I am a Cancer Research UK Clinical trial fellow at the Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University, UK. I completed my medical oncology training early this year and obtained funding from the Welsh Cancer Research Centre for my current clinical research fellowship based at the early phase clinical trials unit in Velindre Cancer Centre. I have also recently completed my PhD, titled ‘Investigation of Biomarker Determinants of Treatment Response of Fulvestrant and the Akt Inhibitor in Oestrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer’, in Professor Rachel Butler’s laboratory in Cardiff, UK.
I have experience in early phase trials and lab-based translational research within the context of a clinical trial. My PhD involved studying circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) as a biomarker of response/resistance to treatment in ER-positive breast cancer within the context of phase II clinical trial (FAKTION). This project has given me a unique opportunity to be involved in complex areas around ethics, consent, processing and analysis of translational samples from clinical trials.
Since I became a Cancer Research UK Clinical trial fellow, I have led the development of a proposed multi-drug and two-part phase II trial for soft tissue sarcomas. I have created a team of national UK collaborators: consisting of clinician scientist, surgeon and medical oncologist specialising in sarcoma. I am aware of ongoing challenges in the engagement of the pharmacological companies regarding access to anti-cancer agents required for the trial in rare cancers.

I personally led on the development of a randomised two-stage Phase II Study of STAT3 inhibitor with immunotherapy in pre-treated patients with soft tissue sarcoma. The trial idea was accepted for, and developed at, Methods in Clinical Cancer Research (MCCR) workshop in Zeist, Netherlands, in June 2018. This workshop offered an unrivalled opportunity to be mentored by world-leading experts in the field of cancer clinical trials. This experience allowed me to improve my knowledge and undertake high-quality cancer research in the future. This gave me a valuable opportunity to acquire intensive, in-depth experience of clinical trial methodology. Meeting with senior clinical trialists in sarcoma and with well-respected methodologists, helped me network to promote future collaborations, for high quality international trials. This very important aspect has particular value for trials in very heterogeneous and rare diseases like sarcoma, where collaborations with other centres are crucial. After the workshop, I felt that there was a lack of structured support within the MCCR Alumni Club (MAC), and I want to change this for future MAC members.
I have been recently involved in developing a branding strategy and defining new activates for a new MAC. Now, I would like to continue my involvement in the development of future MAC as a member of the MAC Steering Committee. I believe that MAC would play a significant role in future clinical research.
I want MAC to be involved in the ongoing development of the new trial ideas beyond the MCCR workshop and increase the number of successfully completed clinical trials derived from the workshop. This can be achieved by establishing an ongoing partnership and mentorship between faculty and MAC members through a mixture of virtual and face-to-face, regular MAC meetings. MAC would continue to offer access to world-class experts, share experiences with novel trial designs, advise on methodology, and translational research experts to include biomarker analysis early in clinical trial designs. MAC could operate in 3 or more teams with a specific area of expertise such as methodology, industry engagement, novel trial designs. New MAC member will have access to each team at the time that is most needed for a specific stage of trial development.

I believe MAC could help create new international clinical trial ideas and help develop highly skilled future trialists through ongoing support and global networking within the MAC community. MAC can lead as an example in the excellence of clinical trials and be recognised worldwide. This could help achieve an improved way of delivering high-quality clinical trials more effectively and efficiently to accelerate clinical research and achieve better outcomes for cancer patients. This is especially important in rare cancers as there is a noticeable lack of progress in patient’s outcomes and where novel and more efficient clinical trials are mostly needed.