Clinical Fellow - Advanced Immunotherapy & Cell Therapy Team

at  The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Cellular therapies and bispecific antibodies are exciting and innovative therapies emerging in oncology, but their delivery is complex and requires significant expertise to deliver safely.
We seek an ambitious, innovative individual to provide medical support to the consultants by primarily acting as co-investigator on a growing portfolio of early phase cell therapy and complex immunotherapy clinical trials.
The role offers an exciting opportunity to join a highly motivated & empowered workforce to increase research capacity & deliver innovative early phase research in compliance with Good Clinical Practice & Trust policy. With consultant oversight, you will be responsible for seeing new referrals, follow-ups & for managing the patient throughout all aspects of their trial experience.
There will be opportunities to work with our broader Experimental Cancer Medicine Team (ECMT) which has a well-established and regular molecular tumour board meeting supporting both local and national studies. You will take an active role in these meetings gaining valuable experience in using these data to identify and define suitable trial options for patients. You will have the opportunity to be involved in audit, writing papers and reviews and there is the potential to present research work at local, national, or international meetings.
A diverse range of clinical research trials are in progress & following training, you will participate in these studies. These include Phase I trials of small molecule inhibitors, next-generation chemotherapy trials, combination/multi-modality Phase I trials, molecular characterisation/translational studies.
You will be involved in all aspects of trial patients (both outpatient & in-patients), across a diverse range of solid tumours, through new patient consultation, consent & screening patients & reviewing patients at follow-up appointments.
You will attend Safety Review Committee meetings. This will involve close liaison with the Principal Investigators, referring consultants across the Trust & other members of the team. In addition, you will interface with external stakeholders such as CROs & pharmaceutical sponsors.
You will attend monthly molecular tumour board meetings to discuss trial patients and to agree opportunities for patients to enrol in early phase trials.
You will undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of their patients and will be encouraged to be involved in the development & planning of new studies.
You will maintain a level of continuing professional development. There is the potential to present research work & an expectation to be involved in writing papers & reviews. You will undergo an annual appraisal.
You will fully contribute to both undergraduate & postgraduate teaching, all relevant aspects of clinical governance & audit.
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

THE ROLE HAS THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• AICT team led by Prof. Fiona Thistlethwaite
  The interactions for this role include (but not limited to) the following:
  Advanced Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Team Clinician, Clinical Fellows, Clinical Trial Pharmacists, Research Nurses, Healthcare Assistants, Clinical Trial Coordinators, Data Managers, Medical Secretaries, Clinical Trials Clerk, Translational Trial Facilitators, Investigator led study team, students.
  Role Purpose
  The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest Cancer Centre’s in Europe covering a large population in North West England and seeing more than 14,000 new patients each year. The hospital is a designated teaching hospital of the University of Manchester and is the focal point of the Regional Cancer Network. It is also a CRUK designated major cancer research centre and combined with the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and the University of Manchester comprises the Manchester Cancer Research Centre.
  The Advanced Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Team is specifically designed to facilitate delivery of complex and innovative therapies emerging in oncology. Facilities include inpatient beds, outpatient suites, trials pharmacy, laboratory and an administrative floor with short-term archiving, seminar room and monitoring rooms for external trials monitors. Clinical research and service work is closely integrated with laboratory research. There are close links with the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute which provide GCLP compliant laboratories. This together with the world class Biobank have strengthened and complemented this clinical development.
  This is an exceptional opportunity in the Advanced Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Team. We seek an ambitious, innovative individual to provide medical support to the consultants by primarily acting as co-investigator on a growing portfolio of early phase cell therapy and complex immunotherapy clinical trials. You will join a highly motivated and empowered workforce to increase research capacity and deliver innovative early phase research in compliance with Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) and Trust policy.
  You will be based within AICT, providing medical support to the consultants by primarily acting as co-investigator on the portfolio of complex trials. With consultant oversight, you will be responsible for seeing new referrals, follow-ups and for managing the patient throughout all aspects of their trial experience. There will be opportunities to work with our broader Experimental Cancer Medicine Team (ECMT) which has a well-established and regular molecular tumour board meeting supporting both local and national studies. You will take an active role in these meetings gaining valuable experience in using these data to identify and define suitable trial options for patients. You will have the opportunity to be involved in audit, writing papers and reviews and there is the potential to present research work at local, national, or international meetings.
  This is a 10 session non-training post (on the salary scale MN37, point dependent on experience) funded through The Christie NHS Foundation Trust for up to 2 years. The role is suitable for individuals ideally having completed at least CMT training but those at the end of FY2 may also be considered. A more senior role may be available for those towards the end of, or having completed, their specialist oncology training who wish to gain further experience in experimental medicine and Phase I trials, including first-in-human trials, clinical pharmacology trials and translational research.
  The position requires an ability to understand and deliver experimental clinical research, liaising across a range of clinical, academic and administrative staff throughout the Trust and with external organisations (pharmaceutical and biotech industry partners, academic institutions and other hospitals).

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The medical establishment provides 1-2 Consultant Medical Oncologists.

DUTIES OF THE POST

• ROLE: The successful candidate will be recruited as a Senior Clinical Fellow in the Advanced Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Team (AICT).
• RESEARCH: A diverse range of clinical research trials are in progress and, following training, the post holder will be expected to participate in these studies as a co-/sub-investigator. These include cellular therapy and bispecific antibody early phase trials.
  You will be involved in managing all aspects of trial patients, across a diverse range of solid tumours, through new patient consultation, consent and screening patients and reviewing patients at follow-up appointments. Primarily, patients are seen in the outpatient setting but with some inpatient cover. The appointee is required to attend 5 trial outpatient clinics per week (see indicative timetable).
  You will be expected to attend Safety Review Committee meetings (usually remotely) to discuss trial patients. This will involve close liaison with the trial Principal Investigators, referring consultant body across the Trust and other members of the team. In addition, you will interface with external stakeholders such as CROs and pharmaceutical sponsors.

You will be expected to attend monthly molecular tumour board meetings to discuss trial patients and to agree opportunities for patients to enroll in early phase trials.

• PROTOCOLS: You will be expected to undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of their patients. You will be encouraged to harness opportunities to be involved in the development and planning of new studies.
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: You will maintain a level of continuing professional development consistent with the recommendations of the Royal College of Physicians. Appropriate arrangements for study leave will be made in conjunction with colleagues. There is the potential to present research work and the post holder will be expected to be involved in audit, writing papers and reviews. You will also be required to undergo an annual appraisal.