Applications are invited for an infectious disease modeller to join the Department Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The post-holder will be funded through a research grant awarded by the Federal Joint Commission Germany (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss) on an interdisciplinary and collaborative project with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Centre of Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Disease at LSHTM and others.

The project aims to assess optimal vaccination strategies against RSV. RSV is responsible for a dramatic burden of childhood disease globally and one of the key areas targeted by vaccine development currently. While the epidemiological and cost effectiveness streams of the grant will be led by the RKI the successful candidate will lead the mathematical modelling component. The project will see a close collaboration with RKI (the national public health institute of Germany) and the use of advanced epidemiological methods including statistical analyses of epidemiological data and mathematical modelling. The work will be closely linked to vaccination policy in Germany via our collaborators from the STIKO (German NITAG) secretariat and elsewhere by our links to ongoing international studies. The post-holder will have unique access to surveillance and health insurance claim data from Germany and will be responsible for understanding and analysing data on the disease burden of RSV to advance understanding of transmission dynamics via the construction and fitting of mathematical models of RSV infection.

The successful applicant will have a PhD in statistics, mathematical modelling, epidemiology or another relevant discipline with a strong quantitative component (or equivalent relevant experience if applying for the Research Fellow post). Candidates should also demonstrate some experience in mathematical modelling preferably on infectious diseases. Further particulars are included in the job description.

The post-holder will be supervised by Dr Stefan Flasche and Prof Mark Jit and will join a highly successful and supportive group, with considerable scope to develop their own research within the field, in collaboration with colleagues across the sector.

The post is full-time and available from 1st April 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter and funded until 28th February 2022. The salary will be on the Academic scale in the range £40,011-£45,437 per annum (Research Fellow) OR £46,794 - £53,465 per annum (Assistant Professor). The post will be subject to the LSHTM terms and conditions of service. Annual leave entitlement is 30 working days per year, pro rata for part time staff. In addition to this there are discretionary “Director’s Days”. Membership of the Pension Scheme is available.

Applications should be made on-line via our website at http://jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. Applications should also include the names and email contacts of 2 referees who can be contacted immediately if shortlisted. Online applications will be accepted by the automated system until 10pm of the closing date. Any queries regarding the application process may be addressed to jobs@lshtm.ac.uk.

The supporting statement section should set out how your qualifications, experience and training meet each of the selection criteria. Please provide one or more paragraphs addressing each criterion. The supporting statement is an essential part of the selection process and thus a failure to provide this information will mean that the application will not be considered. An answer to any of the criteria such as "Please see attached CV" will not be considered acceptable.

Any questions - please reach out to Stefan.Flasche@lshtm.ac.uk