Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Exeter

This new full-time NIHR-funded post is available from 1 January 2024 on a fixed-term basis until 30^th June 2025.

The post

The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to participate in a research project exploring current prehabilitation care provided for people with lumbar spinal stenosis awaiting surgery and coordinate a project to create guidance regarding best practice. This project is funded as an NIHR Programme Development Grant and aims to submit a full Programme Grant at the end of the programme of work. The successful applicant will lead on the following projects:

• Determine current preoperative care and waiting times routinely delivered in spinal surgery centres in the UK.
• Analysis of routinely collected data to describe the patient characteristics (including socioeconomic deprivation), overall and by centre, for spinal decompression for NC.
• Assemble a Patient Advisory Group representative of those characterised in 2. The group will include those who have had surgery and are awaiting surgery, as well as their carers.
• Assembly of an expert advisory group (spinal surgeons, patients, rehabilitation experts, exercise physiologists, patients and public) to convene in a half-day meeting to discuss uncertainties that exist with regards to current prehabilitation guidance for lumbar spinal stenosis surgery, specific rehabilitation components, and implementation in current NHS settings.
• A systematic and realist review to address the uncertainties around prehabilitation.
• To gain consensus on key prehabilitation components and produce guiding strategies to address identified barriers and enhance facilitators for prehabilitation in NHS elective settings

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in spinal research and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will be able to demonstrate experience or knowledge of realist methods, co-production and consensus methods. You will also be involved in the publication and dissemination/utilisation of findings both locally and nationally.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role by clicking on the attachment.

For further information please contact Dr Lianne Wood, e-mail l.wood2@exeter.ac.uk or telephone (01732 722370).

The closing date for completed applications is 20th September. Interviews are expected to take place on Weds 27^th September.