About Us
Established in May 2018 through a launch meeting at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, the BCTRCG aims to support trainees / SAS doctors / early career consultants to be involved in high quality, large scale research projects in breast cancer.
What are the aims of the BCTRCG?
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Create a national network of trainees interested in breast cancer research
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Generate high quality research questions relevant to breast cancer
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Produce high impact publications that will positively alter the management of breast cancer patients
The BCTRCG Management Committee
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The BCTRCG Committee comprises trainees/early career consultants who are leads on the BCTRCG studies. Each year members of this committee will be elected to chair the group.
The current elected committee is made up of:
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Co-chairs: Tim Robinson (Severn & South West)
Vinton Cheng (West Yorkshire)
Secretary: Adam Heetun (Wessex)
Management group: Emma Blower (Mersey, North West)
Neha Chopra (UCLH/Barts, London)
Sheeba Irshad (GKT, London)
Therese McCartney (Northern Ireland)
Hayley McKenzie (Wessex)
Philippa Closier (Severn & South West)
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Study Representatives
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PABC: Sheeba Irshad (lead)
Emily Goode
Emma Blower
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ALTRA: Philippa Closier (lead)
Neha Chopra
Therese McCartney
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PRIMROSE: Vinton Cheng
Hayley McKenzie
Amy Kwan
The BCTRCG Model
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Similar to other trainee-led collaborative research groups, the BCTRCG operates on a loose hierarchy that encourages each individual in the group to contribute in the development of a study.
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To facilitate study progress each project may use the following structure:
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- Study leads: Trainees responsible for the overall management of the study
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- Study steering group: Small group of trainees and consultants who help the study leads develop the protocol, set up the study, analyse data and help with manuscript preparation
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- Contributors: Each centre that participates in the study has a trainee and consultant lead, responsible for local data collection. There may be additional contributors, including other trainees and medical students at each centre
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The BCTRCG model ensures that all contributors are acknowledged as collaborators, through corporate authorship.
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Funding
We gratefully acknowledge financial support from Daiichi-Sankyo Ltd.. The BCTRCG has also received grants from the NIHR and CRUK to fund the 1st BCTRCG Meeting in 2018.
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Expert Advisory Group
The committee is guided by a senior consultant, who chairs the Expert Advisory Group (EAG). The EAG provides senior oversight and comprises members from the NCRI Breast Cancer CSG.
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Senior chair: Dr Ellen Copson (Southampton, UK)
Advisory group: Prof Daniel Rea (Birmingham, UK)
Dr Charlotte Coles (Cambridge, UK)
Prof Carlo Palmieri (Liverpool, UK)
Ms Cliona Kirwan (Manchester, UK)