Research Associate in Statistics post: Manchester, 30 months

For more information please visit https://www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/displayjob.aspx?jobid=12363

As Research Associate in Statistics you will work on a National School for Primary Care Research funded project using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) primary care database to investigate severity of type-2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, in UK primary care.

Despite full computerisation since the early 2000s, UK GP records do not grade disease severity or the burden of having multiple co-existing health conditions (comorbidity) – information that could be used to better understand and address patient needs. This proposal aims to develop the appropriate analytical methods, through a focus on type-2 diabetes (T2DM) and coronary heart disease (CHD), using Clinical Practice Research Datalink data, and to extend to future healthcare needs.

We will use data from over 650 UK general practices, linked to hospital data, to improve diagnoses for patients with T2DM and CHD from simple diagnoses (have or not have the condition) to a more detailed description that incorporates disease severity and comorbidities. The information will include all available diagnoses, risk factors, treatments and referrals (hospitals/specialist services). We expect to be able to generalise the process and learning gained to other chronic conditions. We aim to describe the progression of conditions, identifying stages of disease severity/multimorbidity and the time it takes to progress from one stage of severity to the next.

You should hold a good first degree (2.1 or above) or equivalent in statistics or a relevant discipline and a PhD (completed or near completion) in statistics or a related discipline. You also require experience of working with CPRD or another large database of Electronic Health Records, a good knowledge of the application of multivariable statistical methods, and experience of using statistical software (preferably Stata or R). Experience of health research and a publication record are also desirable.

The School is strongly committed to promoting equality and diversity, including the Athena SWAN charter for gender equality in higher education. The School holds a Silver Award which recognises their good practice in relation to gender; including flexible working arrangements, family-friendly policies, and support to allow staff achieve a good work-life balance. We particularly welcome applications from women for this post. Appointment will always be made on merit.