Clinical Research Fellow in Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction

Job overview

Are you an enthusiastic and ambitious clinician or scientist? Do you wish to gain experience in clinical translational research? Do you have an interest in cardiovascular disease? Do you want to further your career in one of the UK’s leading cardiovascular units, affiliated with two top 10 UK Universities including one of the UK’s leading Biomedical Research Centres?

A fully-funded opportunity has arisen for a highly skilled and enthusiastic clinician or scientist to work with world-leading researchers at Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University; the Lancashire Cardiac Centre, Blackpool, and the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester.

Clinical cardiologists in training will have the opportunity to work in a state-of-the-art cardiology catheter laboratory, undertaking invasive microvascular assessments and other coronary vascular procedures.  In addition, you will acquire qualitative and quantitative translational skills to transfer clinical knowledge to public health practice, as well as a strong understanding of how to undertake research in the NHS setting.

Salary: Clinical Scale up to ST7 (depending on experience), or PhD Stipend scale, depending on candidate

Main duties of the job

The Lancashire Cardiac Centre, Blackpool, where you will be based, is the regional cardiovascular centre, undertaking all aspects of tertiary cardiology and cardiothoracic care, including hosting the regional primary PCI, structural intervention and Electrophysiology programmes and the regional cardiothoracic surgical unit.  It has 5 state-of-the-art cardiology catheter laboratories and is a high-volume centre.  It is also one of 15 English NIHR Clinical Commercial Research Delivery Centres, part of the NIHR infrastructure, undertaking multiple cardiovascular late-phase commercial clinical trials.

Professor Gavin Galasko, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, has been performing invasive coronary microvascular assessments for the past 8 years to diagnose microvascular angina.  He has recently set up the only invasive service in the North West to assess and diagnose vasospastic angina invasively.  He will support your clinical and academic skill development, together with academics from Lancaster and Manchester University.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The research project will:

1) Retrospectively analyse an extensive clinical database of patients who have undergone microvascular studies, assessing predictors and clinical outcomes

2) Assess reliability of invasive microvascular assessments, including potentially novel methods of assessment

3) Prospectively assess microvascular function in other vascular beds, working with Professor Adam Greenstein and his team at Manchester University.

4) Potentially undertake spectrochemical analyses to develop a predictive algorithm for microvascular and/or coronary vasospastic disease.

5) Develop other appropriate studies in microvascular dysfunction.

Depending on experience and skills you will learn methods for measuring microvascular dysfunction in the cardiology catheter laboratory and in other vascular beds including the retina. Other responsibilities include maintaining accurate patient records, ensuring compliance with research governance, and supporting patient recruitment and follow up, including to commercial clinical trials which will help fund this role. You will be expected to lead the research project and generate first author publications as part of a higher degree.  Although not required for funding, there will also be an opportunity to apply for research grants.