New Fellowship to develop the next generation of paediatric neuro-oncology specialists

The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) has launched the first Tessa Jowell Paediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellowship, marking the start of a new national programme to support the development of the next generation of specialists caring for children with brain tumours.

Made possible through generous funding from Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the one-year Fellowship will be hosted at GOSH and University College London Hospitals and provide oncology trainees with dedicated specialist training in paediatric neuro-oncology.

The Fellowship responds to the need for dedicated training opportunities for clinicians wishing to specialise in this highly complex and multidisciplinary field. The successful Fellow will gain advanced clinical experience alongside opportunities to develop expertise in research and innovation, preparing them to become a future leader in paediatric neuro-oncology.

The programme builds on TJBCM’s established adult Neuro-Oncology Fellowship Programme, developed in partnership with the NIHR, which has supported six Fellows to date. The support of NIHR and GOSH Charity has enabled TJBCM to extend this model into paediatrics for the first time, establishing the foundations for a long-term programme that can support future Fellows and strengthen the paediatric neuro-oncology workforce across the UK.

Professor Darren Hargrave, GOSH Charity Clinical Professor in Paediatric Neuro-Oncology at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and an Honorary Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children said:

“I am delighted that NIHR and GOSH Charity are supporting the inaugural TJBCM Paediatric Neuro-oncology Fellowship to be hosted at GOSH. Although we have and are making progress, childhood and young people’s brain tumours remain a difficult and complex challenge. There is a need for increasing specialisation and training to develop and equip the future clinical and research leaders to improve outcomes for our patients and the families.”

Aoife Regan, Director of Impact and Charitable Programmes at GOSH Charity said: “Despite huge progress in treating childhood cancer, survival rates for some types such as high-grade gliomas remains devastatingly low. At GOSH Charity, we believe no childhood should be lost to serious illness, and we are determined to help change this.

“We urgently need new and better treatment options for children facing the hardest-to-treat cancers. By working with partners to fund this new Fellowship, we’re proud to support the next generation of leaders in childhood neuro-oncology, giving them the opportunity to develop the clinical expertise and research experience that could lead to the treatments of tomorrow.”

The Application Round for the first Tessa Jowell Paediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellowship is open now. Further information, including eligibility and details of how to apply are available at Tessa Jowell Paediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellowship.