Clinical Research Fellow (ICRRU)

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking a full-time clinical research fellow to lead a Phase 2a clinical trial in asthma at St Mary's Hospital. This role involves overseeing participant recruitment, managing clinical study visits, and collaborating with leading researchers. The candidate should possess an MBBS and experience in respiratory medicine, offering an opportunity to contribute to innovative treatments and engage in impactful research.

Benefits

Flexible working and career development

Staff recognition scheme

Membership options for onsite leisure facilities

Cycle to work and car lease schemes

Qualifications

• Experience in respiratory medicine, especially asthma.
• Familiarity with principles of clinical research is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead physician for a Phase 2a clinical trial.
• Responsible for participant recruitment and clinical study visits.
• Evaluate and manage adverse drug reactions.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Ability to learn new clinical skills

Education

MBBS or equivalent with full GMC Registration

Postgraduate specialist qualification (e.g., MRCP)

GCP certification

Job description

Fulfil your potential in hospitals that make history:

Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary's, Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea and Western Eye.

With five world-renowned hospitals, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is full of opportunity if you are looking to develop your healthcare career.

We are an NHS Trust of approximately 16,000 people, providing care for over a million and a half patients from north west London and beyond every year.

We have a rich heritage and an ambitious vision for the future of our patients and local communities.

With our partners, Imperial College London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, we form Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, one of 6 academic health science centres in the UK, working to ensure the rapid translation of research for better patient care and excellence in education.

We are proud of our heritage in innovation and we are early adopters of new insights in technologies, techniques and treatments for improving health.

Job overview

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust at St Mary's Hospital is working with a commercial contract research organisation (CRO) to conduct a double-blind placebo-controlled Phase 2a clinical trial in asthma using a novel rhinovirus challenge model. Asthma participants will be challenged with rhinovirus to induce upper and lower airways symptoms and then be given either placebo or a novel mRNA based therapeutic agent. It is hoped that the novel therapy will reduce asthma related symptoms and improve subject outcomes and thus in the future, be offered as a novel treatment for asthma exacerbations, in which rhinovirus is a main causative agent. The success of this Phase 2a trial will not only provide novel treatment alternatives for asthma exacerbations but will offer the opportunity for publications in high impact journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine. We are looking to employ a full- time clinical research fellow for 1 year initially (up to SP2 level) who will be employed via Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust based at St Mary's Hospital to act as lead physician and be responsible for running the trial. The postholder will be supported by Imperial College London professors, chief investigators, research nurses and also CRO staff to recruit study subjects in a timely manner.

Main duties of the job

This is a 100% clinical research post. Main duties will include to support the timely delivery of a Phase 2a clinical trial, in-line with the requirements of sponsors, GCP, GDPR, and other appropriate guidelines and regulations; be responsible for participant recruitment and overseeing participant clinical study visits; be responsible for specific study-related medical decisions as agreed with the Study Chief Investigator; evaluate and manage any acute, sub-acute and chronic adverse drug reactions under the supervision of the Chief Investigator and/or Medical Monitor; assess and interpret safety and clinical data from assigned studies, e.g. vital signs, ECG's, laboratory tests, lung function tests adverse events etc; maintain accurate and accessible research records and medical notes; attend regular conference calls with sponsor, CRO staff of study team. There will be some after hours or weekend work in line with participant clinical visits as outlined in the study protocol.

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care. Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career. Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We encourage staff to have the Covid vaccination to protect themselves, patients, other colleagues as well as the wider community. Please note it is an operational requirement to comply with infection prevention and control procedures within the Trust such as lateral flow testing, handwashing and the wearing of masks, according to the procedures in place at any time or location.

As part of our continued response to Covid19 we are still conducting the majority of our interviews virtually.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part-time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Patient/Client Care:

1. Support the timely delivery of clinical studies, in-line with the requirements of sponsors, trial co-ordinators, GCP, GDPR, and other appropriate guidelines and regulations;
2. Provide medical assessment and cover for selected research studies in the ICRRU portfolio working alongside other clinical teams if required;
3. Accept delegated responsibility to ensure that assigned studies in ICRRU are carried out safely and in compliance with the protocol;
4. Be responsible for specific study-related medical decisions as agreed with the Study Chief Investigator;
5. Perform clinical procedures as appropriate to the assigned study (including, but not limited to, clinical examinations or testing, dispensing innovative new medicines, assessment of adverse events and management of any severe adverse events);
6. Ensure that patients/participants in assigned studies give fully informed consent in writing before commencing a study;
7. Assess the eligibility status of any referrals for experimental treatments, maintain and update a screening list;
8. Evaluate and manage any acute, sub-acute and chronic adverse drug reactions under the supervision of the Chief Investigator and/or Medical Monitor;
9. Assess and interpret safety and clinical data from assigned studies, e.g. vital signs, ECG's, laboratory tests, lung function tests etc;
10. Follow up and report adverse events as necessary. Communicate safety issues to the Chief Investigator for a study, report Serious Adverse Events in accordance with the protocol and Good Clinical Practice;
11. Review study documentation and complete appropriate sections of Case Report Forms (CRF);
12. Ensure that all clinical activities within the CRF are conducted in accordance with approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);
13. Maintain accurate and accessible research records and medical notes

2. Management:

1. Provide medical input into integrated clinical, safety and statistical reports as requested;
2. Provide medical input and review of study protocol amendments and other related study documentation and participate in research meetings, conference calls, study review meetings and meetings with chief investigators, clinical trial co-ordinators, trial monitors and study sponsors;
3. Prepare reports for submission to pharmaceutical companies, regulatory bodies, and medical and scientific journals as appropriate;
4. Ensure personal Trust mandatory training is up to date and support the training of medical, nursing and ancillary staff as required;
5. Develop and maintain computer skills to utilise available systems for the efficient management and administration of the day to day activities of the ICRRU team
6. Any other duties as may be deemed reasonable by senior clinical staff of ICRRU;

3. Education & Training:

1. To participate in training of other study team members such as research nurses if required

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• MBBS or equivalent with full valid GMC Registration and hold a licence to practise
• Postgraduate specialist qualification e.g. MRCP or equivalent

Desirable criteria

• GCP certification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in respiratory medicine; inclusive of asthma

Desirable criteria

• Familiarity with principles of clinical research
• An interest in virology and host responses to virus infections

Clinical skills

Essential criteria

• Physical examination
• ECG, chest X ray, other radiology interpretation, biochemistry, haematology results interpretation
• Venepuncture, IV lines
• Ability to learn and implement new study related clinical skills

Desirable criteria

• Experience of lung function assessments
• Experience with induced sputum collection

Communication skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, communication skills

Values

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable ability to meet Trust values

Please ensure you check your emails regularly as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process. If you are shortlisted you will be contacted by email and text message (if you provide a mobile contact number).

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description and Person Spec (PDF, 952.4KB)
• FRF (PDF, 232.6KB)
• Aspire to values (PDF, 132.8KB)
• Our Strategy 2023-25 (PDF, 230.4KB)