Research Assistant / Associate in Health Data Science

Salary:

Research Assistance: £34,630 to £36,320 per annum

Research Associate: £37,369

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 8 December 2026

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a major international project funded by the Wellcome Trust and led by Dr Emmanuel Molefi entitled “Diversity in Chronobiology: Discovering dynamics and interactions in chronobiology using multimodal, multiscale, and multinational data”. The project involves a 10-partner consortium across four continents; and you will be based at the CNNP Lab in the School of Computing at Newcastle University.

The aim of the project is to collect and curate a multimodal, multiscale, and multinational chronobiology and environmental health dataset; and use computational methods to understand how geographical, ethnical, cultural, and biological factors shape human biological rhythms in naturalistic settings.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf. These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Find out more about the Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering (SAgE) here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/sage/

Find out more about our Research Institutes: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/computing/research/groups/

Contact for the post is Dr Emmanuel Molefi ([email protected]).

Duration of post is 12 months.

To apply, please upload your CV and cover letter evidencing how your skills and experiences align to the person specification as outlined within the job description

Key Accountabilities

Research Assistant

• 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.

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 analysing physiological, biomedical, or wearable sensor data
• Experience applying machine learning, data-driven modelling, or multivariate methods to multimodal physiological and behavioral data
• Experience in scientific software development and programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python, R)
• Experience of developing and maintaining relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Evidence of being able to conduct high quality research in one or more areas of Data Science, Machine Learning, Health Informatics, and Digital Health
• 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

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

Research Assistant

• Honours degree in Health Data Science, Computer Science, Biomedical Informatics, Biomedical Engineering, Applied Mathematics / Statistics or a related discipline

In addition for Research Associate

• PhD in Health Data Science, Computer Science, Biomedical Informatics, Biomedical Engineering, Applied Mathematics / Statistics or a related discipline

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: 29796