Clinical Academic Training

General Surgery

Decision-making for pouch surgery in patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Supervisor: Dr Farhad Peerally (m.f.peerally@leicester.ac.uk)

This study aims to investigate the decision-making process for ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, focusing on standardizing assessment criteria and improving patient outcomes. The research will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of surgical outcomes with qualitative health services research.

Objectives:

  1. Develop standardized criteria for patient eligibility and pouch assessment
  2. Evaluate the impact of surgical volume on IPAA outcomes
  3. Assess short- and long-term quality of life post-IPAA
  4. Explore patient experiences and support needs in the community

Methods:

  1. Multi-centre retrospective analysis of IPAA procedures and outcomes
  2. Qualitative interviews with patients, surgeons, and multidisciplinary team members

Expected outcomes:

  1. Development of a standardized assessment tool for IPAA candidacy.
  2. Evidence-based criteria for IPAA patient selection and assessment
  3. Recommendations for optimizing IPAA service delivery
  4. Improved understanding of patient experiences and support need

This research will contribute to the standardization of IPAA care, improving surgical outcomes and patient quality of life. The findings will inform clinical practice guidelines and health service delivery models for UC patients considering IPAA.

Breast Surgery

Supervisors: Mr Tim Rattay (tr104@le.ac.uk), Professor Christopher Talbot (cjt14@le.ac.uk) and Ms Monika Kaushik (Monika.Kaushik@uhl-tr.nhs.uk)

Breast surgery at Leicester has a track record in survivorship research and the investigation of long-term effects of treatment.  Thankfully, breast cancer survival in the UK is high.  Our research is designed to help breast cancer survivors the best possible long-term outcomes with minimal treatment side-effects.  With major funding from Innovate UK and Horizon Europe, we have recruited a large follow-up cohort of over 2,000 breast cancer patients with available clinical, treatment, genomic, toxicity and survival data, and we are currently involved in a multi-national study of developing an AI application to predict side-effects from surgery and radiotherapy to inform patients of their individual risk.  Our research is supported by the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre cancer theme, bringing together academics at the University of Leicester and clinicians from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Successful applicants in General Surgery will be able to choose from a range of research projects going on in Leicester using a range of research methodologies.  Examples include:

  • epidemiological studies of breast cancer survivors;
  • genetic association studies of treatment outcomes;
  • qualitative research in survivorship;
  • randomized-controlled trials of supportive interventions including psychological support;
  • application of AI and machine learning to prediction and risk modelling.

ACFs in Breast Surgery will have the opportunity to collaborate with other researchers from across the University, in particular the Departments of Psychology, Computer Science and Mathematics, Genetics, Genomics and Cancer Sciences, and Population Health Sciences.  The supervisory team have an established track record of hosting ACFs, MD/PhD students, and research fellows, and full research training and support will be provided.

 

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