Research Associate/Senior Research Associate in Mixed Methods Digital Health Research

Salary: 

Grade I: £38,249 – £44,128;

Grade J: £42,882 – £48,149 per annum, depending on the skills, qualifications, and experience you bring to the position.

The role

Join our team as a Research Associate for the prestigious ESPRC-funded TORUS Programme Grant. This is an exciting opportunity be at the forefront of ground-breaking research that aims to revolutionise the development of a cure for Parkinson's disease.

The TORUS research programme is focused on an innovative approach that addresses the significant difficulty of measuring the effectiveness of new drugs in improving patients' symptoms and quality of life. By developing a cutting-edge platform of sensing technologies, specifically designed for use in patients' own homes, we will accurately measure changes in mobility-related behaviours over extended periods of time, spanning weeks and months.

The programme concludes with a clinical proof of concept research study in a patient cohort, with the technology being deployed in approximately 30 homes across Bristol and Newcastle. This is an exciting opportunity for a Research Associate to lead in the design and conduct of this proof-of-concept study.

Working in collaboration with the wider TORUS team at University of Bristol and Newcastle University, alongside the NHS and prominent multinational pharmaceutical companies, this project offers an exceptional opportunity to drive impactful change at the intersection of Engineering, Computer Science, and Health Science. You will be part of a diverse and interdisciplinary team, combining expertise from various fields to tackle one of the most significant challenges in medical research.

Please note: This role, while based within the Faculty of Engineering, may be particularly well-suited to someone with a background in psychology, public health, health services research, or related disciplines especially where participant interaction and mixed-methods research are core.

We welcome applications from candidates with experience in health sciences, psychology, or related disciplines. 

What will you be doing?

Working in collaboration with an equivalent Research Associate at Newcastle University you will lead on the design and conduct of the TORUS deployment study. You will:

• Review the relevant literature relating to this work.
• Design, plan and execute research studies, including the TORUS proof of concept deployment study.
• Support the development of study documentation for submission to regulatory bodies, including NHS Research Ethics Committees.
• Recruit participants, ensuring to adhere to TORUS inclusivity and diversity ambitions.
• Collect, clean and analyse study data.
• Disseminate study results in peer-reviewed journals, conferences and seminars.
• Attend regular project meetings (in Bristol and less frequently in Newcastle) and prepare progress reports for the TORUS management team and advisory board.

You should apply if

You have:

• Experience working in a research team, carrying out data analysis and writing research papers.
• Experience working in a patient facing role, including ideally recruiting participants to a research study.
• Excellent communication skills, with an ability to communicate complex information tailored to different audiences.
• A passion for research and a desire to make a difference in the lives of people living with Parkinson’s

Desirable:

• We are ideally seeking candidates who combine hands-on experience working with patients or research participants with strong quantitative research skills.

Additional information

For informal enquiries please contact Mae.hazell@bristol.ac.uk

Contract type: Open ended with funding until 30/09/2028

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