PLATO-RT: personalising radiotherapy dose and toxicity prediction in anal cancer
Closing date: 23/11/2026
Leeds-Manchester Clinical Research Training Fellowship: PLATO-RT: personalising radiotherapy dose and toxicity prediction in anal cancer
Lead Supervisors: Dr Alexandra Gilbert
Co-Supervisors: Dr Kieran Zucker, Professor David Sebag- Montefiore, Professor Andrew Renehan, Dr Gareth Price
Applications Deadline: 12:00pm Monday 23rd November 2026
Interviews: Friday 5th February 2027 (in Manchester)
Start date: September 2027
Project Keywords: Radiotherapy, Toxicity, Trials
Research Opportunity: Leeds-Manchester Clinical Research Training Fellowship leading to the award of PhD
Project Outline
Anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) is a rare cancer for which chemoradiotherapy remains the standard curative treatment. Although outcomes are generally excellent, treatment-related toxicity can affect bowel, urinary, sexual and quality-of-life outcomes. The Personalising Radiotherapy Dose in Anal Cancer (PLATO) UK platform trial, led by Leeds Clinical Trial Unit, is the largest prospective programme of radiotherapy dose optimisation trials undertaken in anal cancer (n=709) (1). In the context of the Rare Cancers Act 2026, this timely PhD will maximise findings by combining datasets from ACT3 (early disease), ACT4 (low risk) and ACT5 (locally advanced) then model the impact of dose and volume of radiotherapy treatment on toxicity outcomes, as well as on patient reported outcomes (PROs).
The programme comprises four work packages. Work package 1 (WP1): following integration of the trial dataset, AI-based methods for delineating normal tissue (organs-at-risk) will be evaluated and validated using an expert-defined pre-existing dataset. WP2: dose-response relationships between radiotherapy exposure and toxicity will be developed using advanced statistical and machine-learning approaches. These predictive models will be externally validated across the full PLATO radiotherapy quality assurance cohort. WP3: the impact of surgical interventions will be explored, including local excision, pre-treatment stoma formation and salvage abdominoperineal excision of the rectum (APER), on patient-reported outcomes and survivorship. WP4: national English and Welsh datasets will be used to assess how PLATO has influenced radiotherapy practice and treatment delivery across the UK. Therefore, this PhD will combine interdisciplinary expertise in oncology, surgery, radiotherapy physics, artificial intelligence (AI), medical imaging, and population data science and build on existing strong links between Manchester and Leeds.
The project will deliver clinically actionable evidence to support personalised treatment selection, improve quality of life, optimise radiotherapy delivery and evaluate the national impact of the first practice-changing anal cancer trials undertaken in more than three decades.
Applications for this project are now open. Please complete your application on The University of Leeds website.
About Dr Alex Gilbert (project Lead Supervisor)
Alex is an Associate Professor and Honorary consultant in Clinical (Radiation) Oncology. She treats patients with anal and rectal cancers at Leeds Cancer Centre alongside her university role. Her research expertise is in the use of patient reported outcomes (PROs) and toxicity measurement both in clinical trials and routine practice, interventional radiotherapy trials and patient-centred research.
She is the PRO and toxicity lead on multiple interventional radiotherapy trials including complex multi-centre platform trials evaluating novel agents and techniques. Alex leads five PRO methodological projects funded by the EORTC Quality of Life group and also co-leads a workstream for the Horizons 2020 project, EUonQOL, developing a PRO toolkit to evaluate quality of life across Europe for health policy research.
Key information
Before submitting an application, please ensure you have read the information below about the funding arrangements and eligibility for our Clinical Research Training Fellowships.
We also encourage you to get in contact with the lead supervisor to discuss the project and any particulars.
Further information is available on the Clinical Research Training Fellowships webpage.
The clinical fellowships are usually tenable for three years, although in certain circumstances they may be four years duration. The Fellowship covers:
- running expenses,
- an appropriate salary in line with the applicant’s current NHS salary and grade
- full coverage of University PhD fees at the UK/home fee rate.
International Candidates
The University of Manchester aims to support the most outstanding applicants from outside the UK.
We are able to offer a limited number of bursaries to high-performing EU and international candidates, covering PhD fees only. Bursaries do not include financial support for visa/health surcharges.
We assess each EU and international candidate’s suitability for a bursary at the application and interview stages.
You must be a post-registration clinician, and ideally have a specialist post in a related subject, to apply for our Clinical Research Training Fellowships.
Applicants must hold an MBChB degree or an equivalent medical qualification. You should also hold, or be about to obtain, a minimum upper second class (or equivalent) undergraduate degree in a relevant subject. A related master’s degree would be an advantage.
It is generally expected that CRTFs will return to a training programme in the UK upon completion of their research degree.
International applicants (including EU nationals) must ensure they meet the academic eligibility criteria (including English Language) before contacting potential supervisors to express an interest in their project. Eligibility information can be found on the University’s Country Specific information page.
Applications for this programme are now open. Please submit your application on The University of Leeds website.
Key dates
- Applications open: Monday 5th October 2026
- Application deadline (all projects): 12:00pm Monday 23rd November 2026
- Clinical Interviews: Friday 5th of February 2027 (in Manchester)
- Start date: September 2027 with flexible starts for clinicians
Useful Links
Submit your application
Interested in applying for this opportunity? Submit your application on The University of Manchester application portal.
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