Clinical Research Fellow - Malaria Vaccine Programme

Location: Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Headington, Oxford

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Draper Group in the Department of Paediatrics as our Clinical Research Fellow – Malaria Vaccine Programme. 

This role is focussed on supporting the design, delivery and execution of clinical trials of a next-generation multi-stage malaria vaccine candidate through Phase 1 optimisation and Phase 2 efficacy testing at both existing and new collaborative partner sites across East and West Africa. This programme of work is part of a new EDCTP3-funded consortium led by Professor Angela Minassian. In addition, the role will include support for the vaccine and human malaria challenge studies in Oxford, working closely with other members of the clinical team. The post will involve travel to one or more African sites (approximately 2-3 short trips per year), providing some experience working in low resource settings, working with local clinicians and laboratory research staff. However, the majority of the role will be based in Oxford.

The successful applicant will work closely with the Oxford clinical team, led by Professor Minassian, and with African partner teams, to lead on and maintain high quality in the design and conduct of these studies. The Oxford clinical team are based at the Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, and are fully integrated with the Draper Group laboratory research team based in central Oxford. This forms part of a new hub for infectious disease and immunology research in the Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building and Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery. The group’s current website is here: https://draperlab.web.ox.ac.uk/.

The post will provide front-line experience of clinical research in a multi-disciplinary academic environment and the research is expected to lead to high quality publications. This includes opportunities for suitable candidates to seek independent research funding and to develop a laboratory, clinical or a translational research proposal for a higher degree (DM/DPhil).

This position is offered full-time on a fixed-term contract initially 2 years or until 31 May 2028, whichever is sooner, with the possibility to extend provided further external funding is available.

About you

You will have a GMC registration; you must be currently qualified and licensed to practise medicine in the UK, supplemented by relevant post-qualification experience in clinical medicine, with proven and demonstrable technical skills. You will possess excellent verbal and written communication skills for a wide range of audiences, and excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to be comfortable and confident interacting with volunteers and patients in a research study, clinical research co-ordinators, team members, laboratory and administrative staff, monitors, collaborating company representatives, and the broader research community. Requires flexibility in the hours worked, as some out of hours work is required (especially during challenge studies).

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