Research Assistant, EYESAVE PPIE Activities

Durham University; North East; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is seeking a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Lead for the EYESAVE project, focusing on developing an AI-enabled triage platform for glaucoma care. This role will require collaboration with clinicians and researchers to embed patient perspectives into the technological solution. Ideal candidates will possess a PhD or be a graduate with relevant public engagement experience. This full-time position is fixed-term for 12 months, preferably starting by February 2026.

Qualifications

• Experience in public engagement and health research.
• Ability to lead co-production initiatives.
• Skills in collaborating with clinicians and researchers.

Responsibilities

• Lead PPIE activities to integrate patient perspectives into the project.
• Work collaboratively with clinical and research teams.
• Contribute to development and evaluation of the AI platform.

Skills

Public engagement

Health research involvement

Community partnership working

Education

Grade 7 PhD

Grade 6 graduate

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated individual‑either a Grade 7 PhD holder, or a Grade 6 graduate‑to join the EYESAVE project, funded by the Vivensa Foundation Trust, as a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Lead. The project addresses the growing demands on glaucoma care by developing an AI-enabled triage platform that integrates retinal imaging, clinical data, and machine learning to support early detection and prioritisation of patients at risk of vision loss. The role involves leading PPIE activities to ensure that patient perspectives and lived experiences shape the design, development, and evaluation of the technology throughout the project.

Collaboration

Working in collaboration with clinicians, AI researchers, and vision scientists at Newcastle University, Sunderland Eye Hospital and Newcastle RVI, this position offers the opportunity to deliver meaningful impact by embedding co-production and patient voice into cutting‑edge research. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in public engagement, health research involvement, or community partnership working to contribute to a high‑impact project with strong potential for clinical adoption and real‑world benefit.

Contract Details

This post is fixed term for 12 months (full‑time) or 24 months (part‑time) as the project is time and funding‑limited.

The post‑holder is employed to work on a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post‑holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by 1st February 2026.

Contact Information

Department contact for academic‑related enquiries

For a chat about the role or any further information, please contact Dr Rahele Kafieh () or Professor Anya Hurlbert ().