Statistics Jobs in Australia: 2016 January - March

Morgan Sangeux, 28 January 2016

Research Officer

The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

Position Description

Title: Clinical data scientist (Research officer)
Assessed Level: Step 1 to 3
Reports To: Morgan Sangeux
Personnel Supervised: Nil
Theme: Clinical Science
Research Group: Gait lab & Orthopaedics

Organisational Summary

The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI), based at the Melbourne Children's, is the largest child health research organisation in Australia. It includes Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Institute. Our Vision and Mission is to be a major global contributor to the creation of knowledge and to obtain knowledge to improve the health of children.

The Institute Organisational Structure comprises

Research Themes, being a collection of common Groups and representing broad areas of research focus. Our Themes includes Cell Biology, Clinical Sciences, Genetics, Infection & Immunity and Population Health. Each Theme has a collection of research groups with common research endeavours. Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) which provides diagnostic and clinical genetics services, Core Groups which comprises Quantitative Science, Melbourne Children's Trial Centre and Research Support & Operations.

Theme Summary

Researchers in the Clinical Sciences Theme are involved in the care of babies, children and adolescents with serious acute and chronic illness, with the ultimate aim of saving lives and improving the long outcomes of our most vulnerable. Ultimately we aim for a future whereby children are free from serious acute and chronic illnesses, but for those who do experience disease or illness, research in the Clinical Sciences Theme strives to ensure that treatment, diagnosis and care is of best-practice for babies, children and adolescents.

The key to our research is improving the acute diagnosis and treatment in the paediatric setting, as well as follow-up of the psychosocial and cognitive consequences for children who undergo clinical care. Working with globally competitive platforms including The Royal Children's Hospital clinical databases, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), clinical behavioural science expertise and clinician contributions, our researchers are committed to ensuring research is translated into better outcomes for future generations.

Research Group Summary

The gait lab and orthopaedics research group aims to find the best treatments to help children with walking disabilities. A large focus of the research concerns children with cerebral palsy, an illness related to a brain injury that occurred before or shortly after birth which affects the neuromuscular system. The prevalence of cerebral palsy is two per 1,000 live births.

The group has two broad areas of research:

The first evaluates the effect of orthopaedics treatment on gait. In 2009, the group was the first to conduct a randomised control trial about Single Event Multi Level Surgery (SEMLS). We also conducted the first randomised control trial to determine the best frequency to administer botulinum toxin for the treatment of spasticity. Recent projects also includes the effect of ankle foot orthoses on gait and classification of the kinematics deviations from normal gait.

The second area of research develops models of the human body to support the use of gait analysis. From 2005 to 2010, our group led the Gait Centre of Research Excellence. Recently, we developed a 3-dimensional freehand ultrasound system to locate the position of the femoral head and to determine torsion in the femur. The data helps the researchers build better musculoskeletal models of the lower limb in order to understand muscle and joint forces during walking.

Position Purpose

We are looking for a talented junior researcher to support the project untitled: A computer-aided decision system for gait analysis, recently funded by the National Health & Medical Research Council. This project aims to build a computational tool to diagnose gait impairments automatically and predict the outcomes of surgical treatments. The tool will be supported by gait data from The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (RCH). The Hugh Williamson Gait Analysis Laboratory at RCH has been operating since 1996 and is one of the leading gait laboratory in the world.

Responsibilities

To develop and evaluate methods to extract and learn features from kinematic data, associate these features with additional clinical data and physical examination, link these features with past clinical decisions about gait impairments and outcomes pre-/post-surgery

To implement and integrate these methods in a clinical tool designed to help clinicians with day to day decisions

To disseminate the research outcomes through presentations at international conferences and scientific publications

Principal Outcomes

Research

Assists in / contributes to data generation for research and publications

Undertakes high calibre, competitive research relative to professional level, within the Research Group, Theme and across Themes, including attracting external competitive funding, publication output and impact factor, commercial, clinical and public health research outcomes and peer recognition

Provides significant contributions to the field and disseminates research output within and external to MCRI

Has successfully written and continues to submit grant and ethics approval applications

Translations

Is aware of and adheres to MCRI policy on Intellectual Property / Material Transfer Agreements / Contracts / Clinical and Public Health Outcomes

Leadership and Management

Is involved in professional development opportunities

Shares information and presents to others within the Research Group or Theme and seeks opportunities to contribute to the skill development of others

Supervises students and contributes to teaching and examination of honours and postgraduate students

Contributes to the skill development of junior staff and others

Assists in knowledge sharing, development and support of new starters

Regularly seeks to develop and improve interpersonal skills relevant to, for example: staff supervision, managing budgets and knowledge of intellectual property

Finance and Administration

Complies with MCRI financial management policies and procedures and those of the funding body

Contributes effectively to administrative and other requirements of MCRI and undertake effective day to day management of areas of responsibility

Contribution to Scientific Community and MCRI

Contributes to the strategic direction of their research group and the Institute and to fundraising, promotion and branding initiatives, as required

Is Involved where appropriate, in the promotion of research links with outside bodies

Contributes to the research culture of the research group and theme through attendance at meetings and/or membership of a limited number of committees relevant to the group's research outputs

Seeks to facilitate or develop interactions within the Research Group, Theme and across relevant disciplines through collaboration

Generates creative solutions to new and existing problems by demonstrating initiative

Is involved in professional activities, including contributions to conferences and seminars in the field of expertise

Organisational Relationships and Key Challenges

Organisational Relationships

Report to Dr. Morgan Sangeux, co-group leader of the Gait lab & Orthopaedics group

Work in close relationship with the entire team of physiotherapists, engineers and surgeons at the Hugh Williamson Gait Analysis Laboratory at The Royal Children's Hospital

Key Challenges

Develop the most efficient algorithms to address the problem

Implement the algorithms in a tool able to interact with clinicians

Selection Criteria (Education, Knowledge & Skills)

Essential

A tertiary qualification in BSc/Honours/Masters computer science/informatics, statistics or related discipline and relevant PhD or an appropriate level of expertise gained from a combination of experience and training

Excellent knowledge and practical experience with machine learning and pattern recognition algorithms, in particular in relation with the analysis of curves (functional data analysis) or time series

Excellent knowledge and experience in Matlab, R or Python to implement the algorithms

Excellent knowledge and experience with database environments (MySQL)

Interests in gait analysis, biomechanics and clinical sciences. Experience in gait analysis is highly desirable but not strictly required

Demonstrated ability to present research outcomes at international conferences and write high quality scientific publications

Working with Children & National Police Clearance (if appointed) Commitment to Core Values of MCRI

Understands and complies with policies, procedures and the requirements of the Murdoch Childrens' Code of Conduct, EHS, Unacceptable Behaviour and Conduct, Risk Management and Handling and Resolving Breaches of the NHMRC Code & Scientific Misconduct at the Royal Children's Hospital Campus

Displays professionalism in the workplace; is a role model and contributes to the Institute