Education and training

Do you work in clinical trials and want to know more about cancer trials?

If so you may be interested in our courses which are aimed at those new to academic cancer clinical trials.

Our courses give an introduction to this field of research. Places are limited, and priority is given to applicants actively involved in academic clinical trials working in a UKCRC Registered Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) or for the NIHR Clinical Research Network in the NHS. For example, trial assistants, data managers, trial managers, statisticians, clinicians and research nurses. If you do not fit this category then you can ask to be put on the waiting list for any unfilled places and, if a place is available you will receive notification 2 weeks before the course.

  • Statisticians new to cancer trials should attend the annual Introduction to Cancer Clinical Trials for Statisticians Course.
  • Clinicians may benefit from two of the Trial and data management courses: Running a Trial from Concept to Completion and Trial Outcomes.
  • Experienced trialists wanting to become more effective trainers from any discipline (statistical, regulatory, trial management) may be interested in attending our Train the trainer course
All courses take place at the Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trial Centre.

If you have require any further information about any of our courses please contact ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk.

Introductory Courses

These courses are aimed at trial managers, data managers, trial assistants, research nurses and trial practitioners new to academic cancer clinical trials. These are introductory courses aimed at those wishing to expand their knowledge.

Available courses and Materials

Cancer treatments and their side effects - compliance and adverse event reporting - Thursday 5th December 2024
Description:

This session is a basic introduction to cancer treatments and their most common side effects and adverse reactions. The course provides an overview on cancer surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy we well as insights on the mechanisms of action of targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, small inhibitory molecules, CAR-T cell therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

In the second part of the session, participants will learn about the mechanisms of toxicity linked to the different categories of cancer therapy and how these are managed.

This course is not recommended for clinicians.


Please note date changed from 7 November due to tube strike now on Thursday 5th December
Trainer:
Giulia Pellizzari
Start date:
05/12/2024
Start time:
10:00
End time:
13:00
Cost:

Fees are based on the attendee's organisation as follows:

£0 free for attendees from units within the Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) which are:

  • Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
  • Comprehensive Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
  • MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
  • PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit

The free places require a password to book, if you work within the ICTM please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk to request this. Emails must be sent from your UCL account and include your name, job title, and the department which you are working in.  

 

Other UCL attendees who are required to pay the course fee can do this by reserving a free place on the online store and then paying by IDT, please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk who can assist you with this.

£50 for attendees from non-profit organisations

£100 for attendees from for-profit organisations

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries please contact the CTC Training Administrator at ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk    

Please note: payment is by credit or payment card only. 
Course materials

Trial outcomes - what are we trying to measure? - Monday 2nd December 2024
Description:

This session, aimed at non-statisticians, will cover the most common primary outcomes measures used in early and late phase cancer trials.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will learn what makes a good outcome measure, how outcomes measures are defined and what data need to be collected to assess the outcome, especially for tumour response assessment and time to event measures such as survival and disease (or progression) free survival.
Trainer:
Will Wilson
Start date:
02/12/2024
Start time:
10.00
End time:
13.00
Cost:

Fees are based on the attendee's organisation as follows:

£0 free for attendees from units within the Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) which are:

  • Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
  • Comprehensive Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
  • MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
  • PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit

The free places require a password to book, if you work within the ICTM please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk to request this. Emails must be sent from your UCL account and include your name, job title, and the department which you are working in.  

 

Other UCL attendees who are required to pay the course fee can do this by reserving a free place on the online store and then paying by IDT, please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk who can assist you with this.

£50 for attendees from non-profit organisations

£100 for attendees from for-profit organisations

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries, please contact the CTC Training Administrator at ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk    

Please note: payment is by credit or payment card only. 
Course materials

Introduction to cancer clinical trials for new starters - Monday 24 March 2025
Description:

This session provides a general introduction to cancer clinical trials for staff new to academic cancer studies.

Participants will get an overview on what clinical trials are and how they can have a preventative, curative or palliative aim. The session covers the practical and scientific reasons why we need clinical trials, what are the differences between Phase I, II, II and IV studies and the different methods of randomisation. The session also highlights how drug development trials in cancer differ from non-cancer studies and how the new era of targeted therapy and immunotherapy is changing the way cancer trials are designed. 

This course will take place in person in the CTC, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 4TJ
Trainer:
Giulia Pellizzari
Start date:
24/03/2025
Start time:
10:00
End time:
13.00
Cost:

Fees are based on the attendee's organisation as follows:

£0 free for attendees from units within the Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) which are:

  • Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
  • Comprehensive Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
  • MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
  • PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit

The free places require a password to book, if you work within the ICTM please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk to request this. Emails must be sent from your UCL account and include your name, job title, and the department which you are working in.  

 

Other UCL attendees who are required to pay the course fee can do this by reserving a free place on the online store and then paying by IDT, please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk who can assist you with this.

£50 for attendees from non-profit organisations

£100 for attendees from for-profit organisations

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries please contact the CTC Training Administrator at ctc.training@.ucl.ac.uk  

Please note: payment is by credit or payment card only. 
Course materials

Running a trial from concept to completion - Monday 28 April 2025
Description:

This session gives an introductory overview of all the steps required to design, set up and complete an academic cancer trial conducted in the hospital setting.

