A Digital Twin of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension to Predict Patient Outcomes

Award details

Project Description

Applications are invited for a 3.5-year PhD studentship centred around development of digital twins in pulmonary hypertension, a condition with a high unmet clinical therapeutic need. The project will focus on cross-cutting themes that include the investigation of acute and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and other sub-types focussed on the development of models of pulmonary haemodynamic impairment which underly clinical deterioration and excess patient mortality. With access to clinical databases that include patient outcomes, this will allow a machine learning approach to the optimisation of pulmonary hypertension management. Students will also be involved in the prospective acquisition of clinical data with the aim of developing an advanced phenotypes of CTEPH, with potential application of personalised digital twins to real world cases.

This PhD studentship at King’s College London is part funded via the NIHR Healthtech Research Centre (HRC) and hence will draw on multidisciplinary expertise focussed on health technology development and implementation. Significant engagement with Industry collaborators is anticipated during the project. Within the HRC, the post holder will assist with operational and management support to the specialist CRF units to ensure the effective use of infrastructure and resources. The post holder will also be offered opportunity to work alongside the CRF Directors and other senior operational leads to ensure the timely delivery of a large and diverse portfolio of commercial and non-commercial studies undertaken in the CRF (including first-in-human Phase 1 trials and other experimental medicine studies), while ensuring compliance with regulatory research frameworks and driving the strategic development of the CRF. This will include working to strengthen links and collaborations with partner organisations and other NIHR funded infrastructure, contributing potentially to development of national CRF policies and initiatives through participation in the UK CRF Network.

Further information

This post will be hosted within the King’s Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Digital Twins for Healthcare, DT4Health co-hosted at the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences (BEIS) & the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences (NMES). The second cohort of students (8 of them) will start in October 2024, and this studentship will be part of this cohort.

DT4Health’s mission is to deliver the potential of Digital Twins (DTs) for an improved healthcare. We provide a multi-sectorial training programme, involving industrial, regulatory, clinical and academic partners. This is a technology-driven CDT that aims to build multidisciplinary bridges to any clinical, social or basic science specialities in healthcare.

DT4Health brings together three core disciplines: mathematical foundations, engineering, and medicine. Beyond these core disciplines, the CDT aims to reach the widest possible remit of digital twin technologies in healthcare, such as the study of their societal and ethical implications, the application for the refinement, reduction and replacement of animal experimental models, the co-design of novel experimental approaches and lab settings.

The R&D Department at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTFT) is one of the focal points for innovative research in London through its nationally recognised research portfolio and research infrastructure. We are systems leaders in NHS research with strong strategic partnerships across the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) and the Health Research Authority (HRA) and are active members of the organisations such as the Shelford Group, University Hospitals Association (previously AUKUH) and UKRD. Research is a top priority for the Trust which in 2021/22 was the top NHS organisation nationally for the number of NIHR portfolio studies open (417) and was the top recruiting organisation in South London (third nationally) recruiting over 19,000 participants into NIHR portfolio studies. This is approximately over 40% of the total number of participants of research studies within our Local Clinical Research Network in South London. For the financial year 2022/23, the NIHR budget for the R&D Department totalled approximately £25m. We are a the most active research partner in the King’s Health Partners Clinical Trials Office for contract commercial clinical trials with 60% of the commercial trials portfolio in 2021/22 lead by the Trust; we also collaborate in the South London NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC).

Our research infrastructure includes our NIHR Clinical Research Facility (CRF) located St Thomas’ Hospital, Guy’s Hospital, Evelina London Children’s Hospital and the Royal Brompton Hospital; the Guy’s Phase I unit is an MHRA Accredited Phase I Unit (1 of only 2 NHS managed Units in England). Within the Biomedical Hub at Guy’s Hospital, the NIHR CRF is co-located with our Advanced Therapies Manufacturing (GMP) Unit, which is currently undergoing an expansion by an additional two clean rooms (60% increase in capacity); the Advanced Therapies Accelerator houses our Immune Monitoring Platform and Genomics Platform. These are supported by the Statistics and Data Management Platform and a Clinical Trials Management. A 

Med Tech Hub exists at St Thomas’ Hospital which incorporates the Imaging arm of our CRF, the pan-London 7T MRI scanner and the Innovate UK London Medical Imaging and AI Centre for Value Based Healthcare.

