ACF Gastroenterology Programme Details
University of Manchester
*ST1 and ST2 years will be spent in Core Medical Training
Overview
The University of Manchester’s Centre for Gastrointestinal Sciences, within the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, has been extensively funded by research council (BBSRC, MRC), Wellcome Trust and NIHR awards (including the only NIHR programme grant in Gastroenterology in the UK), together with funding from major research charities ( CORE, NACC, PD UK and Diabetes UK). The Group has over >300 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, including Gastroenterology (the premier scientific journal in the field), Nature series and The Lancet. The academic group in which the ACF programme is based is one of only two in the North West region, and considered a pre-eminent centre for academic clinical training in Gastroenterology in the UK.
Clinical Training
The clinical programme will be intensive and focussed to ensure achievement of competencies in basic gastroenterology and internal medicine, via the curriculum and skills programme followed by the NHS trainees. The programme will start at a DGH in year 1, but the fellow will have opportunities to meet with their research supervisor of choice to develop their research ideas, plan their studies and attend relevant MRes courses. They will be released from clinical duties for 3 months in year 1 to undertake full time research. This process will be repeated for year 2. Alternatively a single block of 6 months in year 2 can be assigned.
Academic Training
This will be thematically based, according to individual interest, with a series of interlinked projects conducted throughout the fellowship, to provide a broad understanding of clinical science, together with the achievement of an MRes. Academic training will be provided within Manchester’s clinical and scientific academic gastroenterology centres led by consultant clinicians and scientists (including 4 Professors, supported by clinical and non-clinical lecturers and fellows). The size and quality of the group ensures that the programme can offer great depth as well as breadth of training in translational clinical science, ranging from molecular and cellular physiology, through clinical (“whole person”) physiology, to population-based clinical studies. There is strong collaboration between individuals in our Faculty (of Biology, Medicine and Health) which forms the major Region-wide research driver in gastrointestinal science. Further research links exist with the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix Research, the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR), Imaging Sciences and the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology. The Group have also established major long-term research collaborations with a network of other centres both in the UK (Professor J Rothwell – University College London; Professor P Furlong – University of Aston; Professor Christine Williams – University of Reading, Professor S Williams – Institute of Psychiatry, London, Dr G Moran and Prof R Spiller - University of Nottingham) together with groups at the Mayo Clinic in North America, who provide additional research training opportunities for individuals in the Manchester programme. The programme can therefore offer what is arguably the greatest variety of research opportunities in the UK, together with an academic development programme to suit the academic aspirations of virtually any clinical trainee.
Research Areas
Comprehensive research training opportunities exist within the following 3 areas:
1. Molecular / Cellular gut physiology in health and disease. This section is led by Professor John McLaughlin and 3 non-clinical academics in medicine working together with Drs Craig Smith and Sheena Cruickshank and Prof Richard Grencis. Research covers enteroendocrine and epithelial cell responses to luminal nutrients in health and inflammatory disease. Mucosal immunology is also strongly represented.
2. The human brain-gut axis in health and disease. This section is led by Professor S Hamdy. Research is focused on mechanisms of human visceral pain and cortical control of gut function, including continence and dysphagia mechanisms. Much of this work is clinically focussed, using disease states to develop models providing insight into mechanism. Prof McLaughlin also undertakes research in nutrient evoked gut-brain signalling and the mechanisms of diabetic gastroenteropathy.
3. Psychological aspects of gastrointestinal function in disease: This section is led by Professors P Whorwell with links to psychiatry and primary care.
4. Other areas of GI research. In addition to the above, there are opportunities for research training in areas including GI cancer, Intestinal Failure and mechanisms of liver fibrosis all of which have established tracks of research excellence and host a number of PhD and MD students across a number of disciplines.
For further details of individual academics and research programmes in gastroenterology, which is part of the School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health see:
http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/gastrointestinal/
Research Facilities
All the component research groups enjoy extensive up-to-date research facilities fit for the 21st Century. The molecular / cellular group work in the new multidisciplinary bioscience facilities in Manchester, where their research is integrated fully into generic life science-based laboratories including the Wellcome Trust Cell Matrix Unit and Manchester’s Integrated Bioscience Centre, for translational and genomic research. The clinical researchers are housed in dedicated facilities located at all 3 major hospital sites (Central Manchester, Salford and Wythenshawe) and in the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility where clinical trials and detailed human phenotypic studies are conducted in collaboration with other clinical researchers, supported by extensive imaging capabilities including state-of-the-art MRI. The population based research enjoys unique access to the stable population of Salford via IT-based general practice links into primary care for long term epidemiology studies and clinical therapeutic trials.
Contact
Academic Lead: Shaheen Hamdy
Training Programme Director: Philip Shields
Recruitment Helpdesk: Helpdesk.Recruitment@pat.nhs.uk or 0161 604 5553
Applicants wishing to find out more about the relevant clinical training programme(s), should go to the Specialties Schools page and click on the link(s) for the relevant clinical training programme(s).
Last Reviewed: 02/11/2016
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