PhD STUDENTSHIP IN CANCER RELATED FATIGUE
Applications are invited for a 3-year funded PhD studentship at the Sussex Cancer Research Centre.
Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is common (estimated prevalence 40-71%) but remains poorly understood and undertreated. In some cases, CRF persists many years after treatment has been completed.
Causes of CRF include the cancer itself, related signs and symptoms like anaemia and pain, cancer treatments and other interventions (like painkillers), comorbidities, psychological/emotional factors and cancer work (e.g. travelling for treatment). Although various genetic, biological, psychological and behavioural risk factors have been shown to be associated with the development of CRF, inflammation is most often cited as the major driver.
The purpose of this project is to improve our understanding of CRF by combining patient reported outcomes and proteomic analysis.
If you are interested in doing a PhD on cancer related fatigue, please follow the link below to read the project description and complete the application form.
Identifying patients most at risk of developing cancer related fatigueNews item posted 28/05/2025
SHORE-C PI Chairs at the EORTC Conference
Principal Research Fellow Sally Wheelwright was invited to co-chair at the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) conference in Barcelona. This was the 6th EORTC Quality of Life in Cancer Clinical Trials conference and talks covered topics such as health related quality of life, patient-reported outcomes, and how these measurements are used in clinical cancer research.
Dr Wheelwright chaired the session "Current developments in EORTC measurement tools and their use in cancer clinical research". This conference ran from the 12th to 13th May, 2025. Conference Details
News item posted 12/05/2025
TARGET Workshop Helps Clinicians Talk About Genomic Tests
SHORE-C carried out another successful workshop in Bournemouth this April! Lesley Fallowfield and Val Jenkins facilitated this workshop, which brought health professionals together to learn more about discussing genomic testing. TARGET helps clinicians identify the different types of patients and how to communicate with them about their risk levels in the context of genomic testing. By identifying anxious and non-anxious patients and how receptiveness for uncertainty informs a patients desire for treatments, we can help tailor more effective communication about risk of recurrence.
News item posted 01/05/2025
Good Luck Rachel!
Research Assistant Rachel Hunter has left the SHORE-C team to start her training at medical school! Rachel has been working with SHORE-C since April 2024 and has been instrumental on projects researching Haematological Cancer and Multiple Myeloma. We wish Rachel the best of luck with her training; she will be a fantastic doctor!
News item posted 23/04/2025
SHORE-C Attends BPOS Conference
Researchers Dr Valerie Shilling and Rachel Starkings attended the British Psychosocial Oncology Society (BPOS) 2025 Annual Conference in Manchester this march. They presented a poster on their pilot study "Navigating Angry Conversations". This pilot uses a virtual reality software developed by the Royal Society of Medicine, to help doctors and medical students identify anger signals in patients and diffuse this anger whilst remaining calm and empathetic. Their poster was very well received, and they are looking forward to continuing this research. You can read this pilot study's findings here
News item posted 03/04/2025
Welcome Peter!
This week we are happy to have welcomed our new Admin Assistant, Peter Long, to the team. He will be in the front office with Pheobe and will likely be the one to answer your call if you give us ring.
News item posted 21/02/2025
Newly formed Women's Cancers Group at SCRC
SHORE-C are proud to be part of the Sussex Cancer Research Centre's newly formed group on breast and gynaecological cancer!
Sussex Cancer Research Centre
News item posted 19/02/2025
Dame Lesley panellist at Westminster for End of Life Bill
Prof Dame Lesley Fallowfield was an invited panellist presenting information and evidence to an all Party group of MPs about Dr-pt communication issues surrounding discussion of prognosis and end-of-life issues relevant to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. This is a controversial bill brought before Parliament by MP Kim Leadbeater and is currently being discussed by a cross party select committee of MPs. It faces many more months of debate and scrutiny with amendments before being put before both Houses of Parliament who may not pass it into law.
News item posted 12/02/2025
New publication for Navigating Angry Conversations Pilot Study
Our new publication reports findings from a pilot study looking at the feasibility and acceptability of virtual learning in communication skills training. The pilot study looked specifically at the learning module 'Navigating Angry Conversations', a module developed by Professor Dame Lesley Fallowfield with the Royal Society of Medicine and BodySwaps.
To read more about this virtual reality training programme for doctors and medical students, see the articles on the University of Sussex and Royal Society of Medicine websites.
Read the pilot study findings here
News item posted 06/02/2025
Welcome Phoebe!
We are very pleased to introduce our new Senior Administrator Phoebe Day-Lloyd. She joined the team here at Shore-C this week, from UCL where she worked on an HIV research project.
You will be able to find her in our reception office, so if you are passing do stop by and say hello!
News item posted 13/01/2025
Do you or someone you know have Multiple Myeloma?
SHORE-C have launched their new study called PUMMaCE (Patient Understanding of Multiple Myeloma and Communication Experiences). The online survey is now available to complete for anyone with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma.
The aim of the study is to gather information on the best ways to explain and describe this complex haematological malignancy and its treatment to patients and their families. SHORE-C have been working alongside Sussex Haematology team and patient representatives to develop survey questions that accurately reflect patients' current knowledge of myeloma. The team hope to develop educational materials from their findings that improves informed decision making and health outcomes for myeloma patients in future.
The survey is now closed and the data are being analysed. A summary of the results will be available around June 2025. Pummace Results
News item posted 06/01/2025
SHORE-C attends the CEM Away Day
The SHORE-C team have recently attended the annual Clinical and Experimental Medicine (CEM) Away Day in Brighton, focused on 'Celebrating Our Early Career Researchers'. SHORE-C research fellow Rachel Starkings presented on her project on 'Perceptions, Opinions and Views on Assisted Dying in the UK'.
News item posted 26/11/2024