YHFS Specialised Foundation Programmes

West Yorkshire (WY) Specialised Posts

Within West Yorkshire there are 21 Specialised Academic Foundation Training Programmes. These incorporate a standard F1 training programme and an F2 training programme which includes a 4-month academic research or medical education attachment at the University of Leeds and enrolment on an appropriate Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research or Medical Education.

18 Specialised Foundation Programme Research Programmes.
3 Specialised Foundation Programme Medical Education Programmes
Collaboration with University of Leeds School of Medicine https://medicinehealth.leeds.ac.uk/medicine-research-innovation
Projects can be developed in a number of specialties and research areas; potential projects and their SFP supervisors are listed below. For more information https://medicinehealth.leeds.ac.uk/medicine-clinical-academic-training
Enrolment on the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research https://courses.leeds.ac.uk/8455/health-research-pgcert or Medical Education (or equivalent programme)

The full specialised rotations for YHFS are available at the bottom of this page (filter by West).

How to Apply

For details of how to apply, please see our Allocation Process section. If you have any queries, please contact foundation.yh@hee.nhs.uk

Projects and Supervisors

Specialised Foundation Academic Projects and Supervisors – West Yorkshire (for 4-month F2 projects in Aug 22-Jul 23)

West Yorkshire Academic Foundation Placements (Specialised Foundation) are available with the following supervisors in the research areas indicated below. If there is not a project offered in a particular specialty that you are interested in pursuing research in please contact Jo Bentley (J.Bentley@leeds.ac.uk) to discuss.

