Job summary
We are delighted to offer a one-year Clinical Research Fellowship within our Movement Disorders team, as the Newcastle Movement Disorders Clinical Fellow. This unique role provides hands-on involvement in internationally recognised clinical trials, including the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), alongside opportunities to develop procedural skills and gain exposure to specialist clinics. You will work closely with experienced neurologists and researchers, with mentorship and support to initiate your own research project. For the right candidate, this fellowship can evolve into an MD or PhD and serve as a foundation for an academic or specialist career.
This post is to commence as soon as possible for 12 months.
In addition to the challenges of the role, we can offer you a commitment to teaching, education, research and audit.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Please read attached Job Description and Person Specification,
Main duties of the job
To act as an investigator in the PPMI study and other academic or commercial clinical trials, while supporting specialist movement disorder clinics. The role combines clinical responsibilities with research activities, offering the opportunity to develop procedural skills, contribute to high-impact studies, and initiate your own research project under expert supervision.
For an informal discussion and further information regarding the opportunity and Directorate, please contact: Dr David Ledingham david.ledingham1@nhs.net or Prof Nicola Pavese Nicola.pavese@newcastle.ac.uk or Dr Sahana Sathyanarayana sahana.sathyanarayana@nhs.net
Please read attached Job Description and Person Specification.
About us
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 16,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion. We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We're also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 1.84 million patients 'contacts' each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical:
Participate as an investigator in PPMI and other investigator-led or commercial clinical trials.
Recruit and consent patients/participants, ensuring adherence to ethical and regulatory standards.
Provide clinical management of trial participants.
Support Clinical Research Nurses and Trial Assistants in delivering high-quality care.
Perform lumbar punctures and skin biopsies.
Administrative:
Maintain accurate study documentation in line with Good Clinical Practice.
Communicate effectively with participants, research teams, sponsors, and regulatory bodies.
Contribute to study setup, including REC applications and approvals.
Research:
Initiate and deliver a research project aligned with your interests and the units priorities.
Engage in data analysis, manuscript preparation, and presentation of findings at meetings or conferences.
Flexibility:
In line with the Trusts core value of placing patients at the heart of everything we do, we are developing our service provision to be responsive to the needs of our patients. To meet those needs some staff groups will be increasingly asked to work a more flexible work pattern so that they can offer services in the evening or weekend. As a result any offer of employment to a consultant post will be subject to you agreeing to work a new more flexible pattern or working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work.
Please read attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical:
Participate as an investigator in PPMI and other investigator-led or commercial clinical trials.
Recruit and consent patients/participants, ensuring adherence to ethical and regulatory standards.
Provide clinical management of trial participants.
Support Clinical Research Nurses and Trial Assistants in delivering high-quality care.
Perform lumbar punctures and skin biopsies.
Administrative:
Maintain accurate study documentation in line with Good Clinical Practice.
Communicate effectively with participants, research teams, sponsors, and regulatory bodies.
Contribute to study setup, including REC applications and approvals.
Research:
Initiate and deliver a research project aligned with your interests and the units priorities.
Engage in data analysis, manuscript preparation, and presentation of findings at meetings or conferences.
Flexibility:
In line with the Trusts core value of placing patients at the heart of everything we do, we are developing our service provision to be responsive to the needs of our patients. To meet those needs some staff groups will be increasingly asked to work a more flexible work pattern so that they can offer services in the evening or weekend. As a result any offer of employment to a consultant post will be subject to you agreeing to work a new more flexible pattern or working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work.
Please read attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- MBBS or other recognised equivalent medical qualifications
- Full GMC registration at the time of application
Desirable
- MRCP or equivalent
- MRCP Part 1 or equivalent
- Other relevant qualifications (ALS). Distinctions, scholarships, prizes, BSc (or equivalent).
- Good Clinical Practice certificate
Clinical Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Good history & examination skills
- Able to formulate a working diagnosis
- Able to order appropriate investigations.
- Skilled in performing lumbar punctures unsupervised
- Knows when to appropriately seek assistance from a senior colleague.
Desirable
- Image interpretation relevant to practice
- Previous experience in clinical research/clinical trials
- Additional experience in Neurology or allied Neuroscience specialities
Management and Administration Experience
Essential
- Ability to run a service and participate in management process
- Committed to share in professional, managerial and teaching responsibilities necessary to fulfil the obligations of the Directorate to the Trust and its workforce
- Able to communicate well with patients and colleagues
- An understanding of Clinical Governance
Desirable
- Proven management and administration ability
- Understanding of management goals
- Experience with audit
- Evidence of leadership / project management
- Evidence of having implemented change
Teaching
Essential
- Experience of supervising junior staff
- Ability to teach clinical skills.
Clinical Governance, Audit and Research
Essential
- Experience of audit projects
Communication, Relationships and Working with Colleagues
Essential
- Ability to communicate and liaise effectively with patients and other people within a team
- Ability to work as a team with professional colleagues in all disciplines
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Alignment with the Trust's Values.
- Flexible approach to service delivery and committed approach to development
- A commitment to personal / unit CPD.
- Time management skills
- Honesty, integrity, awareness of ethical dilemmas, respect for confidentiality
Desirable
- Evidence of leadership skills
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- MBBS or other recognised equivalent medical qualifications
- Full GMC registration at the time of application
Desirable
- MRCP or equivalent
- MRCP Part 1 or equivalent
- Other relevant qualifications (ALS). Distinctions, scholarships, prizes, BSc (or equivalent).
- Good Clinical Practice certificate
Clinical Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Good history & examination skills
- Able to formulate a working diagnosis
- Able to order appropriate investigations.
- Skilled in performing lumbar punctures unsupervised
- Knows when to appropriately seek assistance from a senior colleague.
Desirable
- Image interpretation relevant to practice
- Previous experience in clinical research/clinical trials
- Additional experience in Neurology or allied Neuroscience specialities
Management and Administration Experience
Essential
- Ability to run a service and participate in management process
- Committed to share in professional, managerial and teaching responsibilities necessary to fulfil the obligations of the Directorate to the Trust and its workforce
- Able to communicate well with patients and colleagues
- An understanding of Clinical Governance
Desirable
- Proven management and administration ability
- Understanding of management goals
- Experience with audit
- Evidence of leadership / project management
- Evidence of having implemented change
Teaching
Essential
- Experience of supervising junior staff
- Ability to teach clinical skills.
Clinical Governance, Audit and Research
Essential
- Experience of audit projects
Communication, Relationships and Working with Colleagues
Essential
- Ability to communicate and liaise effectively with patients and other people within a team
- Ability to work as a team with professional colleagues in all disciplines
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Alignment with the Trust's Values.
- Flexible approach to service delivery and committed approach to development
- A commitment to personal / unit CPD.
- Time management skills
- Honesty, integrity, awareness of ethical dilemmas, respect for confidentiality
Desirable
- Evidence of leadership skills
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).