Overview
The NIHR Leeds St James’s (SJUH) CRF site is our largest site. Established in 2011, it is now located in a purpose built, state-of-the-art, unit that opened in 2020 on Level 3 of the Bexley Wing. We support day-care, outpatient clinics and overnight stays.
The SJUH CRF specialises in the delivery of early phase and experimental medicine, high risk, high intensity clinical and translational trials in adults. Our largest disease areas are solid tumour and haematological malignancies but we also support trials in other health areas categories, currently respiratory and infectious diseases, and hepatology. Most of our work is with patients cared for at LTHT, but we also accept referrals from across the region and more widely.
Due to the expertise of our staff and co-location with necessary facilities, the SJUH CRF can deliver first-in-human trials in adults across disease sites.
The SJUH CRF also participates in healthy adult volunteer studies, examples of which have been COVID and norovirus vaccine trials.
Our self-caring patients, and relatives, have access to the patient hotel which is located on level 8 of Bexley Wing at SJUH:
Welcome to Bexley Wing Hotel – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Our onsite facilities
The SJUH NIHR Leeds CRF site offers the full range of facilities essential for cutting-edge medical research and patient care reflecting our commitment to healthcare innovation and excellence.
We provide a welcoming environment for patients, prioritising the safe delivery of early phase and experimental medicine clinical trials by a highly trained and experienced research team with on-site medical support.
Within the Bexley Wing are co-located the Clinical Trials Pharmacy, Radiology, with a full range of cross sectional and functional imaging services, and Pathology including the Haematology Malignancy Diagnostics Service.
In-patient and out-patient teenage & young adult (TYA) and adult oncology and haematology services adjoin the SJUH CRF, as do the Yorkshire Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Cellular Therapy Services, the Therapeutic Apheresis Unit (NHS Blood and Transplant), CR UK RadNet Centre and Radiotherapy Department.
Importantly, the SJUH CRF is part of LTHT, co-located with all the facilities of one of the country’s largest teaching hospitals, specifically emergency medical and surgical services, and adjacent to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Our SJUH CRF (834 m2) comprises:
- Reception and waiting area
- Conference/meeting room
- Office space
- 17 treatment beds/chairs, 2 en-suite single rooms
- 4 outpatient rooms with consulting/examination areas
- A multifunctional procedure/treatment room that supports endoscopies and bone marrow/skin biopsies
- 2 purpose-built Good Clinical Laboratory Practice laboratories
Our Team
As the NIHR Leeds CRF’s largest site, we have a delivery team based on the CRF co-delivering early phase and experimental medicine trials along with disease specific research teams.
The site team is led by Dr Alan Anthoney (Senior Lecturer and Hon. Consultant in Medical Oncology), with over 25 years’ experience of early phase clinical trials, Ms Linetty Makawa (Lead Nurse), Ms Melissa Newman (Senior Research Sister and CR UK Senior Nurse) and Ms Harriet Massey (Senior Research Sister).
Their research team of 28 comprises:
- Research Sisters
- Research Nurses
- Clinical Research Practitioner (CRP) and Associate CRP
- Clinical Trials Coordinators
- Senior Clinical Trial Assistants and Clinical Trials Assistants
- Laboratory Supervisor and Biomedical Support Workers
- Patients Services Co-ordinator and Clinical Support Workers
- Ward Environment Support Worker and Ward Clerk
We currently have a number of PIs specialising in a range of solid tumour and haematological malignancies with experience in early phase and experimental medicine trials across modalities. They are supported by an R&I Staff Grade Doctor.
Our Portfolio
We support first in human, phase 1 and 2a clinical trials; in addition, we support experimental components of complex/high risk later phase clinical cancer trials.
Most of our trials evaluate new targeted anti-cancer drugs but also cellular and viral therapies and vaccines. Early phase experimental medicine trials of other treatments including radiotherapy, surgery and Medtech devices can also be supported. Trials in other therapeutic areas make up the rest of our portfolio, again evaluating a range of interventions.
We work closely with a range of large pharmaceutical sponsors, SMEs and Clinical Research Organisations (CROs) including IQVIA, Fortrea, Precision For Medicine and Parexel.
In the financial year 2023/2024, we reported delivery of 131 studies to the NIHR; in addition, we facilitated a further 66 studies at the SJUH CRF site.
Our Funding
In addition to our NIHR CRF funding we are supported by funds from:
- Leeds Hospitals Charity
- Commercial partners
- University of Leeds