Download Faculty of Medicine and Health School of Medicine Leeds Institute of

Faculty of Medicine and Health
School of Medicine
Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology (LICAP)
Section of Oncology and Clinical Research (Clinical)
Based at St James’s University Hospital
Research Fellow in Germ cell tumour Research (Service Design and Implementation)
This fixed-term post is for 18 months at 80% of full time equivalent
An excellent career opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to become a
member of an active team involved in the clinical care and study of patients with testicular cancer and
other germ cell tumours, through studying an innovative health service design and developing its’
implementation. The fundamental aim of this research is to enhance the quality of care for people who
have been treated for germ cell tumours. The research Fellow will study, evaluate and develop our
community surveillance scheme in people in the germ cell cancer service, who are in remission after
their cancer.
You will be working within the patient-centred outcomes research (PCOR) group. The PCOR research
group study many aspects of clinical and wider cancer care and wellbeing. PCOR has active links with
the clinical services in Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust. The germ cell research group has links
with the internationally leading Teenage and Young Adult group in Leeds, the Centre for Men’s Health
within Leeds Metropolitan University and with Epidemiology and Health Services Research in the
Leeds Institute for Genetics and Health and Therapeutics, health economics and complex intervention
methodology. The Research Fellow will also have the advantage of accessing links to ongoing
collaborative germ cell research projects within the UK National Cancer Research Institute, European
and worldwide.
You should have a degree or equivalent in psychology, nursing, health or social science, and should
have a PhD in a relevant research field. Highly effective organisational, interpersonal and
communication skills, the ability to work individually and in a leadership role in a multi-disciplinary team
and thorough computer literacy are essential.
Some travel across the region and nationally will be required.
The University of Leeds is committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offers a range
of family friendly policies (http://hr.leeds.ac.uk/homepage/4/policies). The University is a
charter member of Athena SWAN and holds the Bronze award. The School of Medicine gained
the Bronze award in 2013. We are committed to being an inclusive medical school that values
all staff, and we are happy to consider job share applications and requests for flexible working
arrangements from our employees.
University Grade 7 (£31,342 - £37,394 pro-rata) depending on qualifications and experience
Informal enquiries to Dr Dan Stark, tel +44 (0)113 206 8266, email [email protected]
If you have any specific enquiries about your online application please contact Nicola Johnson, email:
[email protected] or Sharon Collins, email: [email protected]
Job Ref: MHCAP1032
Closing Date: 22 September 2015
Background
Surveillance after cancer is increasingly important as more and more people become long
term survivors. There are currently estimated to be 2.5 million people in the UK living after
cancer (Macmillan Cancer Support 2015). Current care is provided to over 600 people after
germ cell tumours (of testis or other primary sites) to manage symptoms, detect cancer
activity, identify and manage late effects of treatment and provide support. The demand in
Leeds is growing by 100 patients per year. This is expensive for patients’ travel, missed work
and NHS costs, making the current model unsustainable. We believe the model of care is
poorly suited to patients and services, as it is primarily delivered through multiple visits to
specialist hospitals, often some way from home. This is also the view of the wider health
service (NHS improvement 2012)
Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology (LICAP)
(See full Faculty and LICAP information at end of job description)
Psychosocial and Clinical Outcomes Research
The fellow will join 4 PhD fellows and 4 post-doctorate fellows as well as research nurses and
IT professionals in the Patient-Centred Outcomes Research (PCOR) group, within the Leeds
Institute of Cancer and Pathology (LICAP). Dr Stark is an Associate Professor in that group,
and Professor Velikova is the lead.
The PCOR group are world-leaders in community surveillance; among the first to implement it
in clinical practice. Within PCOR, community surveillance is a growing field of enquiry.
Yorkshire Cancer Research has recently funded an enhancement of the community
surveillance information technology, to be implemented and evaluated within the ovarian
cancer service in Leeds, Bradford and Calderdale between Dec-2015 and Dec-2019.
