Research Fellow

**Who are we?**

We are the University of Cambridge research centre in Singapore called Cambridge CARES, sponsored by the

NRF CREATE program CAM.CREATE. Health-driven design for cities (HD4) is a collaborative research programme

between the University of Cambridge, Nanyang Technological University and National University Singapore within

Cambridge CARES. HD4 will deliver highly actionable data and evidence on the social determinants of health in Singapore,

which have the potential to improve the public’s health.

HD4 is motivated by the rising burden of non-communicable diseases on individuals and wider society in

Singapore. HD4 will study the relationship between the environment, health behaviours and health outcomes,

identifying and addressing key risk factors to understand and influence the upstream determinants of health

in Singapore. It will exploit a unique opportunity to work synergistically with the SG100K cohort study,

augmenting it with data characterizing the individual environmental exposures of the cohort participants. HD4

will use an established co-creation approach to work with government agencies to ensure that the tools and

public health models that it develops are influential in translating research into action. Overall, the HD4 project

has the potential to identify how Singapore can be developed to optimize health and be a research-driven

exemplar for other Asian cities.

**Who are we looking for?**

CARES is offering an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant research group, giving you the opportunity to

contribute to this applied research project of direct relevance to government policy and public health. We are

seeking to appoint a Research Fellow with a track record of using geographical information systems (GIS) or

spatial data science techniques, and with a strong quantitative background, to contribute across HD4 work

packages that contain a geographical component.

You will be educated to PhD level and have a proven track-record of manipulating, mapping and summarizing

large volumes of complex location and attribute data (through use of dedicated GIS software or other

programming language). Ideally, you will have experience of working with transport network data and

conducting spatial network analyses (e.g. least-cost path, location-allocation), working with and analysing 3D

terrain data, and you might have some programming experience (e.g. Python, Java, C). You will also have strong

quantitative analytical skills. You will have experience of writing up research outputs for a variety of audiences,

including as peer-reviewed publications (including manuscripts submitted, under review or in press). Excellent

time management, oral and written communication skills, with a track record of problem solving, managing your

own workload, working independently and meeting deadlines, will be required.

The post is available until the end of April 2027 with a start date of April/May 2025. The role is under the

supervision of work package leads in Singapore (including Dr Rudi Stouffs, Dr Marie Loh) and the UK (including

Dr Ronita Bardhan, Dr James Woodcock, Dr Louise Foley, Dr Jenna Panter) and you will be line managed remotely

by Dr Thomas Burgoine (University of Cambridge). The PIs on the HD4 project are Professor Nick Wareham

(Cambridge) and Professor John Chambers (Singapore).

**Key Responsibilities**:
Core responsibilities will include identifying potential environmental data sources (e.g. retail, transport network,

land cover, meteorological, air quality) in conversation with local stakeholders, and derivation of granular

exposure estimates at person and small area levels on relevant environmental characteristics to underpin

epidemiological analysis of related health behaviours. Characteristics of the environment are likely to include

land use mix, walkability, feature accessibility (food retail, green space), humid heat stress, climate, noise and

air quality. These data will be used to link neighbourhood environmental exposures to the individual records of

SG100K participants, supporting analyses of relationships with health behaviours (physical activity, sedentary

behaviour, sleep, diet and fitness). You will also be expected to contribute to detailed data collection,

development of study protocols and the conduct of subsequent spatial epidemiological analyses.

The key responsibility is to undertake the research described, under the management of the work package leads.

The post holder will contribute to the overall aims and successes of the research project as allocated to them,

such that they deliver their aims and objectives to the agreed timescales. Where relevant, the post holder will

be expected to develop new skills required to meet project targets.**

The post holder will be responsible for writing manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, based on the research

conducted; presenting their research results at internal meetings, external co