Research Assistant

We want your passion and skills to improve diagnosis for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer has some of the worst outcomes of all cancers. Because of this, even though pancreatic cancer accounts for only 3% of cancer cases, it is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the UK. One of the problems is that by the time symptoms of pancreatic cancer are recognized, for example because of jaundice, the disease has reached an advanced stage. This fellowship, during which the successful candidate will undertake a PhD, will help establish whether we can improve how pancreatic cancer is diagnosed in primary care and improve outcomes for this devastating disease.

Our aim is that the successful candidate will make important discoveries including:

• Whether patients in UK general practice with possible pancreatic cancer are being investigated as suggested by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
• Whether different diagnostic and imaging approaches could lead to improved survival and if such approaches would be cost effective.

To achieve this, you will be supported to undertake analyses using large data registries such as the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. This is an exceptional opportunity for a pre-doctoral academic with an interest in primary care cancer diagnosis and will lead to skills development particularly in analysis of observational data and may lead to opportunities to employ health economic methodology.

The doctoral research will be supervised by experts including Dr Stephen Bradley (senior clinical lecturer), Prof Nick Latimer (Professor of health economics), Dr Meena Rafique (Senior Clinical Research Fellow, University College London & University of Melbourne) and Prof Jon Wadsley (consultant clinical oncologist and NIHR Research Delivery Network National Specialty Lead for Cancer Radiotherapy and Imaging Research).

A key purpose of this PhD fellowship will be capacity development in primary care cancer diagnosis research and, if appropriate, the candidate will be offered support to develop their research career beyond completion of doctoral studies.

Applicants should have a primary degree in a relevant methodological discipline (such as statistics, health economics) or a relevant degree in health science (essential criteria). We are looking for candidates who have demonstrated a track record in research, preferably around issues relating to cancer diagnosis, for example through publications in peer reviewed journals and have an understanding of UK healthcare, including primary care (essential criteria).

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