NHS Executive South East Region Deanery

University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine Academic Unit of Clinical and Experimental Sciences Clinical Neurosciences Research Group Vision Group

Clinical Research Fellows (x2)

Further Particulars

Introduction The University of Southampton Faculty Of Medicine is offering an appointment to be based within the vision group at Southampton General Hospital. The post-holder will join a large team of basic and clinical researchers with extensive programmes in translational ophthalmology. The post is designed to provide a period of protected time for a Clinical Research Fellow to obtain experience in ophthalmology research and clinical trial methodology. The post holder is expected to enrol for Doctorate of Medicine degree at the University of Southampton. This is a two year research degree. The post is designed to fulfill the requirements for out-of-programme experience for a specialist trainee in ophthalmology, but may also be suitable for an individual who does not yet have a national training number and wishes to pursue a career in ophthalmology.

Ophthalmology in Southampton.

Clinical research : Southampton Eye Unit is a tertiary referral centre for ophthalmic eye care in Wessex. It provides sub-specialty care in specialised clinics and serves a population of circa 3 million people. 80,000 patients are seen annually. Dedicated ophthalmic clinical trials research occurs in our purpose built Wellcome Trust Clinical Trials Unit. We have 5 dedicated clinical trials ophthalmic research nurses and have completed 70 clinical trials in the last 10 years. Ophthalmology is the second largest user of the Wellcome Trust Clinical Trials Unit (after oncology). There is thus abundant clinical material and infrastructure for clinical research. Laboratory research: Vision Science is based within the Clinical Neurosciences Research Grouping (Prof Lotery is the director of this university group). The combined research groups within Clinical Neurosciences, provide a stimulating multidisciplinary research environment with opportunities to interact with basic and clinical scientists engaged in research topics including neural stem cell biology, and retinal and brain degeneration in both humans and animals. We have a state of the art, ophthalmic animal imaging laboratory. We have long standing cross disciplinary collaborations with colleagues in biological sciences both within the University of Southampton but also worldwide. Educational activity : clinically as well as our weekly regional post-graduate programme, sub- specialty teaching in glaucoma, cornea and retina occurs weekly too. In clinical neurosciences we run a weekly seminar programme and have a joint seminar series with the Wessex Neurological Centre 5 times per year. We also run an annual conference as part of our collaboration with the Southampton Neuroscience Group which encompasses neuroscience across the University. The Vision group runs a weekly lab meeting where all researchers present their research to the overall research group.

Further details of scientific interests of the Vision group can be found at the following web pages http://www.southampton.ac.uk/medicine/about/staff/ajl.page http://www.southampton.ac.uk/medicine/about/staff/jes3.page http://www.southampton.ac.uk/medicine/about/staff/jr5f12.page

Clinical Research Fellow This post holder will work within the vision group in the Clinical Neurosciences Research Group in the academic unit of Clinical and Experimental Sciences. Two posts will be offered with the expectation that each post holder will undertake a research project over two years which will lead to a Doctorate of Medicine

1 degree at the University of Southampton. Please see http://www.southampton.ac.uk/medicine/postgraduate/research_degrees/degrees/dm.page for further details.

Supervisors

Professor Andrew Lotery will be the principal supervisor for one of these posts and will offer a research project assessing the role of complement activation in age related macular degeneration. Mr James Self will be the principal supervisor for the second post and will offer a research project assessing the role of screening for keratoconus in young people.

Clinical Trials

The post holders will also be expected to participate in clinical trials within the vision group. Typically this will involve supervising patients in clinical trials all day Wednesday and Friday am. However, occasionally patients may be seen on other days too.

Therefore, these posts will provide practical training for a middle grade doctor in the conduct of ophthalmic clinical trials.

The appointee will provide day to day medical support for patients enrolled into clinical trials in ophthalmology. Under supervision from the relevant Principal Investigators, they will have responsibility for patient eligibility screening, analysis of clinical investigations, prescription of experimental and supportive medicines and assessment and management of complications. In addition they will be involved in study protocol development and implementation including ethics committee documentation and R&D submissions.

The post will provide increased capacity for our trials portfolio and recruitment, both of which are projected to increase in the next year. The post-holder will have close integration and day to day working relationships with the ophthalmology research nursing team led by Sister Thea Sass and hospital research matron Marie Nelson.

The post holder will work under overall clinical supervision from Professor Andrew Lotery in adult clinical trials and Mr James Self in paediatric ophthalmology trials. Training in clinical trials methodology including Good Clinical Practice will be provided.

The post will be at junior registrar level and will require a medical qualification and some ophthalmology experience. It would be suitable for either an ophthalmology trainee as out of program experience or for someone wishing to pursue a career in ophthalmology prior to obtaining a training number. The post will be a University appointment with an honorary Trust contract.

Conditions of Employment The basic salary of this post will be £36,461 per annum. Appointments will be for 2 years. The start date is potentially negotiable depending on requirements for registration for out of program experience.

Timetable

Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM Research Research Clinical Trials Research Clinical Trials PM Research Research Clinical Trials Research Research

Hours of Duty This is a whole-time appointment. There will be no commitment to out of hours cover in this post.

Visiting Visits and enquiries are welcomed and can be arranged by contacting Professor Lotery or Mr Self via Prof Lotery’s PA Ms Yasmin Nigh by email [email protected] or 023 8120 5049