Community Surveillance is also being implemented and evaluated in breast cancer in Leeds
funded by the Leeds Trust charitable foundation. An NIHR clinical PhD fellow is in place to
develop this approach in bowel cancer. A PhD fellow is being sought to develop this
intervention after childhood cancer. PCOR has an established service user group in place
since 2007. PCOR includes a dedicated IT and database design team to support its
programmes.
e-Prime - electronic Patient self-Reported outcomes to Improve survivorship
Management and patient Experiences
In Yorkshire and elsewhere, we believe the quality of care after cancer may be enhanced
using community surveillance supported by ‘telehealth’ - the hospital collecting information
about patients’ symptoms and concerns using internet questionnaires designed for this
purpose. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) systematically measure patients’
symptoms and concerns. Research by the Leeds Patient-Centred Outcomes Research
(PCOR) group and others indicates PROMs supplement the monitoring of clinical care,
improving communication, management and wellbeing. Young people such as those living
after testicular or other germ cell cancers are thought to adopt this approach particularly well,
enabling them to return to education or work while continuing to receive care from the
specialists who understand the state of the art management of their type of cancer.
The Yorkshire Cancer Centre has a secure telehealth and patient care system that is being
tested and implemented in a group of ‘e-PRIME’ projects - an internationally leading
programme. PROMS are collected within the community (on smartphones, tablets or
computers) according to a follow-up schedule based upon the individual patient’s risk of
disease. Data is imported into the electronic patient record, interpreted clinically in the cancer
centre (not in primary care) alongside investigation results performed at a convenient
community location (e.g. blood tests, radiology). This is supported by an approved, robust and
secure data transfer system and a ‘tracker’ system that schedules data collection and
communication. Surveillance should not require additional GP or hospital consultations.
Interpretation is fed back to patients and professionals to enhance care.
Whilst there are clear potential advantages to delivering care in this way, telehealth also
represents a new model for care delivery, which presents challenges in ensuring it is safe and
acceptable to patients and staff across services, and integrated into care pathways. In this
fellowship we will develop the skills of a post-doctorate researcher through their evaluation and
development of this model of care, as it is being implemented in people living after testicular
and other germ cell tumours.
Germ cell tumour research in Yorkshire
Germ cell tumours are rare, with approximately 140 cases per annum managed by the
multidisciplinary team based in Leeds. The majority are testicular tumours, although germ cell
tumours also occur in the ovary and other sites. Since the development of multidisciplinary
care and effective chemotherapy, the clinical outcome has improved such that over 90% of all
patients are now cured, by treatment ranging from post-surgical surveillance alone to complex
toxic multidisciplinary care and post-treatment surveillance. About 50 patients, mostly young
men within the workforce, are reviewed in Leeds per week after treatment for germ cell
tumours.
Testicular cancer clinical research in Leeds is wide-ranging and well regarded nationally and
internationally. With Professor Johnathan Joffe (the chair of the National Cancer Research
Institute Testis cancer group) and colleagues we lead and publish phase III clinical trials in this
disease. We have also published influential work on descriptive epidemiology in young people
with germ cell tumours.
Within the National Cancer Research Institute we are leaders in the design, implementation
and recruitment to the portfolio of NIHR Studies. We work in close collaboration with the
clinical team managing testicular and other germ cell tumours, including adult and paediatric
teams and others.
With Professor Peter Selby and Professor Tim Bishop in Leeds, Dr Nicholas Orsi and Dr
Matthew Murray and others in Cambridge, we continue to conduct leading research into the
biology and treatment of Germ cell tumours. Leeds and Dr Stark in particular is a founder and
leading member of the Malignant Germ cell International Collaboration (MAGIC), which is
pooling worldwide clinical trial data for meta-analysis and designing the next generation of
collaborative worldwide clinical, biological and patient-centred research trials and projects for
young people with germ cell tumours.
Purpose of the post
Under the guidance of Dr Stark, the post-holder will lead a health services research study in
testicular cancer care, funded by an established endowment from a local charity
(http://www.crystalcommittee.co.uk/). Working within the local team the project you will:
1. Collate and analyse electronic clinical data from an existing detailed database about
care before the implementation of community surveillance.
