Research Department of Infection and Population Health

Funded PhD Studentship – Epidemiology / Medical Statistics

3 years - Stipend £17,090 per annum (2012-2013 rates)

Vacancy information

UCL Research Department of Infection and Population Health is seeking applications from candidates for a 3 year funded PhD Studentship in epidemiology / medical statistics commencing in Summer/Autumn 2013, to be based at the Royal Free site within the HIV Epidemiology and Biostatistics Group.

Studentship Details

The studentship will involve an epidemiological analysis of data from the Royal Free HIV Research Database. This contains information on all HIV-positive individuals who have ever attended the Ian Charleson Day Centre outpatient clinic at the Royal Free Hospital. It is one of the largest clinics in the UK, with approximately 2500 individuals attending annually. The Royal Free HIV Department serves a wide demographic mix of individuals. In particular the three major demographic subgroups that are affected by HIV in the UK are well represented: men who have acquired HIV through sex with other men, and men and women of black African ethnicity who have become HIV positive via heterosexual sex.

The Royal Free HIV Research Database contains comprehensive information on many aspects of HIV care and treatment for all HIV outpatients seen at the Royal Free, including demographic information, details of antiretroviral treatment, laboratory tests and major morbidity and mortality. Previous and ongoing projects address questions concerning HIV prognosis and management; in particular the use and effects of current treatment, development of toxicities, and trends over time in morbidity, mortality and treatment response. The database has recently been expanded to additionally collect information on socioeconomic status, as well as information on in-patient hospitalisations, outpatient attendance, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan results, interactions with other health care professionals prior to HIV diagnosis, non-HIV medications and pregnancy.

Women account for more than half of all people infected with HIV globally, and about a third of those infected with HIV in the UK. However, it has long been recognised that women have been seriously underrepresented in research studies. Furthermore, in the UK setting, men of black African origin infected via heterosexual sex constitute an increasing proportion of HIV clinic populations in more recent years. There is little evidence regarding this group’s HIV-related outcomes, and so further research into this area is essential to investigate whether further interventions are required to ensure optimal response in this demographic group.

Finally, socio-economic factors measured via factors such as housing status, employment, educational attainment and deprivation index, can have a major impact on health-related outcomes. There is a great disparity amongst UK HIV positive individuals with regards to socio-economic status, and this may explain some or all of the observed differences in outcomes between gender.

Together with the supervisors, the student will develop a PhD project on the theme of the impact of gender and related sociodemographic factors on outcomes amongst HIV-diagnoses individuals. The project will be carried out using data from the Royal Free HIV Research Database and will focus on important HIV research areas such as timing and missed opportunities for HIV diagnosis, response to first-line antiretroviral treatment, participation in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and response to first-line treatment according to RCT participation and incidence and prevalence of co-morbidities (e.g. osteoporosis, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease).

The student will have the opportunity to develop and write up a number of papers for publication based on the analyses undertaken, and also will be expected to undertake data management tasks that contribute to papers produced by other members of the research team. There may also be opportunity to be involved in the analysis of larger multi-centre cohort studies to which the Royal Free HIV Research Database contributes data.

The Research Department of Infection and Population Health (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/iph/)

The Research Department of Infection and Population Health (Head of Department: Dr Richard Gilson), within the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care (Institute Director: Prof Andrew Steptoe) conducts population-based research related to infections. It contains research staff from a wide range of disciplines, including biostatisticians, epidemiologists, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists and public health physicians. The department has around 80 staff and currently about 35 PhD students. The Department consists of four distinct research groups [‘HIV Epidemiology and Biostatistics Group’; ‘Health Psychology and Social Sciences Group’; ‘Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology’; ‘Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research’], and is split across the Royal Free and Mortimer Market sites. The post-holder will be working within the ‘HIV Epidemiology and Biostatistics Group’ (co-led by Professors Andrew Phillips and Caroline Sabin) at the Royal Free site.

Supervisory Team

The Supervisory team will include: Dr Colette Smith (Lecturer in Biostatistics/Epidemiology), Dr Fiona Lampe (statistical lead for Royal Free HIV Research Database, Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology and Medical Statistics), Professor Andrew Phillips (Joint Head of Group, Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics) from the ‘HIV Epidemiology and Biostatistics Group’ and Professor Margaret Johnson (clinical lead for Royal Free HIV Research Database, Director of HIV Clinical Services) from the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust.

Person Specification

Applicants should hold a first or upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject (mathematics, statistics, or epidemiology) and an MSc in a relevant subject (medical statistics, epidemiology or related discipline). Excellent skills in quantitative research methodology, statistical methods, analysis of large and complex datasets, data management, and the use of statistical software are all essential. Although there is flexibility with regard to which statistical package is used for analyses, a large part of data management will use SAS, and so knowledge of or willingness to learn this package is essential. Applicants should also have excellent oral and written communication skills.

Eligibility

Due to funding restrictions, applicants must be UK/EU nationals and have been resident in the UK for three years immediately prior to starting a PhD to be eligible.

Application

Please submit a CV including full details of all University courses and grades to date; contact details of two academic or professional referees and a personal statement (750 words maximum) outlining your suitability for the project, what you hope to achieve from the PhD. and your research experience to date.

Any enquiries relating to the project and/or suitability should be directed to Dr Colette Smith (c.smith@ucl.ac.uk) or Dr Fiona Lampe (f.lampe@ucl.ac.uk).

Please submit your application electronically to Kay Stratton (k.stratton@ucl.ac.uk)

CLOSING DATE: 10th MAY 2013

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The Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research in the Research Department of Infection and Population Health at University College London, is currently inviting applications for a full-time summer internship (approx. 3 months) funded by the National Institute for Health Research (specific dates to be finalised with the successful candidate).

The intern will work on the analysis of quantitative data collected for Britain’s third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (‘Natsal-3’), a national probability sample survey of sexual behaviour conducted in Britain between 2010 and 2012. This high-profile survey builds upon those conducted in 1990-‘91 and 1999-2001. The study team, led by Professor Anne Johnson and Dr Cath Mercer, brings together researchers at University College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the National Centre for Social Research, as well as Public Health England and the University of Manchester.

The aim of this internship is to provide the successful applicant with an understanding of how to undertake statistical analysis within a research environment and an opportunity to gain experience prior to completion of his/her undergraduate degree. The intern will:

• Assist with the writing of statistical analysis plans, and conducting data cleaning and analysis under supervision

• Maintain accurate and detailed documentation for all aspects of work undertaken

• Liaise with Natsal-3 co-investigators and collaborators

• Attend relevant in-house seminars and team meetings

The internship is suitable for students who have completed at least their second year of an undergraduate degree (e.g. statistics, psychology, or biomedical sciences) and have an interest in the field of applied statistics. Undergraduates from other fields (e.g. economics) who have quantitative skills and familiarity with statistics may also apply.

Remuneration: £3,500 for the internship (subject to National Insurance and tax deductions).

To apply please email a CV and covering letter explaining why you are interested in this internship, together with details of two academic referees (one of whom should be your personal tutor or equivalent) to Kay Stratton (k.stratton@ucl.ac.uk) by 1pm on Friday 17th May 2013. Interviews are expected to take place on Tuesday 4th June 2013. For an informal discussion about the internship email Dr Cath Mercer (c.mercer@ucl.ac.uk).