Postdoctoral Research Associate

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY

The post

The faculty seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on the UKRI Medical Research Council funded project S.T.A.R.S: Sharing Tools and Artefacts for Reproducible Simulations in healthcare.

The above full-time post is available from 1st May 2024 within the Department of Health and Community Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School. STARS is a collaboration with the Centre for Simulation, Analytics and Modelling (CSAM ), University of Exeter Business School; Somerset NHS Foundation Trust ; Health Data Research UK (HDRUK); and the OR Society.

STARS is an Open Science project that aims to increase the quantity and quality of simulation models that are open for reuse by health researchers and the NHS.

Simulation models are computational tools that use detailed logic, data, and computer code to provide a quantitative way for researchers to make predictions about drug effectiveness, and health services operational flow. These models are used extensively in health and medical research to assess the effects of changes to patient care and to manage and understand pandemics like Covid-19. The most common approach used in these studies is called discrete-event simulation. Very few published studies using discrete-event simulation meet the scientific standard for being open to (re)use, and scrutiny by others . In contrast, fields outside of healthcare, such as Ecology , have seen growth in model sharing. This means that healthcare results are more difficult to fully check or reproduce, and models are not tested for mistakes. Even when a model is shared with a scientific paper, there are considerable challenges in installing specialist simulation software, researcher concerns about intellectual property, time/effort needed to do the sharing, and how long a model remains available.

STARS will develop new methods, and training materials for the simulation community and transform the way models are shared. The post holder will develop methods, open materials, and simulation models using both Python and R. Work will include replicating the results of published simulation studies, developing tools to reduce the effort needed to deploy models using, for example, web app frameworks such as Shiny and Streamlit, and supporting community engagement and training initiatives.

About you

We are looking for an Associate Research Fellow to join STARS for two years. For the research, we need you to be comfortable using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and have demonstrable experience in Python, and/or R. The research will require knowledge of both languages and you must be happy learn the other language if you are not experienced. We are not expecting you to be an expert in all forms of computer simulation and web deployment of models, but a working knowledge and training in using Discrete-event Simulation and web app tools in Python (e.g simpy/streamlit) or R (e.g. R-simmer/Shiny) is essential. Experience of replicating or recreating computational results from research studies is essential. All research will be made open as it is produced; hence you will need skills in basic FOSS infrastructure and workflow tools (Git, Github, Quarto/Rmarkdown/JupyterBook).

You will likely have at least a Masters degree in Health Data Science, Data Science, Computer Science, Maths/Engineering, or a Medical Sciences subject, and either have a Ph.D. or the equivalent experience. Mostly, apart from some prior experience in FOSS, Data Science or modelling, we are looking for people who are willing to be flexible and who can conduct research, learn, and apply, new FOSS tools as needed. The STARS team can provide training and support in the use of advanced simulation methods, FOSS infrastructure tools, and writing journal articles.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career

• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024).  We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today.  More than 99 percent

 of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

Further information

For further information please contact Thomas Monks, e-mail [email protected]