Epidemiologist/Data Scientist

University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible work options

Staff benefits

Job summary

The University of Edinburgh invites applications for an Epidemiologist/Health Data Scientist to work with the Cardiovascular and Renal Healthcare Data Research Group. The post is based in the Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research, Edinburgh, and is funded by the British Heart Foundation.

This full-time, fixed-term 2-year appointment requires expertise in data linkage, large-scale NHS datasets, and statistical modelling, with a focus on cardiovascular risk in kidney disease.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate qualification in a maths, statistics, computing science, scientific or health field.
• Experience in clinical epidemiology or health data science.
• Experience in data management and data cleaning.
• Experience in statistical modelling.
• Proficiency in R programming.
• Strong attention to detail for handling large linked datasets.

Responsibilities

• Access, curate and interrogate large-scale NHS datasets.
• Design novel data-linkage studies and perform advanced analytics.
• Embed within a clinical research team and guide other members.
• Lead and recruit epidemiologists and data scientists as the team grows.

Skills

Epidemiology

Data science

Statistical modelling

R programming

Data management

Attention to detail

Education

Undergraduate qualification in mathematics, statistics, computing science, or health-related field

Job description

Grade UE07: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum

CMVM / School of Neurological and Cardiovascular Sciences / Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Fixed-term: for 2 years

The Opportunity:

With roles from hospitality to research,there’sa career for everyone at the University of Edinburgh. We can offer opportunities for you to develop in your career and make a real difference in the communities around us while contributing to the world at large.

We offer careers and roles injust about everyarea you can think of. Whether you arelooking for entry-level, mid-career or roles at the top of your chosen specialism, we can offer you a career where you can flourish and make a real difference in the communities around us while contributing to the world at large. Our people come from a wide range of backgrounds, each bringing their abilities and experiences to our organisation.

The Universityisn’tjust any employer. We are part of alocal communityand a contributor toglobal thinking,progress and research. In Edinburgh, you are in one of the world’s most attractive cities with active arts and social sectors, while working in aUniversitythat has made significant contributions to society, medicine,physicsand teaching for over four centuries. Our people have helped create the modern world and are working on more ground-breaking technologies and practices.

Join theUniversity of Edinburgh andyou’llbe making a difference to everything around you. Be part of something bigger - whereyou’lldo meaningful work, grow and progress, be rewarded and recognised, and benefit from our strong commitment to your wellbeing. There are so many reasons to join us.

Applications are invited for an Epidemiologist/ Health Data Scientist, to work with Dr Peter Gallacher and Prof. Neeraj Dhaun (Bean) (Cardiovascular and Renal Healthcare Data Research Group) on an ambitious research programme utilising high-fidelity, routinely-collected NHS data to improve cardiovascular risk prediction and management in patients with kidney disease.

The postholder will work at the interface between cardio-renal epidemiology, data science, medical statistics, and clinical medicine. They will contribute to original, high-impact quantitative research by accessing, curating and interrogating large-scale and complex regional and national datasets, comprising linked administrative, biochemistry, diabetes, hospitalisation, mortality, prescribing, renal and transplantation data.

The postholder will work with clinical researchers to transform and curate linked datasets, design novel and exciting data-linkage studies, and perform advanced data analytics and statistical modelling. They will be embedded within our growing research team, comprising clinical research nurses and clinician researchers from a variety of public health, primary and secondary care backgrounds. The postholder will also provide guidance to other members of the research group, including undergraduate or postgraduate students. As our research team grows, they will help to recruit and lead a team of epidemiologists and data scientists.

Our research team is based within the Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research – a BHF-funded Centre of Research Excellence in Edinburgh – and works closely and collaboratively with a variety of research teams under the auspices of the Centre’s ‘Heart Diseases’ and ‘Data-Driven Innovation’ Research Themes (https://cardiovascular-science.ed.ac.uk/research/cvs-bhf-centres/bhf-centre-of-research-excellence).

This role would suit an ambitious individual who is either looking to develop their skills and career in high-impact health data research, or a more experienced epidemiologist/data scientist looking to expand their role within a dynamic and specialist team.

You will have:

1. An undergraduate qualification or equivalent in a mathematics, statistics, computing science, scientific or health-related field;
2. Experience of clinical epidemiology or health data science;
3. Experience of data management (e.g. data cleaning and manipulation);
4. Experience of statistical modelling;
5. Proficiency in programming (e.g. statistical programming in R);
6. A strong level of attention-to-detail that is well-suited to handling and analysing large-scale, complex linked datasets.

You will be based in theInstitute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research,Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ.

The position is funded through an award from the British Heart Foundation and is available immediately for 2 years in the first instance.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• A competitive salary.
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from minority ethnic candidates, as we acknowledge they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages.

On this occasion the University will not consider applicants requiring sponsorship for this role. International workers will therefore only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 28 October 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK, the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browser’s local time zone.

Interview dates to be confirmed.