The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (www.liv.ac.uk/SAVSNET) is a world leading animal data science project that collects large volumes of electronic health records from veterinary surgeons in practice and commercial diagnostic laboratories. We are looking for a motivated researcher to join this multidisciplinary team. You will have a Masters (Grade 6) or PhD (Grade 7) in either an epidemiological, statistical or data science background, a proven interest in animal health, and an ability to manipulate large datasets using R / MySQL. Exceptional graduate students may also apply if they have peer reviewed published evidence that they meet the essential criteria (grade 6). The primary focus of this project will be to work alongside an existing PhD student and laboratory technician to better understand the changing uptake of vaccines in UK pets, and the implication for vaccine preventable diseases. You will also provide some data analyses support to the wider SAVSNET team. The post would typically be based at Leahurst, although some degree of remote working may be acceptable. The initial contract is for 16 months, with a view for longer term funding.The aim of this post is to work on a charity funded project to explore vaccine uptake and vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) in companion animals, including temporal, spatial and other risk factors. The post holder will also develop text mining tools based on regular expressions to identify confirmed and highly suspected cases of VPD as recorded in electronic health records. The post holder will work closely with a PhD student to make data ready for research use as well completing their own objectives. This collaborative approach will be fundamental to the success of the project.
In addition, the post holder will liaise with a microbiology technician whose role in this project will be to sequence important laboratory samples to shed new light on the strain types of vaccine preventable diseases circulating in the UK.
The successful candidate will be managed by the grant PIs (Radford, Pinchbeck and Noble). For the grade 7 appointment, as well as delivering the specific vaccine project, it will be important that the post holder, as the senior epidemiologist funded on SAVSNET, will also provide occasional epidemiological support to graduate students and others within the wider SAVSNET team. At the grade 6 appointment, the level of support from PIs would be greater and the post would only be expected themselves to support undergraduate students using these data.
This is fantastic time to join a world leading animal data science project that has a proven track record to of research output impacting veterinary practice. Although the post is currently only funded for 16 months, it is anticipated that this will be extendable given the right candidate and the right progress.