Academic clinical fellows
Academic Clinical Fellows have the opportunity to spend 3 months per year for the first two years doing cutting edge research. Current posts are available in the Section of Investigative Medicine.
The Academic Clinical Lecturer will have the opportunity to spend 6 months per year doing cutting edge research in the Section of Investigative Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital. The Department of Investigative Medicine has an outstanding record for translational research. Particularly in the fields of obesity, energy homeostasis, hypothalmic endocrine function and reproductive physiology. Our group has conducted the first human infusions of a number of novel peptides in man which have been done by Academic Registrars (including ghrelin (Wren et al. JCEM 2001), peptide YY (PYY) (Batterham et al. Nature 2002), oxyntomodulin (Cohen et al. JCEM 2003 and Wynne et al. Diabetes 2005), kisspeptin (Dhillo et al. JCEM 2005, 2007, 2009). This has resulted in much wider publication (BBC News July 2014).
The department is well-equipped and consists of a team of clinical academics and basic scientists with a wide variety of scientific expertise who work very closely together. The Unit is funded by numerous grants including programme grants from the Medical Research Council (MRC), NIHR and the Wellcome Trust. The Department has a very good record of training Clinical Fellows; in the last 5 years the Department has trained 12 Wellcome Trust and MRC Clinical Training Fellows) and currently there are 5 Wellcome Trust and MRC Clinical Training Fellows in the laboratory.
The laboratory has a programme of basic science and translational research investigating appetite pathways in order to develop novel targets for the treatment of obesity. The Department also has a strong track record of translational research investigating the action of novel hormones. The research will be supervised by Dr Waljit Dhillo (w.dhillo@imperial.ac.uk) and Professor Steve Bloom (s.bloom@imperial.ac.uk) and the project will be decided with the SpR.
During the 3 month research placement, there will be minimal clinical duties allowing the Academic Clinical Fellow to conduct high quality research and apply for a Clinical Training Fellowship at the end of the second year of this programme. The training given during this Academic fellowship programme will be flexible and trainee-centred.
The ACF will receive high quality clinical training on the hospitals on the North West Thames SpR rotation in Diabetes & Endocrinology. The aim of our clinical training scheme is to provide a friendly atmosphere in which full support and encouragement is provided by a team of dynamic and involved consultant trainers. We will do our utmost to ensure that the 5 year rotation is an enjoyable experience, and that it will provide a full and balanced training in diabetes and endocrinology.
Hospitals and posts
The London West diabetes and endocrinology training scheme currently comprises 25 clinical posts, including 10 at Teaching Hospitals (Hammersmith 3, St. Mary's 3, Charing Cross 3, Chelsea & Westminster 1), and 18 at other District General Hospitals (Central Middlesex (2), Ealing (2), Barnet General Hospital, Hemel Hempstead, Hillingdon (2), Northwick Park (3), Watford (2), Stevenage, Welwyn and West Middlesex (2)).
The teaching hospitals form part of Imperial College School of Medicine, the largest medical school in the country, and one of the most successful university groups in the world. All posts have educational approval, and each of them provides excellent specialist experience and teaching in diabetes and endocrinology. Each is also approved as providing training in General Internal Medicine. The diabetes and endocrinology consultants from these hospitals meet regularly to ensure a uniform excellence of education. We are all committed to the success of our Training programmes in diabetes and endocrinology.
The individual rotations will provide a balance of teaching hospital and district general hospital experience. Each hospital included in the scheme is a major centre, with a large diabetes and endocrinology service. Further experience in all aspects of endocrinology is provided within our Teaching hospitals. We have one of the strongest complements of teaching hospitals in the UK, led by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (Hammersmith, Mary’s and Charing Cross) where there are internationally famous departments of diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic medicine. These centres offer a full range of endocrinological experience and educational opportunities, and unique research opportunities. Hammersmith and Charing Cross Hospitals provide special experience and training in all aspects of clinical endocrinology, including endocrine tumours, molecular endocrinology, calcium and bone disorders, in addition to clinical training in diabetic obstetric and endocrine medicine at Queen Charlottes hospital and diabetic renal medicine at the new North London renal and Transplantation Centre. Charing Cross is also the regional neurosciences centre, with a large amount of pituitary surgery, and hence provides good experience in the endocrine management of such patients. St Mary's Hospital and the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital provide special experience in lipids, metabolic medicine, pituitary disorders, reproductive endocrinology and calcium and bone disorders.