Last Date: 19th February 2024.
This is one of several researcher posts which will have recently been advertised by the Addictions PRU across King’s College
London, University of Sheffield, and University of Glasgow. The interview panel will consist of members from all 3 institutions
who will have access to the information you provide.
The Division of Population Health in the School of Medicine and Population Health is looking to appoint a post-doctoral
researcher to undertake public health research in a new Addictions Policy Research Unit (PRU). The Addictions PRU has
recently been commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care for England, funded by the National Institute for
Health and Care Research, and starts in January 2024 for an initial five-year period.
The PRU is a collaboration involving 10 UK universities led from the Addictions Department at King’s College London (KCL),
the University of Sheffield’s Alcohol Research Group and the University of Glasgow’s Gambling Glasgow Research Centre. Its
aim is to inform policymaking relating to alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, other drugs, and gambling. Research conducted within
the PRU will draw on a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and will incorporate different disciplinary
perspectives including public health, epidemiology, psychology, health economics, operational research and psychiatry. The
PRU will particularly focus on research that relates to public policy and practice, which can play an important role in guiding
future policymaking.
You will carry out quantitative research and systematic reviews related to alcohol and public health policy. Depending on
your skills and the needs of the PRU, you may also carry out qualitative analyses, health economic modelling, and research on
other addictive products or behaviours.
You will work closely with Professor John Holmes, Professor Alan Brennan and other members of the Sheffield Addictions
Research Group. The group is a friendly and supportive team of 20-30 researchers and PhD students who work together on a
wide range of high-impact public health and policy research related to alcohol, tobacco and gambling. You will also be part of
a team of pre- and post-doctoral researchers working on the PRU with colleagues at Sheffield, King’s College London and
Glasgow, as well as our wider network of Co-Investigators. Working on the PRU will involve collaboration with clinical groups
and service providers, commissioners and policymakers across the UK. As a PRU member, you will benefit from a dedicated
training fund and membership of the Addictions PRU Academy, which will provide training and career development
opportunities to early career researchers and other collaborators in the PRU.
You should have a PhD (or equivalent experience) in a relevant subject and experience of carrying out quantitative research
relevant to public health. You should also have a strong interest in research related to at least one addictive substance or
behaviour and a track record of academic publication appropriate to your career stage. We particularly welcome applicants
with experience or training in health economic and decision modelling, but this is not essential.
