The Lewis Spitz Surgeon Scientist PhD programme is an opportunity for exceptional surgical trainees to carry out a three-year doctoral fellowship in translational biomedical research at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (GOS ICH). Two Fellowships are awarded in each funding call, with funding split in partnership between GOSH Charity and the NIHR GOSH BRC.
In this year’s funding call, James Arwyn-Jones, a level ST4 surgical trainee in ENT, was awarded a fellowship. James will work under the supervision of Professor Jane Sowden and Mr Robert Nash to use a mouse genetic model of Norrie disease to evaluate potential gene therapies. The aim is to perform a pre-clinical gene therapy trial in the mouse model, delivering the NDP gene sequence which is faulty in Norrie disease by intracochlear injection and measuring the outcomes of prevention of hair cell death and hearing loss. James is due to start his three-year PhD project on 3rd October 2023.