Research Assistant - MiniAFTERC Project - AR3342

University of St Andrews; St Andrews; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 38,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support (eligibility)

USS Pension Scheme

Hybrid working environment

Staff discount scheme

Free staff parking

LinkedIn Learning access

34 Days Annual Leave + 5 PH

Job summary

University of St Andrews invites applications for a committed Research Assistant to work with Dr Andrew O'Malley on the MiniAFTERC project funded by Beatson Cancer Charity. The role focuses on coordinating the pilot, ethics submissions, and analysing chatbot interactions in a simulated clinical setting.

The successful candidate will run simulations, collect transcripts, and perform accuracy assessments against manual ratings while maintaining robust study documentation.

Qualifications

• Good first degree in a relevant subject such as psychology, nursing, medicine, health sciences or public health.
• PhD (or near completion) in a related discipline would be advantageous.
• Experience of empirical research involving human participants, and ideally of digital health, psycho-oncology or behavioural interventions.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the day-to-day running of the pilot, including ethics submission to the University of St Andrews Medical School Ethics Committee and ongoing compliance with approved protocols.
• Work with Prof Gerry Humphris to collate simulated patient scenarios spanning high, moderate and low fear of cancer recurrence, including edge-case responses.
• Run simulation sessions with a chatbot and capture transcripts, audio recordings and outputs in line with information-governance requirements.
• Conduct accuracy assessments comparing AI-generated FCR4 scores with manual scoring by trained raters.
• Maintain version-controlled study documentation and contribute to project meetings.

Education

Bachelor-level degree in a relevant subject (psychology, nursing, medicine, health sciences or public health)

Research experience with human participants

Job description

Applications are sought for a committed Research Assistant to work with Dr Andrew O'Malley conducting research for a Beatson Cancer Charity funded project entitled MiniAFTERC. The project aims to test whether existing genAI tools could be modified for clinical use in a simulated setting; the primary duties will be to establish the project, collect and analyse actors' interactions with the chatbot. Specifically:

• Coordinate the day-to-day running of the pilot, including ethics submission to the University of St Andrews Medical School Ethics Committee and ongoing compliance with approved protocols.
• Work with Prof Gerry Humphris to collate a series of simulated patient scenarios spanning high, moderate and low fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), together with edge-case responses such as expressions of suicidal ideation or out-of-scope distress.
• Run simulation sessions with a chatbot (which will be developed in-house) and capture transcripts, audio recordings and structured outputs in line with information-governance requirements.
• Conduct accuracy assessments comparing AI-generated FCR4 scores with manual scoring by trained raters, including inter-rater reliability analysis.
• Maintain version-controlled study documentation and contribute to project meetings.

The successful applicant will have a good first degree in a relevant subject such as psychology, nursing, medicine, health sciences or public health; a PhD (or near completion) in a related discipline would be an advantage. Experience of empirical research involving human participants, and ideally of digital health, psycho-oncology or behavioural interventions, is desirable.

Enquiries should be directed to Dr Andrew O'Malley [e-mail]

The post is available for 4 months on a part-time basis (0.2 FTE), starting October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

St Andrews offers more than just a place to work it is a place to belong. We value collegiality, inclusion, and wellbeing, and we are committed to creating a workplace where staff can thrive and perform at their best.

In addition to the salary on offer for this position, there are a wide range of benefits for staff working at the University of St Andrews. The package for the Research Assistant includes:

• Financial contribution to relocation (subject to eligibility)
• Membership of the USS Pension Scheme with a generous employer contribution of 14.5%
• A hybrid working environment, including partial homeworking where appropriate and a range of family friendly policies, supporting work-life balance
• Staff discount scheme for local and national goods and services
• Free staff parking, employee Carshare and Cycle to Work Schemes and subsidised local bus travel
• Subsidised sports membership, reduced tuition fees on degree programmes for staff, access to training and development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, access to library facilities, salary sacrifice scheme
• 34 Days Annual Leave plus 5 Public Holidays.

At St Andrews, equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to who we are and form a core pillar of our University Strategy. We are committed to creating a fair, inclusive and supportive workplace, reflected in our participation in national diversity charters and awards, including Athena Swan, Carer Positive and the Race Equality Charter.

We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian, minority ethnic and minority religions backgrounds and from LGBTQ+ and disabled people

Closing Date: 5 October 2026 Interview Date: 12 October 2026

Please quote ref: AR3342LS

Job Description: AR3342LSFPs.pdf

School of Medicine

Salary: £32,080 - £37,694 pro rata, per annum

Part Time: 7.25 hours per week

Fixed Term: 4 Months

Start Date: October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter