Research Fellow in Epidemiology & Statistics

Job Description

Research Fellow in Epidemiology & Statistics: Grade: 7 (£46,261 – £54,019 inclusive of London Allowance per annum)

Research Department: Behavioural Science and Health: Location: 1-19 Torrington Place / hybrid working

Reports to

Dr Jess Bone, Principal Research Fellow in Epidemiology & Statistics

Context

Applications are invited for an exciting opportunity to join the Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health (BSH), situated within the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care (IEHC), at University College London (UCL). BSH is dedicated to research on how human behaviour impacts health and health outcomes. The position involves working with Dr Jess Bone and Professor Daisy Fancourt in the Social Biobehavioural Research Group (UCL-SBB). The group investigates how social connections and behaviours impact people’s health. By conducting cutting edge interdisciplinary research, UCL-SBB aims to determine how our health is influenced by both social ‘assets’ and ‘deficits’. These include social relationships, arts, culture and leisure (assets), as well as loneliness, isolation, and social restrictions (deficits).

UCL-SBB’s research includes the basic science of how social assets and deficits influence health outcomes using epidemiological and molecular approaches and developing new theory, and the applied science of the impact of community and healthcare interventions and policies on individuals and societies. The team includes 30 postdoctoral researchers, coordinators and PhD students and works in partnership with hundreds of community and third sector organisations, patient and public groups, governments in the UK and globally, the World Health Organization, and UNESCO. The team is a WHO Collaborating Centre on Arts and Health, the National Centre for Social Prescribing Data & Analysis, and hosts both the Social Prescribing Youth Network and a UNESCO Chair in Arts and Global Health.

Main purpose of the job

We are seeking a highly motivated individual with expertise in quantitative research and analysing survey and cohort data. The postholder will work across three projects, within which the focus of the work can be guided by the postholder’s research interests. The first, a £1 million NIHR Advanced Fellowship (CLASP), is exploring whether community leisure activities can reduce youth anxiety and depression using epidemiological methods. The successful candidate will work on the first work package of CLASP, leading statistical analyses of youth cohort studies from the UK. Analyses will use causal inference methods to advance the understanding of whether participating in various community activities (e.g. youth groups, sports, arts, culture, volunteering) is associated with risk of anxiety and depression among young people.

The second project involves working with the EpiArts Lab, a partnership with the University of Florida that is currently in its fourth phase of funding. This project uses epidemiological approaches with US cohort study data to explore whether arts engagement has long-term benefits for health. The postholder will work on the first work package of this EpiArts phase, which aims to test whether arts and cultural activities can prevent anxiety and depression up to seven years later among adolescents and young adults. They will map confounders and use novel causal inference methods to establish whether there are longitudinal relationships with incidence and symptom levels, independent of socioeconomic inequalities.

Finally, the third project explores the impact of Students' Union UCL activities and services on student wellbeing, belonging, skills, enjoyment, and other outcomes. The postholder will work across all elements of this project, aiming to provide evidence on the impact of various services and activities (e.g. arts, sport and physical activity, societies, intercultural engagement, advice, commercial spaces, academic representation). The successful candidate will manage an ongoing longitudinal survey of UCL students in collaboration with the Students’ Union, including revising questionnaires, supporting recruitment, and data monitoring. They will lead analyses of the effects of services on students, including opportunities for health economic analysis to assess the return on investment of the activities in terms of improvements in student quality of life.

The role provides scope for applicants who are interested in both the application of existing statistical methods to longitudinal data, as well as the development of new methodological approaches. We welcome applicants who have an interest in causal inference, statistical triangulation, and survey design. Day-to-day, the postholder will be responsible for (i) supporting data collection and management for the Students’ Union UCL Survey, (ii) leading data access requests and management of US and UK cohort studies, (ii) cleaning and working with multiple longitudinal studies, (iii) undertaking statistical analyses and contributing to publications, (iv) collaborating with other researchers involved in the project, and (v) engaging in teaching, training and other academic activities.

As this post involves working across several projects, and is situated within a larger team, the postholder will be fully supported by our rapidly expanding team and will have access to a rich portfolio of career development opportunities and training, including in novel AI tools for research. The postholder will also be supported to develop their own research ideas and submit grant and fellowship applications in line with topics relevant to the projects and/or the broader team’s work.

The position is available from 1st December 2026 with fixed-term funding until 31st May 2028 in the first instance.

Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD. If this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Grade 6B (£39,807 - £42,891 per annum) with payment at Grade 7 (£46,261 - £54,019 per annum) being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis with no corrections. Salaries are inclusive of London Allowance.

Duties and responsibilities

The main duties and responsibilities include

Research

• Support restricted data access applications and manage these data.
• Manage a longitudinal survey of UCL students in collaboration with the Students’ Union, including revising questionnaires, supporting recruitment, data monitoring, and writing annual reports
• Prepare, clean, and harmonise data (e.g. correct data errors, manage duplicates, derive variables).
• Undertake cross-sectional, longitudinal, and causal inference analyses.
• Contribute to and lead the preparation of conceptual or empirical manuscripts for scientific publications.
• Contribute to and lead presentations for conferences and research meetings.

