Description
We are recruiting a Post Doctoral fellow (scientist or clinician) to work on a new project, ‘EVOLVE-HBV’, studying hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa working in collaboration with the Francis Crick Institute, UK. The post will be supervised by a team comprising Dr. Philippa Matthews (clinician scientist at the Francis Crick Institute, London), Dr. Collins Iwuji (clinician scientist at AHRI), and Dr. Tongai Maponga (Senior Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Stellenbosch), in collaboration with a wider interdisciplinary team at AHRI, including clinicians, epidemiologists, laboratory research scientists, social scientists, and the public engagement team.
- The candidate will be employed through AHRI, and physically based between Durban and Somkhele. The post will be initially appointed for one year but with extension to a total of four years subject to satisfactory completion of year one.
- The candidate will have a central role in the management, delivery and intellectual development of a multi-disciplinary translational research project to study the epidemiology, and clinical and laboratory characteristics of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection through the AHRI Vukuzazi Programme (https://www.ahri.org/ahri-launches-ground-breaking-new-research-programme/) working at the clinical field centre at Somkhele and at AHRI’s state-of-the-art scientific laboratory facilities in Durban.
- The role will include responsibilities for co-ordination and management of an interdisciplinary study, The candidate will work with the established laboratory and clinical teams support the recruitment of eligible study participants, and generate clinical and laboratory data.
- Laboratory work will focus on the development and optimization of HBV full-genome sequencing at AHR, assaying drug levels and measurement of antibody function. The project will also provide experience and evidence through which we will establish local protocols for diagnosis and clinical management of people living with HBV infection. Our team will be working to provide foundations for future clinical trials.
- The post-holder will be encouraged to engage in preparation of manuscripts and is expected to take a leading role in publications for the project, as well as contributing to applications for additional funding. The successful candidate will become part of an international collaborative programme working on approaches to HBV elimination and will be provided with support and mentorship focused on career development. There will be opportunities for engagement with the Crick institute, including involvement in projects and meetings, access to training opportunities, and connections to other active HBV research sites in the UK, South Africa, Uganda and Kenya.
- Salary: The salary for this position depends on previous experience and brackets are according to AHRI’s official scheme and NRF grades. Non-clinical candidates will be remunerated without tax deduction due to tax exemption status for postdoctoral fellows.
- About AHRI: Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) is an independent, transdisciplinary scientific research institute based across two campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in South Africa. AHRI’s vision is optimal
Requirements
- PhD qualification (with or without MD);
- Experience in clinical/translational research;
- Interest in infection and immunity, liver disease, public health, and/or epidemiology, and a willingness to develop new insights across these domains;
- Evidence of academic excellence and intellectual development of research projects;
- Ability to work flexibly and independently to co-ordinate work priorities as the different domains of the project develop;
- Experience of supervising junior team members and colleagues;
- Working according to the principles of Good Clinical Practice;
- Excellent record keeping, with management of clinical and laboratory data;
- Oversight of governance (eg submitting ethics reports and amendments);
- Willing to participate in clinical recruitment of individuals with HBV infection (with support and guidance provided by existing clinical teams);
- Laboratory experience, ideally with a background in immunology and infection, or a related field bringing relevant expertise and skills.
Desirable Skills for This Roles
- Experience of relevant laboratory skills to underpin the proposed project, including pathogen sequencing and/or laboratory immunology skills.
- Experience with patient and public involvement;
- Previous experience or willingness to learn fibro scan (ultrasound assessment of liver stiffness);
- Experience of pathogen sequencing, including next generation approaches using Illumina and/or Nanopore;
- Experience of quantitative and qualitative laboratory evaluation of T and B cell-mediated immunity.
Please note the closing date for this role is 1st of November 2022.
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Description
Research Fellowship in Adolescent Mental Health in HIV
Nothando Ngwenya’s research focuses on human behaviour in adverse and complex social-ecological systems. This work is strongly anchored in understanding how adversity and ill health shapes behaviours, and the implications of these interactions for resilience and wellbeing when living with a long-term condition such as HIV. This programme of work has a goal of contributing to the reduction of burden of suffering of mental health for adolescents through task-sharing scale-up interventions. This work is based at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) an independent, transdisciplinary scientific research institute based across two campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in South Africa.
Requirements
Minimum Qualification
- A doctoral degree in a relevant field which may include but is not limited to clinical psychology, medical anthropology, or statistics/bioinformatics. Other desirable qualifications include:
- Record of scholarly publication, including first-authored scientific journal articles.
- Expertise in research design and data analysis, including any of the following: clinical trials, grounded theory, systematic reviews, etc.
- Demonstrated track record engaging in fieldwork, involving meeting with stakeholders including adolescent study participants, clinicians, community members, and researchers.
- Experience working in or collaborating with researchers in mental health and HIV.
- Prior supervision of research team or coordination of research activities in low and middle income settings.
- Current knowledge of mental health problems and services in South Africa
Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of Nothando Ngwenya, the fellow will assume mentored responsibility for:
- Acting as the lead scientific liaison for day-to-day oversight of research activities, including conducting and leading data analyses across the study components, financial reporting, etc.;
- Supporting the design of data collection instruments, obtaining IRB approvals, analyzing associated data, writing manuscripts, and submitting these for peer reviewed publication;
- Working with the research teams in Durban and Somkhele to support the implementation of study protocols and to monitor data collection and quality in the field;
- Supervising, orienting, and training project students and staff who contribute to these efforts. Ability to manage virtual meetings and to travel as required to project sites is required; And,
- Supporting capacity building at the project sites through presenting work to local stakeholders and research collaborators, providing guidance and mentorship to research staff involved in different aspects of the research project, and engaging stakeholders at the study sites and globally in dissemination of the project findings.
Closing date: 04 November 2022
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Opportunity
This eighteen-months position will support the work of the research vision and objectives, data and methodology, and omics workstreams of the CE-APCC. The work will happen in several phases with the first phase a landscape review of population cohorts in Africa with regards to their research visions and aims, scope for data and methodological harmonization, and opportunities for omics approaches. During the second phase, the candidate will organize and facilitate a series of thematic workshops with stakeholders in Africa to discuss and enhance the landscape review. This information will be summarized in a participatory pathway impact analysis. The third phase will build a consensus on the research vision and objectives for the APCC and opportunities for omics, data and methodological advances. In the final phase the candidate will participate in the writing of the final APCC blueprint. The candidate will work with three other postdoctoral fellows on this project who are based in Malawi and Kenya.
This is an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral candidate to work directly with leading scientists in Africa in the fields of population, public health, data and omics sciences. The candidate will work under the direct supervision of Dr Kobus Herbst, the co-lead of the CE-APCC; Drs. Anjali Sharma, Jacques Emina and Shabir Moosa, conveners of the Research Vision and Objectives workstream; Drs. Agnes Kiragga and Sikhulile Moyo, co-leads of the Data & Methodology workstreams; and Prof Michele Ramsay, lead of the Omics workstream.
It is an unprecedented opportunity to explore the research landscape of the most important population cohorts, including the more than 30 health and demographic surveillance systems in Africa and build an invaluable network of scientists in Africa as a resource for a scientific career that will positively impact of the health and wellbeing of the African population. This work will result in several publications documenting the landscape review and the process of establishing the APCC.
Requirements
Qualifications and experience:
- PhD in a relevant subject
- Strong systematic review skills
- Ability to prepare results for publication and draft own manuscripts
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Self motivated, able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Good interpersonal skills and team orientated
Closing date is Friday, 21 October 2022.
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