[ref. t59855820] NHS - Clinical Research Fellow in Uro-Oncology
Job overview
A one-year fellowship has been created to allow the successful candidate to gain clinical and research experience in Uro–Oncology. The particular emphasis of this fellowship will be towards the technological advances in Radiation Oncology. The fellowship will allow you to gain in depth experience in advanced radiotherapy techniques such as intensity modulated radiotherapy, advanced image-guided radiotherapy using the MR-Linac and brachytherapy.There will also be the opportunity to gain experience in phase I–III systemic therapy trials and pursue original research projects.
This is your opportunity to launch a career in world-leading cancer research. You will play your part in our overall strategy to drive the adoption of more personalised treatment approaches. We are looking for candidates with ambition, commitment and a strong desire to develop a career in cancer research.
Main duties of the job
This position is suitable for individuals who wish to gain specialist training in advanced radiotherapy research. The post holder is required to have obtained a FRCR qualification or equivalent prior to commencing this post.This post is for 40 hours per week to provide support for Uro-Oncology clinics plus bladder and prostate cancer research taking place in the Radiotherapy Related Research Group within the department of Clinical Oncology.
Working for our organisation
The Uro-Oncology team involves 10 Consultants, 2 Sub-specialty Trainee and 2 Clinical Fellows. We are supported by a team of 4 Clinical Nurse Specialists. We are friendly, hard-working team focused on delivering high quality patient-centred care.We encourage all members of the team to engage in SMDT, clinics and inpatient care.
The Urology (prostate, urothelial & penile only) Research team consists of 4 Clinical Research Nurses, 5 Clinical Trial Coordinators and 1 Research Nurse Team Leader. We have a team of 8 research radiographers led by a team leader who implement radiotherapy (RT) clinical trials including access to advanced technologies such as MR-Linac and protons.
On average, the team can be managing 20 recruiting studies and 20 studies in follow-up with Principal Investigators across clinical oncology and surgery.We have access to a National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Facility on-site. This facility gives us access to a dedicated unit to treat patients on trials and a research laboratory to process clinical
Radiotherapy Related Research Group has world-leading collaborative researchers in RT immunology, radiobiology, biomarkers, pre-clinical drug RT combination studies, RT physics, computational oncology and Proton Beam Therapy. Its ambition is to drive Phase I-III clinical trials with state-of-the art radiotherapy, alongside imaging and biological prognostic and predictive biomarker development including genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This post is for 40 hours per week to provide support for Uro-Oncology clinics plus bladder and prostate cancer research taking place in the Radiotherapy Related Research Group within the department of Clinical Oncology.
This position is suitable for an enthusiastic and research-motivated applicant with a medical degree, who is pursuing a career in Clinical Oncology and has an interest in gaining further research and clinical trial experience in advanced radiotherapy and Uro-Oncology.
Candidates must hold full General Medical Council (GMC) registration, obtained FRCR Clinical Oncology qualification or equivalent, and have passed the International Academic English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam (if appropriate) at the time of post commencement.
Role Purpose
A one-year Fellowship has been created to allow the applicant to gain clinical and research experience in Uro–Oncology. The applicant is expected to spend 50% of their time involved in gaining specialist clinical experience through supporting Uro-Oncology clinics covering all aspects of cancer care.The particular emphasis of the research component of the fellowship will be towards the technological advances in radiotherapy with access to the MR Linac, big data, advanced imaging techniques, radio-isotopes, and both high-dose rate and low dose-rate brachytherapy.
There is also the opportunity to gain experience in phase I –III trials through two established research clinics.
Supervision will be from world-leading experts in radiotherapy, radiobiology and cancer imaging. The appointed clinical fellow will have the opportunity to develop a mix of core skills and experience supported by researchers within the Radiotherapy Related Research group.
The fellow will attend 3-4 appropriate clinics per week and multidisciplinary meetings. The fellow will also spend time reviewing clinical data, writing abstracts/manuscripts, planning new studies and attending educational meetings.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Clinical Research Fellow will have the following opportunities within the Department of Clinical Oncology:
- Carry out data capture and data merger of clinical, radiological and pathological-relevant information at the different stages of the project.
- Investigate different adaptive strategies; feasibility, scope for margin reduction and normal tissue toxicities.
- Coordinate the input of clinical, radiological and pathological data suitable for appropriate statistical modelling.
- Work with the clinical and research teams to develop best practice protocols
- Work with other clinical oncologists, radiologists, radiotherapy planning specialists, physicists, systematic review methodologists, and statisticians to ensure a collaborative working environment.
- Protocol writing and submission of protocol to ethics and R&D
- Clinical trial activation
- Liaison with clinical trials unit (CTU) and industry partners
- Identification of patients eligible for clinical studies
- Counselling and obtaining informed consent from patients for study entry
- Clinical management of patients for trial-related procedures and treatment
- Collection and recording of clinical data
- Attendance at follow up research clinic for data collection
- Liaison with statistician and data analysis
- Produce, or contribute towards, high impact peer-reviewed publications.
- Disseminate research findings through presentations at seminars and conferences.
- Interact with allied research activities.
Continuing Professional Development
The Trust supports the requirements for continuing professional development (CPD) as laid down by the GMC and surgical colleges and is committed to providing time and financial support for these activities.
Role Planning
It is anticipated the post-holder will support up to four clinics per week and spend time in radiotherapy planning. They will be involved in writing abstracts/manuscripts, planning new studies and attending educational meetings.
On call CommitmentsThis role does not require participation in the on-call rota.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- FRCR or equivalent in Clinical Oncology
- GMC registration
- Postgraduate qualifications in medicine, such as the MRCP or equivalent
Research/ Publications
Desirable criteria- Evidence of participation in research and/or publications
Training
Essential criteria- General Oncology training
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience in urologic oncology
- Experience of working in an academic environment
- Ability to work with the MDT team
- Overview of governance, ethics and other regulatory issues (e.g. data transfer agreements)
- Familiarity with modern imaging methodologies used in staging patients with urologic oncology
- Understanding of technical radiotherapy and functional imaging
- Track record of significant contribution towards peer-reviewed journal articles
- Track record of successful grant proposals
- Knowledge of cancer research
- Experience with clinical databases
Teaching
Desirable criteria- Experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
Personal Skills
Essential criteria- Experience of working independently and within a team environment to achieve timely and valued objectives
- Willingness to forge new collaborations and new ways of working
- Patient friendly
- Professional demeanor
- Willingness to learn new skills
- Must be resilient and well organized
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and manage conflicting workloads
- Confident in ability, but knowing own limitations
- Hardworking, enthusiastic achiever
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
Motivation
Essential criteria- Developments in oncology practice, particularly related to urologic oncology
The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.
We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels.In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.
We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy
All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.
The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.
Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.
You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.