2. Evaluate the implementation to date with patients, healthcare and information
technology professionals.
3. Propose and develop service developments in the community surveillance scheme.
The post-holder will co-ordinate the activities for the project in Leeds and co-ordinate and
deliver the studies. Some travel to meet with other groups in the field and disseminate findings
is likely to be necessary.
The research fellow will contribute to the strategic and operational direction of the research
group, developing and undertaking individual and collaborative research projects as
appropriate. The fellow will be actively encouraged to apply for national funding necessary to
underpin future research activity of the Group and to pursue specific research interests.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Research
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Under the guidance of the principle investigator, plan and manage your own research and
clinical service evaluation activity (in collaboration with others as appropriate), assist in
designing specific strategies towards achieving the research goals of the project and
manage individual components of the projects.
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To co-ordinate studies, liaising with collaborators.
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Be responsible for ensuring good day-to-day progress of the projects and contribute to
strategic development.
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Design and conduct qualitative and quantitative research involving interviews with
professionals and patients.
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To work on the preparation of research documentation for the programme, such as study
design, protocol writing, Research Ethics Committee submissions, standard operating
procedures, organisation and conduct of interviews.
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Under the guidance of Dr Stark, to provide support and supervisions for implementation
projects with the NHS Trust and St James’s Institute of Oncology with the Clinical Nurse
Specialists including with cancer service users to ensure that the research is relevant and
reflects the users concerns and priorities.
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To provide leadership to other research assistants and research nurses working on the
other closely related ongoing projects.
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To teach specific research and analysis methods to other members of staff at all levels.
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To be responsible for the maintenance of compete, accurate and confidential computerised
research datasets.
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To perform basic and more complex statistical analysis as appropriate to specific research
projects in collaboration with colleagues in statistics where necessary. You will have advice
and support from statisticians from LIGHT, University of Leeds where necessary.
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To review and synthesise the outcomes of research studies.
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To contribute and, where appropriate, lead the writing up of research study results and
publish in nationally and internationally recognised journals in oncology and health
research.
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To write reports to Ethics committees, funding bodies and National organisations.
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Work with the group leader to identify future opportunities for research, preparing
proposals and funding applications. Generate and pursue independent and original
research ideas in the appropriate subject area, specifically around the key themes of this
project.
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To contribute to the activities of the Leeds Psychosocial and Clinical Outcomes research
group: To maintain and contribute to the international standing of the research.
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Undertake any other duties as appropriate
Communication and Networking
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To communicate regularly information of a complex and specialist nature related to the
research projects to research audiences, NHS service users and national bodies.
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To participate and where appropriate lead on writing publications and/or reports. Present
research results at local, national and international level (conferences and workshops)
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Take part in knowledge-transfer activities, where appropriate and feasible.
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To prepare papers for academic meetings
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To participate in networks within and external to the organisations to build relationships,
disseminate information and influence opinion within the specialist area.
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Attend relevant national meetings and courses to contribute to continuing training and
education.
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Attend departmental and institute research seminars and meetings and undertake training
courses where required
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To contribute to optimal communication between participating centres and other research
institutions.
Teamwork and Team Development
 Manage problems, seeking assistance where necessary, which can affect progress
towards research objectives and deadlines.
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To allocate and organise work fairly according to skills and capacity with the research team
working with other research collaborators including junior doctors and researchers from
other centres.
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To co-ordinate the work of and with colleagues to ensure projects are completed on time
and necessary resources are available.
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Contribute to the supervision of less experienced researchers, as appropriate.
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To act as a mentor to junior colleagues with respect to research training and
administration. To support junior colleagues in developing their research experience and
techniques.
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To support Dr Stark and others in the management of research assistants and nurses,
including setting scientific and research goals.
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To participate in supervision of postgraduate students.
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To participate and lead, where appropriate, specific patient-centred modules for
undergraduate teaching of medical students within the School of Medicine.
Management and Administration
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Research Ethics Committee submissions.
