Scientist B/Ophthalmologist job at MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit

Position Code: SBO-0126
Reports to: Research Programme team leader.
Station: Entebbe
Level of Effort: 100 % (Full time)

Responsibilities or duties

1. Protocol Development;

• Make substantial contributions to the development of the scientific plan for this programme;
• Support the development of the standard operating procedures and logs, including the detailed analysis plan of the research;
• Support the development of the study informed consent forms; and,
• Support the development of the data collection tools;

2. Clinical data collection;

• Contribute to field staff team recruitment, and the training of the field team;
• Contribute to the development and pilot testing of the field processes and data collection tools;
• Co-lead the field teams in participant recruitment, sample collection and examination;
• Conduct the general clinical examinations of study participants as indicated within the protocol (these mostly relate to the cardiovascular and neurological sub-studies)
• Participate in the clinical support/care and referral of study participants, as appropriate;
• Coordinate with faculty at Makerere on remote consultation and physical patient support visits;
• Support the delivery of the research project in the field with excellent adherence to the protocol to ensure high quality data; and,
• Participate in the data review, analysis and dissemination including preparation of scientific manuscripts.

3. Quality Assurance;

• Conduct regular audits and quality checks to ensure adherence to SOPs and regulatory requirements;
• Prepare sites for monitoring, audits, and inspections; and,
• Implement and assess corrective actions for any identified issues or non-compliance.

4. Regulatory Compliance;

• Ensure all clinical trials are conducted in compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, and other regulatory guidelines;
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant regulations and ensure the clinic’s practices adhere to them through training and other procedures; and,
• Maintain essential study documents.

5. Communication and reporting;

• Maintain clear and effective communication with the field team, oculomics research programme team lead and other key stakeholders; and,
• Prepare and present regular reports on study progress, operational issues, and performance metrics.

6. Academic contribution.

• Participate and even take lead in preparation of scientific manuscripts; and,
• Utilise the research programme data/themes to identify, develop and implement a PhD research study (funded through this research programme).

7. Others.

• Participate in the development and review of Department/Unit SOPs;
• Conduct monitoring of other studies conducted at the Unit;
• Participate in scientific and management meetings;
• Maintain department databases, trackers and resources;
• Support department administration;
• Drive and advocate for good research practice at the Unit;
• Collaborate and work closely with the study teams;
• Be willing to undertake local and international travels related to the research programme; and,
• Undertake any other duty assigned by their line manager within the broader remit of the post.

8. Line Management.

• Co-supervises the field teams and data assistants.
• Reports to Research Programme team leader.

9. LSHTM Integration.

• Participate positively and proactively in the process of integrating and harmonising procedures across all LSHTM sites; and,
• Participate in activities across the Unit in Uganda and Gambia, and the wider LSHTM.

10. Environment.

• Develop strategies to reduce adverse environmental impact of the Research Governance department.
• Participate in carbon emission reduction activities across the Unit and wider LSHTM; and,
• Act as an advocate for the responsible and efficient use of resources.

Person Specification.   

• Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery;
• Master of Medicine in Ophthalmology;
• Full registration with the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council and a valid annual practicing license;
• Should possess a certificate in Good Clinical Practice;
• Should possess experience in clinical ophthalmology;
• Should possess research experience in clinical or epidemiological studies;
• Experience training and supervising junior staff;
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams;
• Experience with imaging technologies (OCT, fundus imaging and In VIVO confocal Microscopy);
• Experience performing audits or QA activities;
• Ocular phenotyping & imaging techniques;
• Clinical examination skills (general medicine + ophthalmology);
• Good Clinical Practice and Research Ethics;
• Understanding of AI applications in healthcare;
• Data collection and documentation skills;
• Protocol development and writing skills;
• Statistical literacy / ability to interpret study data;
• Communication and reporting skills;
• Team leadership & supervision;
• Integrity & ethical conduct;
• Attention to detail;
• Adaptability & problem-solving ability;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Team-oriented and collaborative;
• Scientific curiosity & desire for academic growth;
• Resilience & ability to work under pressure; Willingness to work in the community; and,
• Willingness to travel.

• Make substantial contributions to the development of the scientific plan for this programme;
• Support the development of the standard operating procedures and logs, including the detailed analysis plan of the research;
• Support the development of the study informed consent forms; and,
• Support the development of the data collection tools;
• Contribute to field staff team recruitment, and the training of the field team;
• Contribute to the development and pilot testing of the field processes and data collection tools;
• Co-lead the field teams in participant recruitment, sample collection and examination;
• Conduct the general clinical examinations of study participants as indicated within the protocol (these mostly relate to the cardiovascular and neurological sub-studies)
• Participate in the clinical support/care and referral of study participants, as appropriate;
• Coordinate with faculty at Makerere on remote consultation and physical patient support visits;
• Support the delivery of the research project in the field with excellent adherence to the protocol to ensure high quality data; and,
• Participate in the data review, analysis and dissemination including preparation of scientific manuscripts.
• Conduct regular audits and quality checks to ensure adherence to SOPs and regulatory requirements;
• Prepare sites for monitoring, audits, and inspections; and,
• Implement and assess corrective actions for any identified issues or non-compliance.
• Ensure all clinical trials are conducted in compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, and other regulatory guidelines;
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant regulations and ensure the clinic’s practices adhere to them through training and other procedures; and,
• Maintain essential study documents.
• Maintain clear and effective communication with the field team, oculomics research programme team lead and other key stakeholders; and,
• Prepare and present regular reports on study progress, operational issues, and performance metrics.
• Participate and even take lead in preparation of scientific manuscripts; and,
• Utilise the research programme data/themes to identify, develop and implement a PhD research study (funded through this research programme).
• Participate in the development and review of Department/Unit SOPs;
• Conduct monitoring of other studies conducted at the Unit;
• Participate in scientific and management meetings;
• Maintain department databases, trackers and resources;
• Support department administration;
• Drive and advocate for good research practice at the Unit;
• Collaborate and work closely with the study teams;
• Be willing to undertake local and international travels related to the research programme; and,
• Undertake any other duty assigned by their line manager within the broader remit of the post.
• Co-supervises the field teams and data assistants.
• Reports to Research Programme team leader.
• Participate positively and proactively in the process of integrating and harmonising procedures across all LSHTM sites; and,
• Participate in activities across the Unit in Uganda and Gambia, and the wider LSHTM.
• Develop strategies to reduce adverse environmental impact of the Research Governance department.
• Participate in carbon emission reduction activities across the Unit and wider LSHTM; and,
• Act as an advocate for the responsible and efficient use of resources.

• Ocular phenotyping & imaging techniques
• Clinical examination skills (general medicine + ophthalmology)
• Good Clinical Practice and Research Ethics
• Understanding of AI applications in healthcare
• Data collection and documentation skills
• Protocol development and writing skills
• Statistical literacy / ability to interpret study data
• Communication and reporting skills
• Team leadership & supervision
• Integrity & ethical conduct
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability & problem-solving ability
• Strong organizational skills
• Team-oriented and collaborative
• Scientific curiosity & desire for academic growth
• Resilience & ability to work under pressure

• Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery;
• Master of Medicine in Ophthalmology;
• Full registration with the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council and a valid annual practicing license;
• Should possess a certificate in Good Clinical Practice;
• Should possess experience in clinical ophthalmology;
• Should possess research experience in clinical or epidemiological studies;
• Experience training and supervising junior staff;
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams;
• Experience with imaging technologies (OCT, fundus imaging and In VIVO confocal Microscopy);
• Experience performing audits or QA activities;