Principal Physicist (Molecular Radiotherapy)

Job overview

This 12‑month fixed‑term (maternity cover) role is for a Principal Clinical Scientist in a joint clinical‑academic department within a large London teaching hospital. While covering the full scope of nuclear medicine physics, the primary focus is leading the physics aspects of the Molecular Radiotherapy (MRT) service. The role is relatively new and has been driven by the transfer of the in‑patient MRT service from radiotherapy physics to nuclear medicine physics. This service includes inpatient thyroid cancer treatments and a national referral centre for somatostatin therapies (I‑131 mIBG and Lu‑177 Dotatate). There is also a significant paediatric MRT workload. In addition, the department runs a busy out‑patient MRT service, including NHS‑funded benign thyroid and radium‑223 treatments, a large private Lu‑177 PSMA service, and a growing research programme using Lu-177, Ac-225 and other radionuclide labelled ligands. Support is also provided to an HCA nuclear medicine service on Harley Street including thyroid and SIRT treatments. Beyond MRT, the department manages nuclear medicine equipment and a diverse imaging service. This is one of two Principal Clinical Scientist roles, with this post focused on MRT. Reporting to a Consultant Clinical Scientist, the postholder will contribute to leadership within a team of 10 physicists and three assistants, provide Medical Physics Expert support. There will be opportunity to engage in research and teaching opportunities

Main duties of the job

To contribute a high standard of scientific and technical support to the clinical and research activities of the department.

To take the lead and take responsibility for major developments in the physics aspects of the molecular radiotherapy service

To be responsible for molecular radiotherapy services provided by the medical physics team.

To contribute significantly to the specification and development of new and existing clinical and research protocols, and the introduction and evaluation of new procedures and equipment.

To provide Duty Physicist cover to the Clinical Nuclear Medicine Service.

To contribute to audit activities within the department.

To contribute to the implementation of relevant policies, legislation, governance and quality standards.

To contribute to the research, development and teaching programmes of the department and to take part in research projects undertaken in collaboration with other departments and external institutions.

To undertake teaching and lecturing as required, and in the training, education and supervision of local and visiting staff, contributing to their continuing education and to the development of their competencies.

To act as Medical Physics Expert for the department and any external departments supported by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine

To take responsibility for the day-to-day management of the MRT nuclear medicine physics team

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

The Institute of Nuclear Medicine has an international reputation for excellence in academic and clinical nuclear medicine.  We are located in the heart of the UCL/UCL Hospitals campus, providing a comprehensive nuclear medicine service that now undertakes over 20,000 studies per year to patients referred from within UCLH, and from hospitals throughout the UK. With our large portfolio of equipment which includes PET/MR, three PET/CT systems, and four SPECT/CT systems, together with DXA bone densitometry we perform a wide range of imaging investigations. This is complemented by our routine and innovative inpatient and outpatient radionuclide therapy procedures that we perform. Both services are supported by a large central radiopharmacy with laboratory facilities on-site.

In addition to the extremely varied clinical workload, we have an extensive and internationally recognised internal research programme. We collaborate with both local and external researchers and are actively involved in the Trust’s NIHR BRC-funded programme for translational research and with its clinical trials portfolio. Our key strengths include the exploitation of PET and SPECT-based multimodality imaging and access to a range of experimental PET and SPECT tracers where we are developing cutting-edge techniques for oncological, neurological, and cardiac imaging, and are centrally involved in a very rapidly expanding and developing radionuclide therapy programme.

This job is one of two principal clinical scientists with this role focussed on MRT, and the other focussed on non-MRT medical physics. Reporting will be to a consultant clinical scientist. As a senior member of our nuclear medicine physics team of 8 medical physicists and three physics assistants you will also have a key role to play in the management and support of the team and will also be expected to help provide Medical Physics Expert support. With academic and honorary academic appointments within the department, there will also be opportunities for research and teaching.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*

* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working.

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