Applications are invited for a Scientist to undertake a 10-week long fellowship in the radiotherapy physics team.
This fellowship is hosted in memory of our friend and colleague Andrew Nixon and will be focused on the completion of a service improvement project within our proton therapy physics group.
The successful applicant will undertake a project which will develop a software tool to be used by treatment planning staff and clinical oncologists which will help them to compare a given proton therapy treatment plan with other, previous patients. This tool will then be commissioned for routine use by the proton therapy team to drive quality improvements for direct patient benefit.
The successful applicant will be supervised and supported by experts in the field for the duration of the fellowship and will have the opportunity to gain hands-on insight into the role of a Clinical Scientist, hone specialised technical skills, and gain invaluable clinical experience in a supportive, forward-thinking environment.
Professional registration is not a pre-requisite for this role, and applications will be accepted from individuals with an appropriate degree and who possess a foundational understanding of radiotherapy.
The successful applicant will undertake a project entitled “The Andrew Nixon Fellowship: Doses in context” under the supervision of Clinical Scientists and Medical Physics Experts in the Proton Therapy Physics group.
The successful applicant will develop a software solution to extract pertinent information from a given treatment plan and place it in the context of dose information from comparable plans. This information will then be presented to a user in an interactive form which will be developed by the successful applicant.
Working closely with a multi-disciplinary team in the Proton Therapy department, the successful applicant will actively test and refine this solution until it is ready to be commissioned for clinical use.
Upon completion, the successful applicant will present their work in the form of a memorial lecture to an audience consisting of experts and interested lay people.
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
SPECIFIC DUTIES/JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
1. General
1.1. The post is intended to support the development of the research capabilities of radiotherapy physicists in the early stages of their career (i.e. within 10 years of graduating from first relevant degree). Therefore, the post holder is expected to be a recent graduate from a physical science or engineering course and/or to have recently completed the NHS Scientific Training Scheme.
1.2. The post holder may or may not be a state registered healthcare professional, but must still conduct themselves in line with the HCPC professional standards expected of state registered healthcare scientists in a clinical environment. For more information, see: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics | The HCPC
1.3. Work undertaken should also be compliant with current UK legislation for work with ionizing radiation (IRR 2017, IRMER 2017) and the Trust’s ISO 9001:2015-compliant Quality Management System for the provision of radiotherapy.
1.4. The post is full-time for 10 weeks. Hours can be worked flexibly, in agreement with the line manager, to accommodate the demands of the project and personal responsibilities outside of work.
1.5. The post holder will be expected to prioritise and manage their own work on a day-to-day basis.
2. General Duties
2.1. Assists patients during incidental contacts, may have contact with patients as part of research.
2.2. Proposes changes to practice relating to research project.
2.3. Responsible for the safe use of expensive or highly complex equipment.
2.4. Provides advice or demonstrates own activities or workplace routines to new or less experienced employees in own work area.
2.5. Records personally generated research data.
3. Research and Development
3.1. Participates in departmental research where the agreed research project is a major part of their work.
3.2. The project will be defined but the post holder will decide how it is best achieved and will be guided by principles and broad occupational policies or regulations. Guidance may be provided by peers or external reference points.
3.3. Analyses and interprets research results, may need to resolve complex equipment or process problems.
3.4. Plans and organises own research project. Planning and organising straightforward tasks and activities.
3.5. Participates in radiotherapy tasks which frequently require light physical effort for several short periods during a shift.
3.6. Undertakes all work required for the successful completion of their research project. Projects will be related to improving the planning and delivery of radiotherapy, and so may require the post-holder to become familiar with the relevant aspects of clinical treatment planning, dosimetry and quality control, and offline data analysis.
3.7. Communicates research and other specialist clinical and scientific information to colleagues and presents findings to a public lecture (“The Andrew Nixon Memorial Lecture”) for a university-educated lay audience within 4 months of completing the research project, summarising the work undertaken and the benefit to radiotherapy services at The Christie services and their patient population.
