Job summary

Do you enjoy working in an exciting and busy environment? We have an opportunity for a fixed term appointment for a Clinical Research Fellow in Transplantation.

The Transplant Unit at the University Hospital of Wales is a leader in the field performing approximately 100 adult kidney transplants per year, which includes compatible and incompatible living donors (approximately 35 per year), deceased donors (donation after brainstem death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD), approximately 60-70 per year), and Pancreas transplants (approximately 10 per year).

The unit has a standalone multi-organ retrieval team and is part of National Organ Retrieval Services (NORS) providing retrieval services nationally.

The Unit also provides access surgery and general surgical cover for the patients on the renal failure programme, as well has use of a number of General Surgical lists, leading to a wide and varied surgical exposure.

The post holder will be taught the principles of transplantation and access surgery and will be encouraged to perform procedures supervised and independently depending on experience. He/she will be trained in Abdominal Organ Retrieval and will participate actively in a rota for both implantation and retrieval. There will have dedicated time for a research project and will be supported and encouraged to study towards a higher degree subject to the terms of Cardiff University.

Main duties of the job

This is a mixed research clinical post designed to offer opportunity for research, and support all aspects of the clinical service including Dialysis Access Surgery, General Surgery, Transplant Surgery and the National Organ Retrieval component of Cardiff Transplant Unit, and also ensure compliance with the EWTD of Junior Doctors.

This post in particular will have a stronger research commitment depending on the career pathway of the successful applicant who will be expected to complete a research project by the end of the placement. The appointee will be encouraged to register, if applicable and suitably qualified, for a higher degree with the Cardiff University. The primary research project will be focused on elucidating the underlying mechanisms of Kidney Reperfusion Injury. Interested candidates are encouraged to discuss potential projects with Mr Usman Khalid (Consultant Transplant Surgeon and Clinical Senior Lecturer).

The postholder will be strongly encouraged to register for a Higher Research Degree subject to satisfactory progress at 3 months post commencement of the post.

The holder of this post will also provide out of hours cover for the Transplant Unit and NORS under the direct supervision of the Consultant on call. The daytime duties include in-patient care patients and each Research Fellow is expected to participate in a set number of clinics and theatre sessions on a rotational basis and devote significant time to their research.

About us

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 15,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services. Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving around 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, we are focused on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services.

Our mission is"Caring for People, Keeping People Well",and ourvision is that every person's chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. As an organisation we are unashamedly ambitious for our population's health, rising to the challenges of today and tomorrow through our 10-year strategy, Shaping our Future Wellbeing. We are contributing to a healthier Wales with great emphasis placed on innovation and improvement, learning from around the world and leading the way in clinical research. Partnership working is strong at Cardiff and Vale, and we work closely with our staff and our community.

Cardiff, the thriving Welsh capital, is a fantastic city to live and work in with an abundance of sports, arts and cultural attractions. Situated to the west of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan offers a combination of beautiful Welsh countryside and a dramatic natural coastline. Whether city life or rural living, Cardiffand the Vale offers the best of both worlds.