The Trust was also awarded an NIHR Healthtech Research Centre infrastructure award which replaces the Medtech and In vitro Diagnostics Collaboratives (MIC) which the Trust held until 2024. The £3m award over 5 years will support building on existing expertise and the development of novel technologies, devices, diagnostics and digital solutions designed to improve health and care and speed up translation of new technologies into clinical practice.

The Trust holds the contract to host the NIHR Clinical Research Network in South London - one of only 15 NHS organisations in England to host a Local Clinical Research Network (LCRN). The Trust, in partnership with the University of Leeds, was awarded the contract from the Department of Health to provide the NIHR Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre (NIHR CRNCC) since 2015, which allows the Trust to influence research activity at a national level.

We have a large research workforce across the Trust including a range of technical experts, researchers, research support staff, research nurses, research delivery staff and administrative staff. Based in offices within the Tower Wing at Guy’s Hospital we are co-located with the South London CRN and Clinical Trials Office, creating a dynamic, lively and diverse research department has the breadth of knowledge and skills to ensure that this high level of research activity and associated research processes are managed smoothly, efficiently and collaboratively.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best-known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high-quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.

We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.

We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. 

We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.

We strive to recruit and retain the best staff as the dedication and skills of our employees lie at the heart of our organisation and ensure that our services are of the highest quality, safe and focused on our patients.

Organisational Values:

Our values help us to define and develop our culture, what we do and how we do it. It is important that you understand and reflect these values throughout your employment with the Trust.

The post holder will:

• Put patients first.
• Take pride in what they do.
• Respect others.
• Strive to be the best.
• Act with integrity.

Our values and behaviours framework| describes what it means for every one of us in the Trust to put our values into action. The framework can be found on our Trust careers pages and GTIntranet.

The post holder will maintain personal standards of conduct and behaviour, which are consistent with Trust and professional standards and requirements, ensuring these standards are achieved.

Award value

This studentship is fully funded for 3.5 years. This includes tuition fees, stipend and generous project consumables.

Stipend: Students will receive a tax-free stipend at the UKRI rate of £21,237 (AY 2024/25) per year as a living allowance.

Research Training Support Grant (RTSG): A generous project allowance will be provided for research consumables and for attending UK and international conferences.

Tuition fees: Home/Overseas

Eligibility criteria

School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences

Postgraduate research

The project will most suit prospective candidates with either engineering or mathematics backgrounds. Suitable medically qualified candidates will also be considered based on prior experience and could consider the post as an academic OOPE within a cardiology or respiratory specialist training pathway. Engineering candidates should have a 1st or 2:1 M-level qualification in Biomedical Engineering, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related programme. Medically qualified candidates should already have attained MRCP level training or an equivalent.

Preference will be given to candidates with a background conducive to multidisciplinary research and preferably programming skills.

We welcome eligible applicants from any personal background, who are pleased to join diverse and friendly research groups.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Application Residency: 

Home/Overseas.

Application process

Please submit an application for the Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science Research MPhil/PhD (Full-time) programme using the King’s Apply system. Please include the following with your application:

• A PDF copy of your CV should be uploaded to the Employment History section.
• A 500-word personal statement outlining your motivation for undertaking postgraduate research should be uploaded to the Supporting statement section.
• Funding information: Please choose Option 5 “I am applying for a funding award or scholarship administered by King’s College London” and under “Award Scheme Code or Name” enter BMEIS & RBH_PL & CM. Failing to include this code might result in you not being considered for this funding.

Application Deadline: 

Sunday 29th September 2024 (applications can be closed earlier if a suitable candidate is found).

Selection process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a formal interview in October 2024. 

Contact Details:

For enquiries about the recruitment process: dt4health@kcl.ac.uk

Enquiries about the project from interested applicants are encouraged by the supervisors:

Dr Colm McCabe – c.mccabe2@rbht.nhs.uk

Prof Pablo Lamata – Pablo.lamata@kcl.ac.uk 

Name of the funding provider:

This is a NIHR HRC funded PhD within one of the 5 research themes – ‘Advanced Respiratory Diagnostics and Monitoring’ led by Dr Colm McCabe, Consultant Respiratory Physician, Royal Brompton Hospital.

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/bmeis/postgraduate/postgraduate-research