Research Assistant/Associate in Nutritional and Cancer Epidemiology

Duration of Post: fixed term for up to nine months (project end date 01 November 2027); anticipated start 2 November 2026.

Key Accountabilities

Research Assistant

• Prepare, clean, document and manage dietary, sociodemographic, clinical, biomarker and outcome data from UK Biobank and COLO-COHORT in accordance with data-governance requirements
• Construct, quality-assure and document binary and graded UK Eatwell Guide adherence scores using food-frequency-questionnaire and repeated 24-hour dietary-recall data
• Undertake reproducible multivariable and time-to-event analyses of colorectal polyp prevalence, colorectal cancer incidence and survival, including mediation analyses involving adiposity, inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers
• Contribute to interpretation, project meetings, stakeholder and patient/public involvement activities, and the preparation of reports, manuscripts, presentations and accessible outputs
• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)
• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate

In addition for Research Associate

• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Research Assistant

• Experience of managing and analysing large, complex epidemiological or health research datasets using Stata or R
• Knowledge and practical experience of epidemiological methods, including multivariable regression and time-to-event or survival analysis
• Knowledge or experience of nutritional epidemiology, dietary assessment, or constructing diet-quality or dietary-adherence scores
• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

In addition for Research Associate

• Awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high quality publications

Desirable

• Experience of analysing large cohort or linked health datasets, particularly UK Biobank or a comparable research resource
• Knowledge or experience of colorectal cancer epidemiology, cancer prevention or survivorship research, and/or mediation analysis or structural equation modelling
• Experience of research dissemination, patient and public involvement and engagement, or producing accessible outputs for non-academic audiences

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

Essential

• For appointment at Research Associate level, a PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, nutrition or a related field with a strong quantitative component is required. For appointment at Research Assistant level, a Master’s degree in an appropriate field with a strong quantitative component is required

Desirable

• Working towards a relevant PhD (Research Assistant appointment only)

Newcastle University

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 29708