Research Assistant/Associate in Polypharmacy and Multiple Long-Term Conditions

Salary:

Research Assistant: £33,951 to £35,608

Research Associate: £36,636

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 01 October 2026

The Role 

We are excited to launch this new opportunity for a Research Assistant / Associate in polypharmacy and multiple long-term conditions, joining the Newcastle NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaborative (PSRC) in the School of Pharmacy / Population Health Sciences Institute.

You will join a thriving, multidisciplinary research community at Newcastle University, working alongside colleagues in the PSRC's Polypharmacy Theme and a wider network of clinicians, academics, patient and public partners, and health and social care colleagues across the region. The post is based with Professors Adam Todd and Barbara Hanratty, with strong links across the School of Pharmacy and the Population Health Sciences Institute.

Most people who live with polypharmacy are not in hospital — they live in their own homes (some with support from paid or unpaid carers), in extra-care housing, assisted living or care homes. Social care plays a critical role in the lives of many people who take multiple medications. This NIHR-funded project will identify key risks, intervention points and actions in domestic and social care settings, with a particular focus on the needs of people living in disadvantaged circumstances. The work is intended to benefit a high proportion of the polypharmacy population and to inform policy and practice across health and social care.

The post-holder will play a central role in delivering this programme — contributing to study design, data analysis, patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE), and writing up of findings — and will work closely with the wider PSRC team.

We are particularly keen to hear from candidates with a passion for applied health and social care research and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse network of specialists and stakeholders. We are looking for candidates with strong quantitative research skills, experience of working with large primary care datasets (e.g. CPRD), expertise in relevant software packages (e.g. R, Stata), and an interest in polypharmacy, social care and inequalities.

The post is offered on a fixed-term basis 18 months from October 1st 2026. Newcastle University is a campus-based university; blended working arrangements may be possible, but we would be unlikely to consider applicants who wish to work entirely remotely.

We follow the Researcher Development Concordat. We enable all colleagues to fulfil their research potential regardless of career stage. This commitment secures our thriving research culture and vibrant research environment. Our offer to each individual and their researcher development includes mentoring, annual research planning discussions, pooled research funding to support career development and research activities, and peer review support for the development of research and innovation funding applications.

We want you to feel confident when applying for a position with Newcastle University. The post-holder will report to Professors Adam Todd and Barbara Hanratty. If you'd like an informal discussion to clarify any points, please contact Anosua Mitra anosua.mitra@newcastle.ac.uk. We are committed to making the process accessible to everyone and can provide additional support and adjustments to meet your needs.

How to apply — Please apply with a CV and covering letter (in 12 point font, no more than 2 pages / 750 words), explaining how you meet the essential criteria. Please include a concise summary of your research experience, explaining how this will equip you to undertake this role.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Find out more about our Research Institutes — Population Health Sciences Institute: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/population-health-sciences/

Key Accountabilities

Project Specific Accountabilities

• Develop and carry out specified project activities using appropriate research techniques and software, including the analysis of large primary care datasets
• Undertake and contribute to public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) for research within the Polypharmacy Theme of the PSRC, working in collaboration with the PSRC PPIE leads

Research Assistant

• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project's dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)
• Use research resources as appropriate

Research Associate

• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Project Specific Essential criteria

• Knowledge and experience of research methods appropriate to the analysis of quantitative data relevant to the health and wellbeing of older adults and/or UK social care settings
• Advanced skills in the statistical methods and analysis of large primary care datasets (e.g. CPRD); expertise in one or more software packages appropriate to the methods (e.g. R, Stata)
• Experience and/or understanding of public and patient involvement and engagement in research

Research Assistant

• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

In addition for Research Associate

• Awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high quality publications

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

Research Assistant

• Honours degree with a strong quantitative component in a subject relevant to polypharmacy, social care and inequalities
• Master's degrees with a strong quantitative component in a subject relevant to polypharmacy, social care and inequalities

In addition for Research Associate

• PhD in a relevant area — e.g. epidemiology, statistics or public health — required for appointment at Associate level

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29535