"Research Associate"

About Us

The TOUR (Transforming cancer OUtcomes through Research) team aims to use science to improve healthcare outcomes by translating oncology research into clinical practice. TOUR is led by Professor Mieke Van Hemelrijck, and comprises a team of quantitative and qualitative researchers, clinicians, students, research nurses, trial coordinators, and database managers who are active across the field of translational oncology research.

Prof Van Hemelrijck also leads the Guy’s Cancer Real World Evidence (RWE) Programme with Dr Anne Rigg from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. The programme aims to amplify Guy’s Cancer RWE data science capability and facilitate addressing answering challenging cancer research questions. The overall aim of Guy’s Cancer RWE Programme is to drive world class patient centred research.

About The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Associate (Grade 6) with expertise in Real World Evidence (RWE) to join the TOUR team within the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at King’s College London. This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge cancer epidemiology research, with a particular focus on the analysis of large-scale real-world datasets.

The successful candidate will work closely with Professor Mieke Van Hemelrijck and collaborators across clinical and academic teams – including King’s Health Partners and the South East London Cancer Alliance. They will be responsible for designing and conducting epidemiological studies using hospital data, national and international registries, and biobank resources such as the UK Biobank. The post holder will play a key role in managing and analysing complex datasets to generate insights that inform clinical practice and health policy.

This position is ideally suited for someone with a PhD in Cancer Epidemiology or a related field (or near completion), who has a strong background in RWD analyses and big data methodologies. The role will involve collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, contribution to peer-reviewed publications, and support for grant applications.

This is a full-time post, and you will be offered an a fixed term contract until 31st March 2027.

About You

You will hold a PhD in Cancer Epidemiology or a closely related field or be in the final stages of completing your doctoral thesis. You will have demonstrable experience in conducting Real World Data (RWD) analyses and working with large-scale datasets, including hospital records, national and international registries, and biobank resources such as the UK Biobank.

You will be confident in applying advanced statistical methods to complex datasets and have a strong understanding of data governance and confidentiality in health research. Your ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams will be essential, as will your communication skills for presenting findings and contributing to publications and funding proposals.

Essential criteria:

1. PhD in Cancer Epidemiology or related field (or near completion)
2. Proven experience in RWD analyses and big data methodologies
3. Expertise in handling hospital data, registry data, and databases like the UK Biobank
4. Strong statistical and analytical skills
5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
6. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a research environment

Desirable criteria:

1. Experience with OMOP common data model
2. Experience with molecular epidemiology
3. Familiarity with translational research data
4. Prior involvement in multi-institutional or international research collaborations

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate, and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

We are not able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.

Grade and Salary: £45,031 per annum inclusive of London Weighting Allowance

Job ID: 127325

Close Date:02-Nov-2025

Contact Person:Mieke Van Hemelrijck

Contact Details: Mieke.vanhemelrijck@kcl.ac.uk