Magdalen College proposes to appoint a Postdoctoral Researcher to work on the project Combatting mistrust in healthcare, led by Prof Daniel Freeman (Magdalen College), based at the Calleva Research Centre. The Postdoctoral Researcher will be an experienced qualitative researcher, preferably with research interests in psychology and/or the social sciences. The post will commence on 1 January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter and will be for three calendar years.

The Calleva Research Centre at Magdalen College

Magdalen College, one of the thirty-eight colleges within the University of Oxford, carries out research and teaching in the full range of science, social science, and humanities subject. For further information on the College see www.magd.ox.ac.uk.

The College’s Calleva Research Centre was founded in 2010. Its work promotes deeper understanding of the origins, development, causes, and functions of human behaviour, as well as the grand challenges faced by humanity. For further information about the Centre see https://callevacentre.org.

Details of the research program

The project aims to develop the psychological understanding of health-related mistrust. We will identify causes, counterweight beliefs, and strategies to build trust, focusing on change at the individual level and including recommendations for healthcare organisations.  

From 2020, we conducted qualitative and quantitative studies into Covid-19 pandemic vaccine hesitancy, surveying prevalence; exploring underlying psychological factors; and testing types of public health messaging (the Oxford Coronavirus Explanations, Attitudes, and Narratives Survey (OCEAN studies)).  

We want to build on this work by focusing on two health-related areas of mistrust: trust in doctors and medical information. The project will be a springboard for the development of solutions to combat such mistrust.  

Our research questions:  

To answer these questions, we will undertake a mixed-methods programme of work in collaboration with a lived experience panel (LEAP) comprising individuals with varying levels of trust with regard to the areas of healthcare under investigation. The programme will comprise: 

1. Review of existing evidence. 

2. An online survey of 2500 UK adults, quota sampled to match the population for age, gender, ethnicity, income, and region. The purpose of the survey is to: a) facilitate recruitment of participants for the qualitative interviews; b) identify the key clusters of beliefs; c) develop our model of causes for mistrust (this will be informed by our vaccine hesitancy framework, developed during our work in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic).   

3. Online qualitative semi-structured interviews with at least 30 people recruited via the above survey. Purposive sampling will be used to ensure a mix of age, gender, and geographical location. The participants will comprise half who are broadly trusting and half who are broadly mistrusting. The purpose of these interviews will be to test and refine our causal model and develop potential counterweights to build trust. We will use qualitative methods with a phenomenological focus, specifically Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). We will carry out detailed annotation of the transcripts, coding the claims and concerns of the participants, identifying patterns of meanings in those claims and concerns, and producing a cross-case analysis. 

4. A second online survey, again with a representative cohort of 2500 UK adults. The focus of this survey will be to test both our refined causal model and the new potential counterweights. 

5. Production of a guidance document summarising findings and recommendations, plus a number of academic articles on the quantitative and qualitative studies.  

The project team will be led by Professor Daniel Freeman and will include Dr Felicity Waite, Dr Sinéad Lambe, and Jason Freeman (all Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford), Professor Michael Larkin (School of Psychology, Aston University), and Dr Aiden Loe (Psychometrics Centre, University of Cambridge).

The primary role of the Postdoctoral Researcher, who will be based in Oxford, will be to undertake the qualitative research mentioned above (and other qualitative studies conducted by the team). 

Other responsibilities and duties:
·         Contribute to other aspects of the research, for example review of existing evidence, quantitative work, and summary guidance document.
·         Engage with the project’s lived experience advisors.

·         Contribute to the general administration of the project.

·         Prepare and submit an annual report to the Centre’s Management Committee, describing research progress for the academic year.

·         Undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time that are commensurate with the grade and responsibilities of this post.

The Postdoctoral Researcher will spend significant time at the Department of Experimental Psychology, which is located in the new Life and Mind Building on South Parks Road (https://lifeandmind.web.ox.ac.uk/home). They will have the opportunity to contribute to other research undertaken by Professor Freeman’s Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis (O-CAP) team (https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/research/oxford-cognitive-approaches-to-psychosis), conducting a series of additional qualitative studies quickly and efficiently and delivering three studies to publication stage each year.

The Postdoctoral Researcher may engage in teaching, with the permission of their line manager, but this is not a formal or required part of the role.

Essential:

·         Hold or be close to completing a PhD/DPhil.

·         Expertise in a range of qualitative research methods. The work is likely to take an interpretative phenomenological or reflexive thematic approach, often incorporating multiple perspectives within the same design.
·         Ability to manage multiple qualitative research studies, moving with pace and momentum and taking learning forward quickly for impact.
·         Excellent written and oral communication skills.
·         Excellent organisational, project management, and record keeping skills.
·         Ability to work both independently and with others in the multi-disciplinary research team.
·         Willingness to pursue interdisciplinary collaborations and non-academic impact. 

Desirable:

·         An established interest in the themes of the project, or closely related themes, evidenced by research and professional activities to date.
·         A track-record of publications in peer-received academic journals and/or major presses.
·         A track-record of interdisciplinary engagement.
·         Experience of public-facing writing.

The appointment will be made on grade 7.4 of the Unified College Pay Scale, currently £41,064 per annum, plus £1,730 per annum Oxford Location Allowance.

Five free meals (lunch or dinner) in College each week that the kitchen is open, and membership of the College’s Senior Common Room. There is free use of sports facilities.

Access to generous research funds allocated to the project to cover the reimbursement of expenses, and an entitlement to apply for additional research funds through the Calleva Research Centre’s termly competition for small grant funds.

The post carries an entitlement to join, or to remain a member of, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

All employees of the College are entitled to the College’s enhanced benefits for Maternity, Adoption, Shared Parental, and Paternity Leave from day one of employment, with no qualifying period. The College provides for maternity leave on a basis that exceeds the statutory provisions: women are eligible for 26 weeks’ maternity leave on full pay, followed by 13 weeks of leave on Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and 13 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Similar arrangements are available for Adoption Leave and Shared Parental Leave. Paternity Leave is also available. Magdalen College has a priority claim on four places in the University nurseries.

Applications

To apply for this position, please click the 'Apply Now' button and submit the following:
·         A cover letter of no more than 2 pages outlining your suitability for the post and including an outline of how you typically conduct qualitative studies. If AI is used in the writing of the letter, then please state how. 
·         An academic CV.
·         One academic article on which the applicant was the lead author.

The closing date is Wednesday 04 November 2026. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Interviews are expected to take place in November 2026. Shortlisted candidates invited for interview will be asked to arrange for two referees to submit letters of recommendation. The interview will also include a written task.

Following the initial offer of the position, appointment will be subject to proof of the right to work in the UK and the candidate’s highest qualification achieved evidenced by the original degree certificate.  If the chosen candidate requires a UK visa, HR and the University Staff Immigration Team will discuss visa routes and will provide advice and assistance with an application. Visa fees (including the Immigration Health Surcharge) will be refunded by Calleva for any applicants requiring a UK visa.

If the person appointed to the post is a migrant sponsored under the UK's points-based migration system, we are required to retain the applications for all shortlisted candidates until six months after we have ceased sponsoring the migrant in question. 

If the chosen candidate requires any workplace adjustments, this would be brought to the attention of Human Resources through completion of a new starter Occupational Health Services Declaration. Applications are encouraged from candidates from all countries and all universities. Applications are particularly welcome from women and from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Oxford.

Magdalen College is an Equal Opportunities Employer.