Imperial has been awarded funding to create new research and education training positions for clinicians.

The panel at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) awarded four Academic Clinical Fellow (ACFs) posts and one Clinical Lecturer (CL) post to Imperial, following a successful bid in an open competition.   The new posts are among the highest amount awarded in the competition round and brings Imperial’s total number of training positions to 30 this year.

Imperial has been awarded the new posts to create research and education training positions in the areas of general practice, anaesthetics and intensive care medicine. The total funding of £350,000 will be used to recruit five clinicians at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to these roles.

The clinical fellowships are aimed at medical trainees who want to undertake research and clinical training over three years.  Under the fellowships trainees will also be offered networking, mentoring and guidance on applying for further funding. 

The clinical lectureship post is a four year speciality training position that incorporates academic training.  The clinical lecturer will divide their time equally between undertaking specialist clinical training and conducting research.  The lectureship is aimed at those who are experienced in their speciality training, have completed a research doctorate or equivalent and show potential for continuing a career in academic medicine.  Alongside clinical training, the clinical lecturer will also be able to further develop their academic skills.

The panel at the NIHR awarded Imperial with the posts because of its history of training, mentoring clinicians and plans to launch an MSc in Genomics.

The recruitment for the new posts will be made by the Clinical Academic Training Office, a network established to provide training for clinical staff, and allied healthcare professionals at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. 

Dr Jeremy Levy, Director of the Clinical Academic Training Office (CATO), said:

“It is great that yet again Imperial has been recognised and awarded for its long-standing work to train and develop the next generation of clinical academics.  Education and training is a vital part of our activities and Imperial’s track record on this has been excellent so far.  I want to expand on our activities and these new posts will allow us to reach out to more clinicians at the College and Trust to help them develop and progress in their academic careers.”

NIHR Research Professorship

Waljit Dhillo, Professor in Endocrinology and Metabolism at Imperial College London

In a separate funding award, the NIHR also awarded Waljit Dhillo, Professor in Endocrinology and Metabolism at Imperial College London, with a prestigious Research Professorship.  The aim of the post is to enable early career academics to spend a fixed five year period dedicated to conducting research that can then be translated into therapies, techniques and medical products that could bring improvements in human health.

Professor Dhillo will carry out studies using hormones to improve reproductive health in patients. He will look at developing new treatments based on the hormones kisspeptin and neurokinin B to treat disorders of reproductive health such as infertility and menopause.

Waljit Dhillo, Professor in Endocrinology and Metabolism at Imperial College London, said:

 “Disorders of reproductive health affect millions of patients worldwide.  The impact of these diseases can have a devastating impact on people’s physical and mental well-being.  This Research Professorship will allow me to devote my time investigating new techniques and therapies that could potentially treat patients who are suffering from these conditions and make a difference to their lives.”