	Supervisor		Clinical Specialty	Project description
1	Dr Oliver Todd Prof Andrew Clegg		Geriatric Medicine	Investigating the use of midodrine in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension using observational data from the Brad-Falls cohort study using counterfactual prediction modelling.
2	Dr Oliver Todd Prof Andy Clegg		Geriatric Medicine	Optimising blood pressure management for care home residents using big data
3	Dr Darren Treanor		Histopathology (Digital Pathology)	Evaluating new systems for digital pathology
4	Dr Darren Treanor		Histopathology (Digital Pathology)	Are you sure it’s cancer? Cognition, error and image quality in diagnostic pathology
5	Dr Darren Treanor		Histopathology (Digital Pathology)	Artificial intelligence and digital pathology for the diagnosis of cancer
6	Ms Grainne Bourke		Plastic Surgery	Patient related outcome measures in children's hand surgery. Several options for projects here to link with national and international outcomes assessments in congenital hand surgery
7	Ms Grainne Bourke		Plastic Surgery	Functional Rotational limb range in adolescence with and without nerve injury
8	Ms Grainne Bourke		Plastic Surgery	Patient related outcome measures after hand trauma. Is there a gender difference in evaluation
9	Ms Grainne Bourke		Plastic Surgery	Evaluation of nerve repair after injury – imaging/clinical/neurophysiology
10	Prof Hemant Pandit		Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery	Sensors in orthopaedic surgery
11	Prof Hemant Pandit		Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery – perioperative medicine	Use of platelet rich plasma in knee arthritis
12	Dr Anthony Howard		Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery	How we manage polytrauma - evaluation of the physiological and psychological pathways
13	Dr Anthony Howard		Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery	Study into medical error in surgery both in the UK and Internationally
14	Dr Anthony Howard		Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery	Management of Trauma Surgery in South America
15	Dr Anthony Howard		Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery	Pilot Studies for an RCT in common orthopaedic conditions
16	Prof Dermot Burke		General Surgery	Improving outcomes of emergency general surgery
17	Prof Dermot Burke		General Surgery	Identification of patients at risk of aspiration pneumonia after abdominal surgery
18	Prof Dermot Burke		General Surgery	Improving outcomes for patients with intestinal failure.
19	Mr Yazan Khaled		General Surgery	Systematic review on quality of life after Total Pancreatectomy. Analysis of the literature and local data.
20	Mr Yazan Khaled		General Surgery	Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio as a predictor for response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer.
21	Mr Yazan Khaled		General Surgery	20-year review of Leeds Pathology Protocol margin analysis post Pancreaticoduodenectomy- longest FU series.
22	Mr Yazan Khaled		General Surgery	Outcome of 20-year series of venous + pancreatic resection at Leeds Pancreatic Unit.
23	Prof David Jayne Mr Joshua Burke		General Surgery	Investigating novel therapies for gastrointestinal anastomotic healing
24	Miss Candice Downey		General Surgery	Quality of life after emergency surgery
25	Mr Chris Derham Mr Ryan Mathew		Neurosurgery	Biomechanical stability of the cervical spine. Pathological processes implicated in degenerative cervical disc disease.
26	Prof Julian Scott Mr Marc Bailey Mr Patrick Coughlin Mr Henry Davies		Vascular Surgery	Multi-morbidity and its effect on decision making processes in patients with complex vascular disease.
27	Mr Patrick Coughlin Mr Fabio Stocco Mr Marc Bailey		Vascular Surgery	Assessing the patient, societal and economic costs of failed lower limb surgical revascularisation in patients with lower limb peripheral arterial disease.
28	Mr Marc Bailey Mr Patrick Coughlin Dr Chloe Kwan		Vascular Surgery	Opportunities for and impact of optimal secondary cardiovascular risk management in patients undergoing intervention for abdominal aortic aneurysms.
29	Mr Jonathan De Siqueira Prof Julian Scott Mr Henry Davies		Vascular Surgery	Frailty and co-morbidity in patients considered for surgically created vascular access.: is the apparent survival advantage in surgically created vascular access related to patient factors
30	Prof Julian Scott Mr Ryan Laloo Mr Marc Bailey		Vascular Surgery	One year outcomes following acute limb ischaemia; does COVID-19 impact results
31	Prof Simon Howell Dr Richard Wakefield Prof Ai Lyn Tan		Anaesthesia/Intensive Care	Assessment of frailty and sarcopenia in surgical patients using ultrasound imaging of muscle
32	Prof Simon Howell		Anaesthesia	Pain management in patients undergoing major body cavity surgery: do opiate sparing strategies improve quality of recovery?
33	Prof Simon Howell		Anaesthesia	Targeting exercise prehabilitation strategies in older surgical patients. Is effective training feasible in a limited time window?
34	Prof Simon Howell		Anaesthesia	Health informatics Assessing co-morbidity in surgical patients using routine hospital data
35	Prof Khalid Naseem Prof Ramzi Ajjan Dr Rebecca Sagar		Endocrinology	Platelet hyperactivity in double diabetes.
36	Prof Ann Morgan Dr Euan Baxter Prof Khalid Naseem		Rheumatology/Cardiology	Assessing FcGamma receptor FcgRlla signalling events in platelets: a therapeutic target in autoimmunity and cardiovascular disease.
37	Prof Ann Morgan Dr Euan Baxter Dr Jim Robinson		Rheumatology	Optimising therapeutic monoclonal antibody design for autoimmunity and cancer
38	Prof Ann Morgan Dr Euan Baxter Dr Jim Robinson		Rheumatology	Unravelling how autoantibodies potentiate autoimmunity and modulate treatment response through studying fcg Receptor biology.
39	Prof Ann Morgan Dr Sarah Mackie Dr Aruna Chakrabarty		Rheumatology	Can blindness and ischaemic symptoms in giant cell arteritis be predicted by histological features?
40	Prof Ann Morgan Dr Sarah Mackie Dr Aruna Chakrabarty		Rheumatology	Does macrophage and T-cell polarization in giant cell arteritis tissue biopsies predict response to treatment?
41	Prof Ann Morgan Dr Sarah Mackie		Rheumatology	Can response to steroids be predicted at disease onset in in giant cell arteritis? Can we identify patients who require additional immunosuppressant therapy/biologics at presentation?
42	Prof Ann Morgan Dr Mark Iles		Rheumatology	Identifying genetic predictors of GCA, PMR or COVID-19 through polygenic risk score analysis
43	Dr Sarah Mackie		Rheumatology	Methods for developing new taxonomies of disease: updating the definition(s) of polymyalgia rheumatica using the ADDRESS-PMR dataset
44	Dr Sarah Mackie		Rheumatology	Addressing persistent health inequalities in polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis: a system-level approach
45	Dr Sarah Mackie Dr Oliver Todd		Rheumatology	Daily fluctuations in blood pressure in outpatients treated with corticosteroids: feasibility of detection and clinical significance.
46	Prof Ann Morgan Prof Andrew Scarsbrook Dr Harry Tsoumpas		Rheumatology	Enhancing imaging analysis and reporting in large vessel vasculitis through novel analytical techniques
47	Prof Philip Conaghan Dr Sarah Kingsbury		Rheumatology	What is the relationship between metabolic syndrome and joint pain?
48	Prof Philip Conaghan Dr Sarah Kingsbury		Rheumatology	What interventions work for MSK hand, wrist and elbow problems?
49	Prof Anne-Maree Keenan Prof Anthony Redmond		Rheumatology/Diabetes	Foot Stress Fractures in Peri-menopausal Women: incidence and impact
50	Dr Peter Swoboda		Cardiology (Cardiac MRI)	Mechanisms and significance of cardiac fibrosis detected by MRI in endurance athletes
51	Dr Eylem Levelt		Cardiology (Cardiac MRI)	Clinical outcomes associated with obesity in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopath
52	Dr Eylem Levelt		Cardiology	Impact of ketone infusion on myocardial function and energetics in healthy volunteers and patients with diabetes
53	Dr Andrew Walker Dr Richard Cubbon Prof Mark Kearney		Cardiology Andrew to let me know	Understanding factors that promote healthy cardiovascular ageing
54	Dr Richard Cubbon Dr Michael Drozd		Cardiology	Understanding the predisposition to infection in people with cardiovascular disease
55	Dr Eylem Levelt Prof Eleanor Scott Prof Sven Plein		Cardiology	Exploring the impact of gestational diabetes on the myocardial energetic, structural, and functional adaptations to third trimester of pregnancy
56	Prof Francesco Del Galdo		Rheumatology	Management of Raynaud’s within stratified risk for Connective Tissue disease: a new challenge Multidisciplinary care of Connective Tissue Diseases: Rheumatologist leading comprehensive patient care Vascular complications of Connective Tissue diseases: at the frontiers of Rheumatology Antifibrotic for management of CTD-ILD, the new class of kids in the block.
57	Dr Rebecca Spencer		Obstetrics and Gynaecology/Maternal/Fetal Medicine	Placental extracellular vesicle cargo as a prognostic marker in severe early-onset fetal growth restriction
58	Dr Rebecca Spencer		Obstetrics and Gynaecology/ Maternal/Fetal Medicine	Placental extracellular vesicles as a non-invasive placental biopsy: comparing the protein and RNA cargo with the placental transcriptome and proteome in the first and third trimesters
59	Dr Rebecca Spencer		Obstetrics and Gynaecology/ Maternal/Fetal Medicine	Longitudinal assessment of maternal anxiety in ‘normal’ and complicated pregnancies
60	Dr Rebecca Spencer		Obstetrics and Gynaecology/ Maternal/Fetal Medicine	Development of new maternal and fetal adverse event terms and standard grading criteria using a modified Delphi approach
61	Dr Rebecca Spencer		Obstetrics and Gynaecology/ Maternal and Fetal Medicine	Retrospective validation of standard maternal and fetal adverse event severity grading criteria using anonymised adverse events from clinical trials in pregnancy
There are additional projects available:-
62		Dr Kate Marks	Histopathology	Please contact K.M.Marks@leeds.ac.uk
63		Mr Chris Mannion	Medical Education	Please contact christopher.mannion@nhs.net
64		Prof Andy Scarsbrook	Radiology	Please contact A.F.Scarsbrook@leeds.ac.uk
65		Dr Harriet Wallace	Consultant GU Medicine	Please contact harriet.wallace@nhs.net

