Research Fellow - Department of Inflammation and Ageing - 108075 - Grade 7

Position Details

Department of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to October 2028

Closing date: 15th October 2026

Background

We are seeking a highly motivated and talented individual to work as a Research Fellow within the Arthritis UK Inflammatory Arthritis Consortium, ARCADIA (MoleculAR And CellulAr Definition of Remission in Childhood and Adult Inflammatory Arthritis).

ARCADIA brings together leaders in the field of inflammatory arthritis research from across the UK and Italy to answer the question of ‘When has remission been achieved?’: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/birmingham-joins-world-leading-researchers-for-study-helping-arthritis-patients-live-drug-free.

This multidisciplinary consortium applies state of the art techniques to define the biological mechanisms of remission and investigates patient perspectives of remission and their treatment goals. Our long-term goal is for more people with inflammatory arthritis to achieve sustained drug free remission.

The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr Marie Falahee, and in collaboration with our consortium partners at University College London / Great Ormond Street Hospital. They will lead interview and survey studies of the treatment preferences of adults, children and young people with inflammatory arthritis.

Role Summary

Work within the ARCADIA consortium and specified ARCADIA research themes

Operate within area of specialism, conducting interviews and survey studies with participants of diverse ages to understand patient treatment preferences across the life course

Work with ARCADIA patient and public involvement (PPI) partners and researchers to facilitate effective research co-production

Conduct research activities in alignment with ethical / regulatory requirements for health research

Analyse and interpret research findings and results

Contribute to generating peer reviewed publications and further grant funding

Contribute to public understanding of ARCADIA research

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some, but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

Contribute to the development of patient preference research as part of the ARCADIA consortium

Work in accordance with regulatory and ethical requirements for health research and contribute to the submission of applications for regulatory approval

Work closely and communicate effectively with other members of the ARCADIA consortium, including patient and public involvement (PPI) partners

Travel to consortium meetings and conduct interviews across research sites, if needed

Take responsibility for key decisions about the project and planning future research

Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required

Contribute to writing bids for research funding

Analyse and interpret data

Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding

Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc

Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline

Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods

Undertake management/administration arising from research

Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration

Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader

Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews \

Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters\

Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research \

Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines\

Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture

\ These indicative responsibilities may also be included in a research role at grade 6

Person Specification

A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion) in psychology, health economics, medicine or other relevant discipline and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications

Substantial expertise of qualitative and quantitative methods and data analysis, including interviews

Experience of working / undertaking research with children and young people

Excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including researchers, patients with inflammatory arthritis, and patient and public partners of all ages.

Experience of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE)

Evidence of prior research productivity

High level analytical capability

Excellent project planning, organizational and time-management skills

Excellent data acquisition, recording and scientific writing skills

Ability to communicate complex information clearly

Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones

Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively

Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes

Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project

* Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort

Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Lisa Powell, email: [email protected]

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .