We seek an ambitious, innovative individual with a specific interest in early phase clinical trials to act as sub-investigator for a growing portfolio of complex clinical trials.
The role offers an exciting opportunity to work with a highly motivated & empowered team to deliver innovative research. With consultant oversight, you will be responsible for seeing new referrals, follow-ups & managing the patient throughout all aspects of their trial experience. Within ECMT there is a 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.
This is a 10 session non-training post. The position is suitable for individuals post-FY2 to those having completed their specialist training in Oncology, wishing to gain further experience in experimental medicine and Phase I trials, including first-in-human trials, clinical pharmacology trials and translational research. You will work with a team of consultants, research nurses, clinical trials coordinators, translational research facilitators, secretarial support, rotating clinical fellows and specialty trainees. The ECM team delivers trials in all major solid tumour types.
Salary will be on the NHS scale in line with appropriate clinical experience. Candidates are encouraged to discuss this ahead of application.
Interviews planned for week of 10/03/2025 via MS teams.
The portfolio includes a diverse range of clinical research trials. Following training, you will be expected to participate in these studies as a sub-investigator. These include phase I trials of small molecule inhibitors, next-generation chemotherapy trials, combination / multi-modality phase I trials, molecular characterisation / translational studies, radiotherapy trials.
You will be involved in managing all aspects of trial patients (both in outpatient & in-patients setting), across a diverse range of solid tumours, through new patient consultation, consent & screening patients & reviewing patients at follow-up appointments.
You will be expected to attend safety review committee meetings to discuss trial patients. This will involve close liaison with the Principal Investigators. In addition, you will interface with external stakeholders such as CROs & pharmaceutical sponsors.
You will be expected to attend monthly molecular tumour board meetings to discuss trial patients and to agree opportunities for patients to enrol in early phase trials.
You will be expected to undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of our patients. You will be given opportunities and will be encouraged to be involved in the development & planning of new studies.
There is potential to present your research work & you will be expected to be involved in writing papers & reviews. You will also be required to undergo an annual appraisal.
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 Experimental Cancer Medicine Team (ECMT) was established to facilitate early phase research. You will provide medical support to the consultants by primarily acting as sub-investigator on a range of clinical trials.
Facilities include inpatient beds, outpatient suites, trials pharmacy, laboratory & an administrative floor. There are close links with the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, providing GCLP compliant laboratories for translational research.

THE ROLE HAS THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Experimental Cancer Medicine Team Clinicians (Krebs, Cook, Thistlethwaite, Carter, Graham)
• Experimental Cancer Medicine Team Head of Research Operations (Rees)
  The interactions for this role include (but not limited to) the following:
  Experimental Cancer Medicine Team Clinicians, Clinical Fellows, Specialty Doctor, 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 Experimental Cancer Medicine Team is specifically designed to facilitate early phase research delivering early phase clinic trials. 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.
  The remit of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Team is to undertake cutting edge research in developing new therapeutics and conducting translational research in cancer patients. Phase I trials are an important first step in the drug development process and are not only designed to test the safety & tolerability of novel agents but interrogate new drug formulations, combinations, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
  The post holder will work as part of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Team, providing medical support to the consultants by primarily acting as sub-investigator on a large portfolio of clinical trials. The post holder, with consultant oversight, will be responsible for seeing new referrals, follow-ups and for managing the patient throughout all aspects of their trial experience. ECMT has a well-established and regular molecular tumour board meeting supporting both local and national studies. The post holder will take an active in these meetings gaining valuable experience in using these data to identify and define suitable trial options for patients. The post holder 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. The post holder 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.
  This is a 10 session non-training post (salary scale dependent on experience) funded through The Christie NHS Foundation Trust for an initial period of 1 year. As a Clinical Fellow you will have at least completed FY2 training. The Senior Clinical fellow role is suitable for individuals 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 post holder will work with the experimental medicine consultants Dr Natalie Cook, Prof. Fiona Thistlethwaite, Dr Louise Carter, Dr Matt Krebs, and Dr Donna Graham, research nurses, Clinical Trials Coordinators, Translational Research Technician, secretarial support, as well as working alongside rotating clinical fellows and specialty trainees. The team is supported by medical and clinical oncology colleagues in all major tumour types.
  The position requires an ability to understand and deliver 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 based at The Christie provides 5 Consultant Medical Oncologists, and 3+ Senior/Clinical Fellows within the ECM team.
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

• ROLE: The successful candidate will be recruited as a Clinical Fellow/Senior Clinical Fellow in the Experimental Cancer Medicine Team.
• 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 sub-investigator. These include phase I trials of small molecule inhibitors, next-generation chemotherapy trials, combination / multi-modality Phase I trials, molecular characterisation / translational studies.

The post holder will be involved in managing all aspects of trial patients, 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 4-5 trial outpatient clinics per week (see indicative timetable).
The post holder 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, the post-holder will interface with external stakeholders such as CROs and pharmaceutical sponsors.

The post-holder 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: The post holder will be expected to undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of their patients. The appointee will be encouraged to harness opportunities to be involved in the development and planning of new studies.
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: The Clinical Fellow 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. The post holder will also be required to undergo an annual appraisal.