During his MRC Clinical Pharmacology Fellowship, Vincent focused on hypersensitivity reactions to carbamazepine, severe reactions like Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, as well as milder reactions like Hypersensitivity Syndrome and maculopapular exanthema.
Tied into this Fellowship, Vincent spent one year with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Research & Development team where he was able to apply the research skills developed from his PhD. This experience was important as he was able to bring insights into how drugs should be used and prescribed, and use insights gained from phase I clinical trials with the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
Now, Vincent works in an NIHR-funded Academic Lecturer post and spends half of his time doing research and the rest doing clinical work. The research side sees Vincent working on an immunotherapy toxicity project whilst his clinical time is spent with the Clinical Research Unit carrying out phase I first in human trials and dermatology training.
The expertise on-hand at the MRC CDSS and the facilities available were some of the aspects that Vincent focused on as being crucial to his development and the development of his research, “The concentration of expertise at the CDSS is key. Also the equipment, laboratory techniques, laboratory protocols that are available here that are already well established, means that instead of having to develop your own, you can plug into and modify existing protocols.”
Crucial to the success of the MRC CDSS’s work is the circular approach, which goes bedside to bench and back to the bedside – Vincent noted this as being one of the key strengths of the unit. Vincent also commented on the array of inputs working together allowing for the work to be efficient and highly relevant, from the access to patients and patient samples, to the technology available, as well as the clinical academics, clinicians and scientists working side by side. These resources put the MRC CDSS at the forefront of research in this area.
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