Postdoctoral Research Officer in Antimicrobial Resistance in Bangor

Applications are invited for a 2-year full-time Postdoctoral Research Officer to work with Prof Davey Jones (Bangor University) and Prof Rachel McKendry (University College London) on the EPSRC-funded Digital Health Hub for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The position will specifically look at ways to link clinical and environmental AMR data and to investigate effective ways to communicate this information to the wider stakeholder community. It will also seek to integrate this information with other core data streams (e.g., infoveillance, prescribing information) to form part of an integrated One Health AMR surveillance and active management system. The environmental AMR data is being collected as part of the national wastewater-based public health programme but also includes information on the diversity and abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and associated pathogens in rivers, marine waters, sediments, shellfish, wild birds and veterinary reservoirs. The position will also be involved in the design and validation of in-situ devices for on-site ARG testing within different environmental settings.

The Research Officer will work closely with colleagues in other institutions to maximise the delivery and outputs from the programme. The overall aim of the programme is to increase knowledge and skills sharing among diverse groups, from researchers and healthcare workers to those working in animal health and environmental agencies, to policymakers, charities, industry and the public. It seeks to transform surveillance of and action against antimicrobial resistance by harnessing digital technologies that played such a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims to bring together researchers working across computer science, data visualisation, biomedical engineering, behavioural science, environmental science, clinical and public health research to tackle the critical issue of AMR.

The Research Officer position will aid in formulating the research direction, the writing of high-quality research papers and also the supervision of Masters-level research projects and PhD students. It will also help develop and implement the use of data approaches for the quantification, visualisation and communication of ARG/AMR loads in a range of settings, bringing these data streams together to better understand the source, fate and risk of ARGs in society. It is expected that the position will contribute very strongly to the writing of journal papers both as first author and as part of the wider research team.

Candidates should have a PhD (or near completion) or equivalent in healthcare science, bioinformatics, data science, environmental microbiology or a related subject, have significant experience in running research projects and producing high quality journal papers. An essential part of the post will be to integrate within the research team within Environment Centre Wales where the post is based.

This role will be located on campus at Bangor. Through our Dynamic Working framework, there will also be the option to spend some time working remotely (although remaining in the UK) to support work life balance, which will be discussed further with candidates at interview.

Overview

College

The College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at Bangor University is one of the leading centres in the UK for teaching and research in a range of science subjects. With over 2,500 students and 350 academic, technical and administrative staff, the College consists of three academic schools: Environmental and Natural Sciences; Ocean Sciences; and Computer Science & Engineering.

School

The School of Environmental and Natural Sciences conducts world-leading research and teaching across a diverse range of topics including microbiology, public health, zoology, biology, forestry, geography, agriculture and conservation.

With Bangor University being based in stunning North Wales the school is the obvious choice for students and researchers interested in the natural world and environment. Alongside having the forests and mountains of Snowdonia, and the cliffs and sandy beaches of Anglesey on our doorstep, the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences also boasts cutting-edge laboratories and analysis equipment, a botanic garden, research farm, animal care facilities, aquariums, growth rooms and greenhouses, and a natural history museum.

The Project

The EPSRC-funded Digital Health Hub for Antimicrobial Resistance will directly support the UK Government's One Health agenda delivering policy-relevant information to a range of public organisations (e.g., UKHSA, Environment Agency, DEFRA, Public Health Wales).

The position will specifically look at ways to link clinical and environmental AMR data and to investigate effective ways to communicate this information to the wider stakeholder community. It will also seek to integrate this information with other core data streams (e.g., infoveillance, prescribing information) to form part of an integrated One Health AMR surveillance and active management system. The environmental AMR data is being collected as part of the national wastewater-based public health programme but also includes information on the diversity and abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and associated pathogens in rivers, marine waters, sediments, shellfish, wild birds and veterinary reservoirs. The position will also be involved in the design and validation of in-situ devices for on-site ARG testing within different environmental settings. The Research Officer will also work closely with colleagues in other institutions to maximise the delivery and outputs from the programme. The overall aim of the programme is to increase knowledge and skills sharing among diverse groups, from researchers and healthcare workers to those working in animal health and environmental agencies, to policymakers, charities, industry and the public. It seeks to transform surveillance of and action against antimicrobial resistance by harnessing digital technologies that played such a key role during the pandemic. It also aims to bring together researchers working across computer science, data visualisation, biomedical engineering, behavioural science, environmental science, clinical and public health research to tackle the critical issue of AMR.

Purpose of the Job

This 2-year postdoctoral position will directly support Prof Davey Jones and Prof Rachel McKendry in delivering high quality science relating to understanding the fate and behaviour of antibiotic resistant organisms in the environment, the communication of this information to stakeholders, and the use of this in actionable decision making. It will support research activities associated with the wastewater-based surveillance of AMR and other microbiological agents for public health benefit. The post holder will also aid in the supervision of Masters-level research projects and PhD students. It is expected that the successful applicant will contribute strongly to the writing of journal papers both as first author and as part of the wider research team. The position will work directly with Prof Davey Jones to support on-going research activities within his research group and will be based in Environment Centre Wales at Bangor University.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Undertake a data mapping exercise to identify all the available AMR data streams that can be brought together within a One Health framework.
• Investigate how infoveillance approaches can be used to support the AMR data streams identified above.
• Explore different ways to visualise AMR datasets and effectively communicate these with stakeholders.
• Hold workshops with stakeholders to identify use cases for environmental and wastewater-based AMR data.
• Work with the team at UCL to field-test and validate novel in situ AMR testing devices for rapid on-site detection of ARGs in different environmental settings.
• To write high quality journal papers.
• To liaise with all co-investigators and members of the AMR Digital Hub and attend on-site and off-site project meetings.
• Promotion of the research at conferences and workshops.
• To help provide support to Masters-level research projects and PhD students.
• Engage with different training opportunities for personal upskilling.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
• The post holder will be expected to comply with the University's equality policies and statements, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University's Welsh Language Scheme.
• The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for themselves and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
• The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.