Research Fellow in Rheumatology (ST3-5 Equivalent)

Job overview

We are delighted to be able to offer an opportunity for a highly motivated, ambitious individual to join our well integrated team.

The successful candidate will already have experience of the rheumatology speciality and a desire to develop further knowledge and skills in the discipline. In particular they will have significant experience of working with patients with inflammatory arthritis and related conditions. They will be curious with a strong desire to pursue research into these conditions and must be a strong and conscientious team player.

This post is to commence ASAP / November 2026 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 contribute to a number of early phase clinical trials, including of a novel advanced therapy that is being conducted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. The role will involve identification and consenting of participants for the trial, and overseeing trial activities including leukapheresis, administration of test product and follow-up. Another trial involves participants with sarcopenia, testing a novel compound with a potential effect on muscle. There will also be the opportunity to perform some of your own research and to learn interventional procedures such as muscle biopsy and lymph node aspiration.

For an informal discussion and further information regarding the opportunity and Directorate, please contact: Professor John Isaacs, via email: john.isaacs@newcastle.ac.uk

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical:

• Supporting the inflammatory arthritis consultant team, primarily for participant identification and recruitment
• Attending audit and clinical governance meetings
• Learning relevant practical procedures

Administrative:

• Trial-related activities – screening logs, collection and documentation of relevant clinical trial data according to GCP principles

Research:

• Achieve GCP certification
• Develop deep understanding of relevant study protocols
• Oversee and co-ordinate ‘end-to-end’ activities in relation to clinical trials – participant identification, screening, consenting and subsequent trial activities.
• Interaction with the sponsor team(s) to co-ordinate trial activities and product administration. Attend investigator calls and complete relevant administrative and trial-related documentation.
• There may be opportunities to develop your own research ideas

Teaching:

• Occasional, as required

Flexibility:

• Within the requirements of the clinical trial protocol and activities, flexible working is possible in this post.

In line with the Trust’s 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.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.