Participants will know what all the organisations and people involved in trials do and what permissions and documents need to be in place at different stages of a trial. The course will be of most interest to those new to working in academic cancer clinical trials.  Those currently working in the field who would like to gain an overview of what happens at other stages to the one familiar to them, may also benefit.

This course will take place in person in the CTC, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 4TJ
Trainer:
Rubina Begum
Start date:
28/04/2025
Start time:
10.00
End time:
13.00
Cost:

Fees are based on the attendee's organisation as follows:

£0 free for attendees from units within the Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) which are:

  • Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
  • Comprehensive Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
  • MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
  • PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit

The free places require a password to book, if you work within the ICTM please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk to request this. Emails must be sent from your UCL account and include your name, job title, and the department which you are working in.  

 

Other UCL attendees who are required to pay the course fee can do this by reserving a free place on the online store and then paying by IDT, please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk who can assist you with this.

£50 for attendees from non-profit organisations

£100 for attendees from for-profit organisations

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries please contact the CTC Training Administrator at ctc.training@.ucl.ac.uk  

Please note: payment is by credit or payment card only. 
Course materials

Entering patients into clinical trials - pre treatment screening and eligibility - Thursday 15 May 2025
Description:

This session gives a comprehensive overview of the clinical pathways cancer patients can take to be eventually referred for trial entry.

The first part of the session spans across the diagnostic methods and staging of cancerand gives a brief overview of the common tests carried out prior to trial treatment. 

In the second part of the session participants will learn about the importance of ensuring only eligible patients enter a trial and how eligibility criteria help to safeguard patients and differ amongst different phases of trials. They will also learn the importance of assessing treatment compliance and how every clinical intervention comes with a different set of challenges in collecting data about patient compliance.
Trainer:
Laura Hughes
Start date:
15/05/2025
Start time:
10.00
End time:
13.00
Cost:

Fees &RegistrationThis course is freefor staff from Units within Institute of ClinicalTrials and Methodology (ICTM) which are:

The free places require a password to book, if you work within the ICTM please emailctc.training@ucl.ac.uk to request this. Emails must be sent from your UCL account and include your name, job title, and the department which you are working in. Other UCL attendees who are required to pay the course fee can do this by reserving a free place on the online store and then paying by IDT, please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.ukwho can assist you with this. Attendees from outside the ICTM will be required to pay an attendance fee. Fees are based on the attendee's organisation as follows:

£50 for attendees from non-profit organisations

£100 for attendees from for-profit organisations 

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries please contact the CTC training administrator via ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk

Please note payment is by payment or credit card only
Course materials

Cancer treatments and their side effects - compliance and adverse event reporting - Monday 9 June 2025
Description:

This session is a basic introduction to cancer treatments and their most common side-effects and adverse reactions.

The course provides an overview on cancer surgery ,radiotherapy and chemotherapy we well as insights on the mechanisms of action of targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, small inhibitory molecules, CAR-T cell therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

In the second part of the session, participants will learn about the mechanisms of toxicity linked to the different categories of cancer therapy and how these are managed.

This course is not recommended for clinicians. 
Trainer:
Giulia Pellizzari
Start date:
09/06/2025
Start time:
10.00
End time:
13.00
Cost:

Fees &Registration

This course is free for staff from Units within Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) which are:

The free places require a password to book, if you work within the ICTM please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk to request this. Emails must be sent from your UCL account and include your name, job title, and the department which you are working in. 

Other UCL attendees who are required to pay the course fee can do this by reserving a free place on the online store and then paying by IDT, please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk who can assist you with this. Attendees from outside the ICTM will be required to pay an attendance fee. Fees are based on the attendee's organisation as follows:

£50 for attendees from non-profit organisations

£100 for attendees from for-profit organisations 

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries please contact the CTC training administrator via ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk

Please note payment is by payment or credit card only
Course materials

Trial outcomes - what are we trying to measure? - Thursday 3 July 2025
Description:

This session, aimed at non-statisticians, will cover the most common primary outcomes measures used in early and late phase cancer trials.

Participant swill learn what makes a good outcome measure, how outcomes measures are defined and what data need to be collected to assess the outcome, especially for tumour response assessment and time to event measures such as survival and disease (orprogression) free survival.
Trainer:
Will Wilson / Amy Kirkwood
Start date:
03/07/2025
Start time:
10.00
End time:
13.00
Cost:

Fees & Registration

This course is free for staff from Units within Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) which are:

The free places require a password to book, if you work within the ICTM please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk to request this. Emails must be sent from your UCL account and include your name, job title, and the department which you are working in. 

