Exploring methods for borrowing evidence across baskets or subgroups in a clinical trial

A three-year PhD Studentship funded by the MRC is available with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology from September 2023.

This studentship offers candidates a unique opportunity to conduct supervised research and be a part of the research community, being an integral part of the exciting and thriving research team. The awardee will receive a stipend of £19,668 per annum and have their UCL student fees paid at the Home rate and be eligible for a research training support grant to support travel, subsistence and conference costs. Overseas candidates are welcome to apply (see Funding Notes). The awardee will learn about all aspects of clinical trials and methodology and work within a cohort of around 20 students, based at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, with more than 200 academic, research and support staff, involved in the design, conduct and analysis of challenging and innovative clinical studies, many of which have changed the way that patients around the world are treated, improving survival and quality of life.

Exploring methods for borrowing evidence across baskets or subgroups in a clinical trial

Background: Basket designs are an innovative trial design used increasingly often in cancer trials to evaluate targeted therapies on related cancers in multiple locations. A basket trial is designed to study multiple patient subgroups (baskets): a single treatment is delivered to subgroups of patients with the same disease, aiming to draw conclusions about effectiveness within rather than across subgroups. Borrowing evidence across baskets can be beneficial in enabling conclusions to be drawn about effective treatments in rare diseases or small patient populations which could not be studied in a standalone clinical trial.

Hypothesis/Aims: The aim of this project is to explore methods for borrowing evidence across baskets or subgroups in a clinical trial, to provide guidance and recommendations for practice.

The awardee’s PhD research will be supervised by Dr Becky Turner and Prof Ian White.

Person Specification

Applicants should hold, or expect to achieve, an undergraduate degree in mathematics/ statistics (upper second-class or first-class) and a Master’s degree in statistics.

Funding Notes

The awardee will receive a stipend of £19,668 per annum and have their UCL student fees paid at the Home rate and be eligible for a research training support grant to support travel, subsistence and conference costs.

Candidates from outside the UK are welcome to apply. Funding to cover the additional cost of the International rate is available for one eligible non-UK candidates. Additional non-UK candidates may be awarded the studentship at the home rate. The department will work with the awardee to try to identify funding for the cost of overseas tuition fees, however the awardee may be required to pay the difference in fees themselves. The difference for 2023/24 is £23,140 per year; fees increase 5% each year. Non-UK candidates who would require additional funding support should visit: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/.

How to Apply

To apply, send the following to Dr Claire Vale ([Email Address Removed])

1. CV
2. Covering letter indicating why you believe you are suitable for the studentship
3. Names and contact details (address, email) of two academic referees

Shortlisted applicants must also apply to the Clinical Trials and Methodology MPhil/PhD programme. Any offer to the Studentship will be subject to obtaining an offer from UCL and meeting any conditions of that offer.

For full details, see studentship description.

Deadline: 14 March 2023

Interview Date: TBC