Medical Education

Projects and Supervisors

West Yorkshire Rotation: Specialised Foundation Programme in Medical Education

The Leeds Institute of Medical Education (LIME) is a vibrant environment for learning and teaching with an international profile of excellence. The Institute holds 6 ASPIRE to excellence awards from the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and benefits from a wealth of experience and a strong track record of scholarship in medical pedagogy. Successful candidates will work within the Medical School during a dedicated 4-month FY2 rotation to support teaching across the MBChB course. Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) Med Ed trainees should have a passion for education and be keen to expand their knowledge and skills in teaching through bespoke training, feedback, and mentoring from experts at the University.

What will I do?

SFP Trainees will teach core elements of the MBChB course during a dedicated 4-month Medical Education FY2 rotation. Sessions will include anatomy demonstrating, practical skills instructing, small group facilitation, communication skills training, lecturing, and bedside teaching. There will also be opportunities to contribute to curriculum development and assessment. Research projects in clinical education will be encouraged and supported with expenses available to present at pedagogic conferences such as AMEE and ASMEE. Examples of key active research themes within the Institute include the digital delivery of teaching, curriculum development, the involvement of students in their education, patients as educational partners, innovation in assessment, and the use of cutting-edge technologies such as Proximie^TMand Hololens^TM in the delivery of teaching. Trainees will have study leave to attend relevant training and CPD opportunities during the F2 year of Foundation Programme post.

Who should apply?

We expect a highly competitive application process for the scheme recruiting high calibre trainees with a passion for education. We hope to attract trainees interested in a career in medical education keen to further their existing knowledge, skills and experience. Successful completion of an SFP in Medical Education will prepare trainees for competitive application to Academic Clinical Fellowships in Medical Education and provide a stepping-stone towards the study of higher degrees in the speciality (Masters, PhD etc).

Is this an official University position?

The SFP Med Ed programme is a valuable opportunity for formal training in and experience of student education within the University of Leeds. A University Visiting Worker ‘honorary’ contract entitles trainees to the use of UoL resources including the Library, CPD courses and online journal access.

What training will I receive?

SFP Med Ed Trainees will receive bespoke training and mentorship from experienced educators within the School of Medicine. Sessions will be focussed on ensuring trainees develop their teaching skills through hands-on practice with peer and expert feedback to improve performance. Successful applicants will receive feedback on their teaching practice over the period of the scheme. Training will include practical skills teaching, small group facilitation, lecturing, online delivery of teaching (hybrid), feedback, and assessment.

Will I get a formal qualification from the scheme?

SFP Med Ed trainees will complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education (PGCert) over the course of their FY2 rotation. Study leave will be available to complete the modules required. Trainees will also be encouraged to apply for Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy during their post, with support from the PRISE scheme at the University of Leeds. Trainees will receive certificates to confirm CPD received and formal feedback on their teaching performance which can be used as evidence for their ePortfolio.