Collaborations and enterprise

• Liaise with collaborators involved in the projects on analyses, papers, dissemination, and youth involvement.
• Maintain relationships with project funders, including contributing to and leading on progress updates, reports, and meetings
• Support wider project activities, including (subject to the candidate’s interests and experience) policy reports and briefings, and non-scientific outputs.
• Collaborate and foster relationships with postdocs employed on other projects in the team.
• Get involved in other projects in the team (subject to the candidate’s interests and experience).
• Contribute to the preparation of grant applications to further the team’s work in this space.
• Contribute to the academic life of the wider department (Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care).

General

• Follow and actively promote the UCL Ways of Working.
• Take responsibility to carry out duties in a way that embodies UCL's environmental and social sustainability values, actively supporting UCL's Sustainability Strategy, policies and objectives within the remit of the role.
• General administrative duties including setting up meetings, preparing agendas, and minute taking.
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication.
• Subject to the regulations of the funding bodies, appropriately qualified members of research staff will be expected to contribute to teaching and other departmental activities. At the present time, this is estimated to amount to an absolute maximum of thirty contact teaching hours per annum per 1.0 FTE. In addition, the postholder will supervise MSc and PhD students, as appropriate to their capacity and career stage.
• Actively follow UCL policies including Equal Opportunities and Race Equality policies.
• Act as a Fire Evacuation Marshall as required and maintain an awareness and observation of Fire and Health & Safety Regulations.
• Carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager, PI or Head of Department in line with the UCL Academic Careers Framework (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/policies-advice/academic-career-framework-and-promotions-processes).

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive and may be reviewed and subject to amendment in consultation with the postholder.

UCL offers hybrid working where appropriate and the successful applicant may normally work remotely for up to 60% of the week if agreed with line manager.

Part-time working and job shares will be considered.

Person Specification

Note to job applicant: copy and paste the following criteria into your “Statement in support of your application” and describe underneath each criterion how you meet it, giving examples. You will be scored on how you meet each criterion.

Essential Criteria: Assessment method

Qualifications, experience and knowledge

PhD in statistics, medical statistics, epidemiology, quantitative social science, or other relevant discipline: Application Experience working with cross-sectional and longitudinal data, including gaining access to datasets, securely managing the data, undertaking cleaning and analysis, and data visualisation using a command-based / programming language (e.g. Stata, R, Python): Application / Interview Experience using advanced longitudinal and causal statistical methods (e.g. use of multilevel modelling, growth curve modelling, directed acyclic graphs, propensity score methods, g-methods, multiple imputation): Application / Interview Evidence of carrying out high-quality original research, leading to publication in peer-reviewed journals:

A strong understanding of the evidence on arts, cultural, and community activities, youth mental health, and/or student outcomes: Application /

Skills and abilities

Excellent oral and written communication with ability to communicate complex analytical concepts to professionals from other disciplines: Application / Interview Strong computer skills including knowledge of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, GitHub, REDCap, and reference management software (e.g. Endnote, Zotero, Mendeley): Application / Interview Good organisational skills, including time management, attention to detail, and record keeping: Application / Interview Ability to communicate proactively regarding work priorities, pressures, and opportunities: Application / Interview Excellent interpersonal skills, including willingness and ability to work collaboratively and effectively as part of a team and with research collaborators and partners: Application / Interview Strong ability to flexibly prioritise workload and work to deadlines while maintaining high-quality work: Application / Interview Personal Attributes / UCL Ways of Working Dedication to fostering a positive work/learning environment, making inclusivity, diversity and (inter) cultural awareness core to actions and decision-making for self and team: Application / Interview Commitment to continuous professional development and ability to demonstrate ambition, self-motivation, and an upward trajectory of professional development: Application / Interview Using evidence and quality data to support approaches: Application /

Desirable criteria

Experience running or working with large surveys, including knowledge of survey methods: Application /

Background Information

Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health

The Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health is dedicated to research on how human behaviour impacts health and health outcomes. Our research and teaching reflect our interdisciplinary approach to health and wellbeing, focusing on a broad range of public health issues, such as alcohol and tobacco use, heart disease, cancer, and obesity. Further information can be found at: www.ucl.ac.uk/epidemiology-health-care/research/behavioural-science-health

Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care

The Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care is part of the Faculty of Population Health Sciences within the UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences (incorporating UCL Medical School). Further information on IEHC can be found at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/iehc/

How to apply

Apply through the UCL website.

If you have any informal queries about the post, please contact Dr Jess Bone (jessica.bone@ucl.ac.uk).

If you have any enquiries about the application process or if you have any difficulties accessing the online recruitment system, please contact Maria Kristensen (m.kristensen@ucl.ac.uk).