Clinical Research Fellow - Oncology

The Trust has a reputation for award-winning research and innovation. Last year our research teams recruited over 16,000 participants into clinical trials and this effort led to PHU being ranked the top recruiting large acute trusts.

This post represents an exciting opportunity to support our Chief Investigator Prof Banna on a new translational oncology project. You will work as part of the oncology research team, alongside our multi-disciplinary workforce at the Queen Alexandra site. 

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Clinical Research Fellow in Oncology to join our research active sub-specialty oncology teams with a particular focus on development and delivery of a newly funded project:  PD-L2 RNA and PD-L1 IHC expression as prognostic and predictive biomarkers in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer treated with chemoimmunotherapy: a retrospective–prospective real-world study in the United Kingdom. 

This is predominantly a research- based post, though supporting assessment, care and documentation re clinical trial patients would be expected.

This is a 40 hour week- fixed-term 12 month post. 

Research specific roles include:

Working as part of a team to co-ordinate, lead and deliver research trials within Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust; Responsibility for co-ordinating, delivering and maintaining a high standard of day-to-day clinical treatment for all patients eligible for and recruited; Providing support to other Research Fellows, Principal Investigators, Clinical Research Leads, and the Trust Research Management in delivering high quality clinical research; providing clinical leadership and advice to junior members of the research team. Coordination of key project meetings to monitor key milestones as required by sponsor/funder. 

Specifically for the project you will be responsible for protocol & regulatory Setup: Collaborate directly with the Lead Investigators to write, format, and assemble the multi-centre study protocol, patient information sheets, and ethics applications. With colleagues in the wider team you will also provide logistical and operational assistance to set up the research laboratory framework, including organizing standard operating procedures for FFPE sample shipment, tracking, and central processing. 

Qualifications

Essential

• A GMC registered medical practitioner
• First-class or Upper Second-class (2:1) honours degree in a relevant biological, biomedical, or medical science discipline.

Desirable

• Full Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom
• Good Clinical Practice certificate
• Master’s degree (MSc or MRes) in a related field, or a medical degree (MBChB/MBBS) with an interest in oncology research.

Skills and Knowledge 

Essential

• Demonstration of enthusiasm and interest in a career in oncology
• To be competent in managing common medical emergencies
• To have a good understanding of general medicine
• The ability to interact well intellectually and personally with colleagues and patients
• The ability to communicate with patients clearly
• The ability to complete work on time and work to deadlines
• Self-motivation, initiative and the ability to work both independently and as part of a busy team
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Evidence of prioritising and organisational skills and the ability to meet tight deadlines including experience of managing and tracking sample collection and shipment (with support from Laboratory)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including presentation and report writing skills
• Strong academic writing skills with demonstrated ability to synthesize scientific literature and contribute to protocol drafting or research proposals.
• Basic understanding of clinical research infrastructure, data management, and the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP).

Desirable

• Critical appraisal and analytical skills for interpreting qualitative and quantitative information
• Previous experience working within the NHS
• Theoretical knowledge or academic exposure to oncology, biomarker studies, or pathology workflows (such as tissue processing or immunohistochemistry).
• Prior experience with ethical or regulatory documentation assembly within a university or NHS framework.
• Motivation to learn laboratory techniques or prior experience (such as RNA extraction) 

Additional Information

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs. 

For more information, please see our  People and OD Strategy 2026