Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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 IMT 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.

Role Planning
Weekend working will consist of clinical activities that are scheduled in advance and reviewed where required as work schedules are reviewed, taking account of service needs.

•    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. 

•    TEACHING COMMITMENT: 
a) Undergraduate
The appointee will be required to contribute to the undergraduate teaching of medical students on oncology topics. 
b) Postgraduate
There is a busy postgraduate teaching programme and staff are often requested to lecture on relevant topics.  The post holder will be expected to contribute actively to the education of junior doctors, specialty trainees and fellows on the team.  
The post holder will also be expected to help in the training of nursing and multi-disciplinary staff in both in-patient and outpatient departments.

•    CLINICAL GOVERNANCE: The post holder will be expected to participate in all relevant aspects of clinical governance, including maintaining up to date protocols, guidelines and clinical audit, under the supervision of the other consultants in the team. 

•    AUDIT: The appointee will play a full role in clinical audit as a member of The Christie Medical Staff Committee. The appointee will develop, supervise and deliver team audit projects.

This is a 10 session non-training post funded through The Christie NHS Foundation Trust for an initial period of 1 year.