London - UCL/Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Paediatric ECMC

UCL/Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is also a paediatric centre.  GOSH and the teenage cancer unit at UCLH comprise a unified Principal Treatment Centre (PTC) for those diagnosed with cancer aged 0-19 yrs in North London, treating over 300 new patients a year.

Both units have an established infrastructure for running early phase trials linked to preclinical research at the Institute of Child Health and the UCL Cancer Institute, including dedicated Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs).

They have recruited 18 patients to Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer in Europe (ITCC) trials, 16 patients to a CRUK-supported phase I trial of dendritic cell vaccination in osteosarcoma and have strong clinical leadership and substantial grant funding (>£1.3 million) for in-house early phase trials in immunotherapy.

There is a well-developed strategy to further enhance preclinical and early phase clinical trial research across the joint PTC. This includes the planned appointment in February 2011 of a new consultant with 50% of their time dedicated to experimental therapeutics.

This post will increase the trial portfolio available to the paediatric and adolescent age groups, through interfacing with the adult ECMC and the CRF at UCH and working directly with Professor Hilary Calvert, UCL Partners Director of Drug Discovery and Development. Both GOSH and UCLH have facilities to accommodate patients and families who need to travel to London.