Research Associate in Law and Blockchain for Healthcare

This project seeks to identify, map and examine the implications of utilising ‘blockchain’ technology in healthcare. In so doing, it will identify the legal, ethical, technical and governance opportunities, risks and challenges in utilising blockchain technologies in healthcare, both in first, securing compliance with regulatory goals and secondly, in securing the protection of fundamental values.Many commentators claim that blockchain technologies have enormous potential to address challenges associated with managing healthcare data in ways that are efficient, reliable and compatible with human rights.Yet it far from clear that blockchain technologies will live up to their promise, both generally and in healthcare contexts in particular.

As primary Research Fellow, the post-holder will manage this project, taking the lead role in undertaking the primary research supporting this project and ensuring its efficient and effective progress through to completion.A large part of the substantive work will consist of critically assessing the potential of distributed ledger (‘blockchain’) technologies in the healthcare context. Among other things, the post-holder will undertake a multi-disciplinary review of the grey and academic literature in order to map the state of the art in blockchain applications, identify current, proposed and developing blockchain applications in healthcare worldwide as well as specific blockchain proposals within the UK healthcare context. The post-holder will also tasked with arranging and leading stakeholder workshops and identifying and analysing findings emerging from the research.

 

Candidates are expected to meet the following requirements:

Essential requirements:

• A multidisciplinary background with training and/or experience in working within Law and any one of the following disciplines: Sociology; Computer science; Medical Ethics; Political Science and/or Public Policy (broadly defined), preferably with a special focus on medical and scientific research and innovation, the history of medicine/science or science and technology studies;

 

Highly desirable attributes include:

• Demonstrated qualitative legal research and multi-disciplinary research skills, preferably with interest and/or experience of undertaking research in medical and healthcare contexts;
• Experience or interest in multidisciplinary research;
• A demonstrated track record of high quality analytic and academic writing skills;
• Experience or demonstrated interest in contributing to the relevant policy debates;
• Fluency in English;
• Demonstrable organizational and communicative skills;
• Willingness to attract external funding for research projects;
• Creative, critical, out-of-the-box thinking; and
• Independence, reliability, autonomy

The post-holder will be located primarily in the School of Law, but will be expected to undertake literature reviews and analysis that includes literature from the social sciences and humanities that can illuminate the opportunities, challenges, and risks associated with utilising blockchain technologies in healthcare.

The post-holder will work with Prof. Karen Yeung on the Wellcome Trust funded project "Blockchain for Healthcare“.