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Understand broader issues relating to the management of research.
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Contribute to day-to-day decisions on matters that affect the work of the individual and that
of the team
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To be engaged in the medium term planning of management and resources for the group.
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To effectively balance the pressures of research and administrative demands and
competing deadlines.
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To participate in discussions on best the use of research resources in order to plan, coordinate and implement the research projects.
Pastoral Care and Welfare
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You will be required to be considerate and sensitive to the needs of others, including
recognition of, and dealing with, signs of stress and referring to appropriate parties for
relevant advice where necessary.
Teaching
The post is a research post with no undergraduate teaching required, but experience of
teaching undergraduate medical students is available ,should the successful applicant wish, in
support of personal development.
Working Relationships
You will be principally supervised by Dr Stark, including monthly annotated 1:1 supervision,
and monthly PCOR team meetings. Training will be available in the clinical and service
delivery aspects of germ cell tumours.
You will be located on St James’s Hospital site, Bexley Wing, in St James’s Institute of
Oncology (SJIO) which is part of the Section of Oncology and Clinical Research - Clinical
Groups in Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology (LICAP). Some travel across the region
and nationally will be required. Opportunities to travel more widely to present the work may be
available.
You will have a series of key professional relationships, including
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Dr Dan Stark, Associate Professor in Teenage and Young Adult Oncology, Honorary
Consultant in medical oncology, University of Leeds
Dr Galina Velikova, Professor of Psychosocial Oncology and Clinical Outcomes, Leeds
Dr Johnathan Joffe, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS trust, Honorary Professor of
Cancer Medicine, University of Leeds
Sister Carolyn Gosney, Germ cell Support nurse, LTHT
You will communicate and work closely with the oncology teams at St James’s Institute of
Oncology in Leeds, as well as in other Yorkshire Cancer Network Units, including senior
oncologists, physicians in training (Specialist Registrars), and oncology nurses.
You will be responsible to the Head of the Section and accountable to the Institute Director
and ultimately to the Dean of Medicine and Health. You will be expected to work with other
research and teaching team members in addition to developing your specific research
activities.
Person Specification
Essential
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First degree in psychology, health sciences, nursing or other relevant social science
Doctorate (PhD) in a relevant field, health services research, psychology, health
sciences, nursing or other relevant social science
Evidence of an ability to write to a high standard with an emerging publications
record (i.e. co-author on at least two papers in a peer reviewed journals)
Thoroughly computer literate, experienced in the use of Microsoft Word and Access
databases
Experience with computer packages for statistical analysis (SPSS)
Experience of professional or research work with service users and carers in
healthcare and research
Evidence of an ability to organise fieldwork, to initiate and manage research in the
clinical setting
Experience of quantitative research, in the collection and analysis of structured
survey data
Experience of qualitative research including sampling, interviewing, managing and
analysing qualitative data and writing for different audiences
Evidence of an ability to organise own work without supervision and to meet
stringent deadlines
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality
Willingness to learn new skills
Highly effective interpersonal, communication and organisational skills which will
provide effective ‘bridging’ between academic and health and social care partners at
strategic and operational levels
Evidence of an ability to work individually and in a multi-disciplinary team, coordinating work of colleagues as appropriate
Flexible approach to work
Enthusiastic and pro-active approach
Ability to demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to mitigating against, and
manage, risk and uncertainty (e.g. research progress or findings)
Strong negotiating and influencing skills and diplomacy to co-ordinate groups of
senior researchers
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, to communicate in a highly
complex environment to a range of stake holders from different professional and
cultural backgrounds
Attention to detail
Flexibility and experience of working in a busy environment
Willingness to play an active part in the life of the research group and academic unit
Willing and able to travel to other Universities and Hospitals
Desirable
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Knowledge of cancer care, cancer research and experience of working with cancer
researchers, cancer research funders and the NHS
Experience of evaluation of health service innovations
Experience of giving presentations to international audiences
Familiarity with computer packages for qualitative analysis (NVIVO)
Previous experience in healthcare and cancer psychosocial research
Faculty Information
Faculty of Medicine and Health Information
With more than 6,000 students, 1,600 staff and annual research income of £60m, the Faculty
of Medicine and Health at Leeds is bigger than some universities. Leeds has one of the largest
medical and bioscience research bases in the UK, and is an acknowledged world leader in
cancer, cardiovascular, psychiatric, genetic, musculo-skeletal and health services research.
