Co-funded Collaborative Doctoral Studentship Opportunity UBEL DTP

The development of personalised molecular therapeutics: A comparative ethnographic perspective on the use of genetic testing in ovarian cancer and colorectal cancer clinics 

This doctoral training partnership project is co-funded by the UBEL DTP and UCLH Charity. It is collaboration between Institute for Women’s Health, Anthropology (home discipline), UCLH and UCL Cancer Institute. Due to start in October 2019 the proposed ethnographic study will examine the socio-cultural impact of genetic testing technologies within the broader context of personalised cancer therapeutics. It will understand and theorise the sociocultural context and meaning of using genetics in cancer treatment for patients and health professionals providing an empirical window on the NHS aim of delivering ‘truly personalised care’ across its cancer pathways. It will examine the impact of genetic testing on the experiences of patients with different cancers with potential to contribute to and inform the development and delivery of personalised therapeutics. By taking a multi-sited, comparative and ground up approach to examining the socio-technical context of genetic testing in cancer therapeutics, the project will outline the diverse meanings attached to genetic knowledge across different arenas of cancer care.

The project will be co-supervised by Sahra Gibbon (Anthropology) and Anne Lanceley (Institute for Women’s Health). Please consult UCL Anthropology Website for more information about the host department and direct any further enquiries to s.gibbon@ucl.ac.uk. The intention is that the studentship will be allocated on a +3 full time basis. We will also consider candidates seeking part time study or full or part time secondment. Closing date: February 20th 2019

We invite interested applicants to  send full CV and cover letter outlining their interest in and suitability for the doctoral studentship. Please send this to s.gibbon@ucl.ac.uk