Research Assistant in Human Factors

The Nuffield Department of Surgical Science is seeking a qualified Research Assistant to join the IDEAL Collaboration research group led by Professor Peter McCulloch in the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences. The ASSESS-DHT programme is intended to provide guidance on the evaluation methods needed for assessing the performance and safety of digital health technologies within the EU regulatory system. The scope of the project is broad, covering telehealth, health apps, in-vitro diagnostics and artificial intelligence-based systems. Current regulations do not adequately address the evaluation needs of these new technologies and the project aims to provide comprehensive guidance on appropriate methodology. The task of the IDEAL Collaboration group is central to the project. We are being asked to develop a life-cycle-based evaluation guideline for appropriate evaluation for different life-cycle stages, and to design variants of this for devices which need to be fast tracked and others
which need a more holistic approach., We are therefore seeking appropriately qualified candidates (first degree in a discipline relevant to the field of work) who have an interest or background in DHTs in healthcare, and who are familiar with standard clinical evaluation and critical appraisal methods. The task will require considerable interaction and group work with a heterogeneous group of experts, so good "people skills" and familiarity with qualitative research and with consensus methods such as Delphi will be advantageous. Clinical or research experience with electronic medical devices, computer or app-based devices or artificial intelligence in healthcare will also be useful. You will work with the project leads for Oxford University (Professor McCulloch and Dr Vasey) and with a more senior researcher who will provide guidance and support, and an overall structure for your work within the team.

This part-time post is available immediately and is fixed-term until 31 December 2026 in the first instance.