of submitted protocols and reviews. Work with the Co-ordinating Editor, Deputy and Managing Editor to assess compliance with Cochrane Collaboration editoral procedures. Audits submitted systematic reviews for quality control and consistency of reporting. Update Heart Group’s reviews. Assist reviewers and other members of the Cochrane Heart Group with the updating of existing reviews (including critical appraisal of studies and data extraction). Promote the profile of the Cochrane Heart Group. Assist the Managing Editor in preparing articles for scientific journals, presentations at professional and lay meetings Conduct research on systematic review. Take a lead in undertaking systematic reviews on behalf of the Cochrane Heart Group. Obtain grant proposals. Collaborate with other researchers in methodological research and to bid for NHS R&D health technology systematic reviews of relevance to heart disease. Teaching Contribute to the teaching of systematic reviews and Cochrane Collaboration methodology for post-graduate students and on short courses Undertake appropriate training in teaching methods as required by the LSHTM Citizenship Contribute to general activities of the Department, the Faculty and School that help to promote the objectives of the LSHTM. Contribute to the management of the Unit and the Department as appropriate. Any other duties that may be required which are consistent with the nature and grade of the post. Person specification Essential A post-graduate degree in a relevant discipline Experience of systematic reviewing, critical appraisal, or evidence based health care Statistical knowledge in conducting meta-analysis Experience of using software for synthesis research (e.g. Stata, RevMan) Excellent writing skills Ability to work well as part of a team Desirable Background in cardiovascular disease research Experience of conducting Cochrane systematic reviews, or use of Cochrane software Post-graduate teaching experience Health care background Preparing research grant applications Salary and Conditions of Appointment This is a part-time post at 0.5 FTE. It is available immediately until 30th March 2015. The salary will be on the Academic pathway, Grade 6 £36,018 - £40,904 pro rata, per annum, depending on qualifications and experience (inclusive of London weighting) and will be subject to LSHTM's terms and conditions of service. Membership of the Universities Superannuation Pension Scheme (USS) is available. APPLICATIONS Applications should be made on-line at our website at jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. The closing date is 05 January 2014 and the reference for this post is RFSR. Online applications will be accepted by the automated system until midnight on of the closing date. Any queries regarding the application process may be addressed to [email protected] or telephone 0207 927 2086. 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. 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. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the post with Prof Juan P. Casas before applying ([email protected]). The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.