Treatments developed in Leeds are transforming the lives of people around the world living
with conditions such as HIV, TB, diabetes and malaria.
The School of Medicine
The School of Medicine at the University of Leeds is a major international centre for research
and education. Our ambition is to improve health and reduce health inequalities, locally and
globally, through excellent scientific research and the translation of that research into
healthcare practice, and through the education of future scientific and clinical leaders who will
advocate and practise an evidence-based approach. Our major strategic aims are to:
Deliver outstanding research including basic discovery science through to applied health
research that makes a significant difference to health.
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Produce exceptional graduates, clinicians, educators, doctoral and post-doctoral fellows
whose learning has been informed and inspired by our research excellence and who
will form the next generation of academic and clinical leaders.
Develop and support knowledge transfer activities that flow from our academic
activities.
Create and maintain an efficient and sustainable environment for research and teaching
within an organisational culture and management style that enacts and supports the
university’s core values of community, inclusiveness, integrity and professionalism.
The School of Medicine is organised into seven Institutes. All are committed to high quality
research-led teaching, through their training of postgraduate research students, delivery of
postgraduate taught courses, and its leadership in undergraduate teaching. The School works
closely with the local NHS, having a number of jointly funded clinical posts to ensure this
relationship is effective and strong for both research and student education.
The Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology (LICAP)
Director: Professor Tim Bishop
http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/info/900/leeds_institute_of_cancer_and_pathology
The Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology addresses both laboratory based and clinical
research into cancer with a major focus on translational science. LICAP is one of the largest
cancer Institute in the country and has major financial support from the cancer charities. The
laboratories and clinical research are all based on the St James’s site with laboratory activities
being located in the Wellcome Trust Brenner Building and adjacent buildings while the clinical
work is based within Bexley Wing. The Institute consists of seven Sections: Epidemiology &
Biostatistics; Experimental Haematology; Experimental Oncology; Oncology & Clinical
Research (Clinical); Oncology & Clinical Research (Laboratory); Patient Centred Outcome
Research; and Pathology & Tumour Biology.
Additional Information
Terms and Conditions
Details of the terms and conditions of employment for all staff at the university, including
information on pensions and benefits, are available on the Human Resources web pages
accessible via the links on the right hand side, or at http://hr.leeds.ac.uk/policies
Disclosure and Barring Service Checks
This post falls under the remit of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order
1975. As such, all applicants are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands
and warnings, including any pending criminal prosecutions and those which would otherwise
be considered 'spent' under the 1974 Act. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order
1975 (2013) provide that certain ‘spent’ convictions and cautions are now 'protected' and are
not subject to disclosure to employers , and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and
criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Disclosure and
Barring Service website. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barringservice and at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1198/pdfs/uksi_20131198_en.pdf
Declarations of any such information as described above should be made in the ‘other
personal details’ section of the application form and details sent to the Recruitment Officer at
[email protected].
Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is required for this
position. The successful applicant will be required to give consent for the University to check
their criminal record status through independent verification (from the DBS). Information will
be kept in strict confidence. Your offer of appointment will be subject to the University being
satisfied with the outcome of these checks.
Disabled Applicants
The post is located on Level 3 in the Institute of Oncology, Bexley Wing, St James’s University
Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF. Disabled applicants wishing to review access to the
building are invited to contact the department direct. Additional information may be sought
from the Recruitment Officer, email [email protected] or tel + 44 (0)113 343 1723.
Disabled applicants are not obliged to inform employers of their disability but will still be
covered by the Equality Act once their disability becomes known.
Further information for applicants with disabilities, impairments or health conditions is
available in the applicant guidance.