Current Positions

Asia Regional Liaison Scientist

University Grade 6: £25,751- £30,747 per annum
Location: Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

The post-holder will be a local contact for WWARN in Bangkok. S/he will undertake WWARN technical and scientific activities in the Asian region. The post will report to the WWARN Regional Scientific Director, who in turn reports to the WWARN Director. The post-holder will be part of a small team that includes a Data Manager and Administrator.

Key Duties

A WWARN Asia Regional Office will be established in Bangkok in 2010. The WWARN Asia Regional Office will provide local support and advice to primary data collectors on access to online WWARN tools to facilitate the organization, cleaning, and analysis of their own data. The Asia Regional Liaison Scientist will:

• encourage data collectors to use standard formats that will permit both comparison of data from disparate sources and pooled analyses
• facilitate the preparation of standard reports that will lead to earlier publication and/or availability to policy makers
• engage and assist data collectors in pre-study clinical efficacy design, as well as analysis with support from statisticians as needed
• assist scientists and laboratories with existing and potential capacity to perform high quality molecular, in vitro or pharmacology assays
• facilitate the increase of local capacity to perform high quality pharmacology, in vitro, and molecular assays as above
• interface with the USAID-funded Mekong networks for clinical and molecular surveillance

WWARN regional centers will play an important role in establishing effective links with data source groups and revitalizing existing networks. The Asia Regional Liaison Scientist will:

• identify groups in the region engaged in data collection, and provide technical support to strengthen their efforts, standardize methods, link groups with their colleagues, and support and encourage data analysis and submission
• organize sub-regional workshops and meetings to elicit feedback from primary data sources on needs for and concerns about the network and database
• organize workshops to ensure that sub-regional groups have necessary skills and capacity to access, use, and give feedback on WWARN database and tools
• communicate proper use of the informatics system for efficient data sharing, use of database tools, and continuous feedback between central and sub-regional WWARN management, study sites, and networks

WWARN will collaborate with WHO and other primary data sources. The Asia Regional Liaison Scientist will:

• function as one of the liaisons with the local and regional WHO representatives, National Malaria Control Programmes, and research groups
• interact between the laboratories that are part of the training network and less well-established laboratories in their area to extend the capacity for generating high quality data using standardized methods
• be responsible for establishing connections between and among data source groups and networks and the WWARN Asian reference centre
• work with the Artemisinin Resistance Confirmation, Characterization, and Containment (ARC3) Project to ensure that data are contributed to the WWARN database in a timely manner

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• University degree in a medically-related subject
• Experience of conducting field work involving patients in a developing country setting
• Experience of how to establish, document, and monitor operational and QA procedures
• Strong diplomatic skills and the ability to communicate with researchers and senior officials working in different cultures
• Knowledge and experience of clinical surveillance or an epidemiological project, or comparable experience
• An awareness of the issues involved in obtaining data relating to human subjects
• Availability and willingness to travel extensively to malaria field sites in Asia
• Ability, skills and confidence to communicate effectively orally and in writing in English
• Willing to be based in Bangkok, Thailand

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience or knowledge of in vitro and/or pharmacokinetic studies
• Knowledge of one or more Asian languages is an advantage

Application Process
Completed applications should be sent to:
Senior Personnel Officer
Centre for Tropical Medicine
CCVTM, Churchill Hospital
Old Road
Oxford OX3 7LJ

or e-mail to tropical-personnel@ndm.ox.ac.uk

Please quote the reference B9-10-003-DB.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 23 March 2010.

Full application information and instructions for applying to positions within the University of Oxford are located at
http://www.tropicalmedicine.ox.ac.uk/_asset/file/application-form-b9-10-003-db.doc

http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AAS305/asia-regional-liaison-scientist-thailand/