Research Fellow in Behavioural Science of Cancer Inequalities in Primary Care

UCL; London; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university in London is seeking a Research Fellow passionate about addressing cancer inequalities. This role involves leading research projects to identify barriers to early cancer detection. Candidates should have a PhD in Health Psychology, strong research experience, and excellent communication skills. The position offers a salary range of £44,480 - £51,860 depending on qualifications. Join us in shaping future cancer care through impactful research and community engagement.

Benefits

41 Days holiday

Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay

On-Site gym

Cycle to work scheme

Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• A PhD (or equivalent experience) in Health Psychology or a related discipline.
• Knowledge of cancer early detection and health inequalities.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and testing of behavioural vignettes.
• Collaborate with patients and healthcare professionals.
• Analyse data and publish findings in journals.
• Coordinate public engagement activities.

Skills

Strong experience in research studies

Survey tools expertise (e.g., Qualtrics)

Excellent communication skills

Teamwork

Project coordination skills

Education

PhD in Health Psychology or related discipline

Job description

About us

Behavioural Science and Early Diagnosis of Cancer Group

Our group has expertise in understanding uptake of cancer screening (focusing on colorectal and cervical screening), communication and decision-making in screening, measuring patient experiences, and assessing knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about cancer. Our research projects are supported by competitively acquired funding by NIHR, Cancer Research UK, and the International Cancer Alliance for Early Detection of Cancer.

About the role

Make a real-world impact on cancer inequalities

Are you passionate about using behavioural science to tackle health inequalities? Join UCL's world-leading Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care as a Research Fellow and contribute to a pioneering international project focused on early cancer detection and reducing socioeconomic disparities in diagnosis and outcomes.

This role is part of the International Alliance on Early Detection of Cancer (ACED) and offers the opportunity to work across a multi-method, interdisciplinary programme. You'll help shape the future of cancer care by identifying barriers to early diagnosis and co-developing innovative, community-informed interventions.

What you'll do

• Lead the development and testing of behavioural vignettes to explore help-seeking barriers.
• Collaborate with patients, public panels, and healthcare professionals through co-design workshops and simulations.
• Drive inclusive recruitment strategies via online platforms and mobile research units.
• Analyse data and publish findings in high-impact journals.
• Coordinate public engagement and dissemination activities to ensure research reaches those who need it most.

Application Details:

• This is an open-ended contract with fixed-term funding until 31 st of December 2027 in the first instance.
• Appointment will be for a Research Fellow Grade 7 (£44,480 -£51,860 incl London Allowance). Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Research Assistant Grade 6B (£38,607 - £41,255 incl London allowance) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.
• This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Professional Services Staff. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/conditions-service-research-teaching-and-professional-services-staff for more information.

Application Process: .

• A full job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
• Please use the personal statement section to explain how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria outlined in the person specification

Contact Details:

• If you have any queries regarding the vacancy or the application process, please contact Christian von Wagner ([e-mail])
• If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact Maria Kristensen ([e-mail])

About you

• A PhD (or equivalent experience) in Health Psychology or a related discipline.
• Strong experience in setting up research studies, using survey tools (e.g. Qualtrics), and conducting both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Knowledge of cancer early detection, health inequalities, and community health services.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and project coordination skills.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan and expenses
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent.

We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/