Other UCL attendees who are required to pay the course fee can do this by reserving a free place on the online store and then paying by IDT, please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk who can assist you with this. Attendees from outside the ICTM will be required to pay an attendance fee. Fees are based on the attendee's organisation as follows:

£50 for attendees from non-profit organisations

£100 for attendees from for-profit organisations 

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries please contact the CTC training administrator via ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk

Please note payment is by payment or credit card only
Course materials

Tumour Response Assessment in Oncology: A guide to RECIST and iRECIST criteria - ONLINE training Thursday 3 April 2025
Description:

The session will take place online via Zoom

This is a newly developed training session that covers the following aspects:

  • Introduction to response assessment criteria: why do we need standards
  • RECIST criteria guidelines: how are these reflected in the Trial Protocol?
  • RECIST and iRECIST: what are the differences?
  • Imaging methods of response assessment
  • Design and analysis of trials using response assessment
  • Response assessment in the future generation of cancer trials

The course will dedicate ample time to the development of practical skills to learn how to evaluate response according to both RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST via the following activities:

  • Calculation tables to evaluate response
  • Real life CRFs review in groups
  • Case study discussion
  • Quizzes
Trainer:
Giulia Pellizzari, Andre Lopes and others
Start date:
03/04/2025
Start time:
09.30
End time:
13.00
Cost:
Fees & Registration

This course is free for staff from Units within Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) which are:


The free places require a password to book, if you work within the ICTM please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk to request this. Emails must be sent from your UCL account and include your name, job title, and the department which you are working in. 

Other UCL attendees who are required to pay the course fee can do this by reserving a free place on the online store and then paying by IDT, please email ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk who can assist you with this. 

Attendees from outside the ICTM will be required to pay an attendance fee. Fees are based on the attendee's organisation as follows:

£50 for attendees from non-profit organisations

£100 for attendees from for-profit organisations 

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries please contact the CTC Training Administrator at ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk 

Please note: payment is by credit or payment card only. 
Course materials

CAR-T cell therapy in cancer clinical trials: manufacturing, regulations and clinical delivery course - Wednesday 7th May 2025
Description:

Course aim

This course offers a thorough exploration of CAR-T cell therapies (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell) within the realm of clinical trials. Participants will delve into the historical background of CAR-T therapies, their classifications, regulatory frameworks, safety considerations, mechanisms of action, and the role of viral vectors. Additionally, the course emphasizes Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP),addressing essential considerations, manufacturing processes, and quality control. By the end of the course, participants will have a solid understanding of CAR-T therapies in the context of clinical trials, including practical insights into managing CAR-T cell therapy trials and an overview of their clinical implementation.

The course will provide delegates an excellent opportunity to network with scientists and trial managers from the UCLCAR-T Programme, the most comprehensive programme in Europe to manufacture and deliver CAR-T cell therapies across a broad study portfolio.

Target audience

This is a comprehensive course suitable for everyone aiming at understanding CAR-T cell therapies in the context of oncology research and clinical trials.

Delegates should have a basic prior knowledge of cancer.

Course content

The course covers a mix of frontal lectures, quiz and group discussions that will include topics such as:

  1. The science behind CAR-T cell therapy design
  2. The use of different categories of viral vectors
  3. How are CAR-T cell therapies regulated
  4. Safety profiles of CAR-T cell therapies in oncology
  5. Manufacturing pipelines of CAR-T cell therapies
  6. Challenges in CAR-T cell therapy trial management and logistics  

Courselecturers

  1. Claire Roddie, Consultant Haematologist, UCLH
  2. Mhairi Vaughan, GMP CAR T-cell technician, UCL & NHS Royal Free Hospital
  3. Yusuf Yaami, Regulatory Manager for Pharmaceuticals, JRO UCL
  4. Bilyana Popova, Senior Project Manager, CRUK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
  5. Giulia Pellizzari, Lecturer in Cancer Clinical Trials, UCL
  6. Alison Evans, Regulatory Manager, JRO UCL
  7. Alice Piapi, Clinical Trials Monitor, CRUK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
  8. Michelle Quaye, Regulatory Manager, JRO UCL

Trainer:
see above
Start date:
07/05/2025
Start time:
10.00
End time:
16.30
Cost:

Early Bird until 27 February 2025

       £175 for attendees from non-profit organisations

       £275 for attendees from for-profit organisations

Late registration 

       £250 for attendees from non-profit organisations

       £350 for attendees from for-profit organisations

               A light lunch will be provided

Last date to book:  16 April 2025

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries, please contact the CTC training administrator via ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk

Spaces are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Payment is by credit card only.
Course materials

Training resources and materials
Statistician courses & resources

Available courses and Materials

Navigating Cancer Clinical Trials: Essential Knowledge for Statisticians - Tue 3rd and Wed 4th June 2025
Description:

Course aim

This training course aims to provide participants with an introduction to the biology, diagnosis, staging, and treatment of cancer, with a focus on how these factors influence the key outcome measures in cancer clinical trials, such as adverse events, treatment response, survival rates ,and other time-to-event endpoints.

The course will provide delegates an excellent opportunity to network with statisticians from other UKCRC registered clinical trial units.

Target audience

This is an introductory course suitable for recent MSc graduates or more experienced statisticians new to the field of cancer treatment and cancer trials.

Delegates do not need to have prior knowledge of cancer.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course participants should have greater knowledge of:

  • Cancer biology and its impact on choice of treatment, tumour spread and outcome measures
  • Cancer diagnosis and staging and how these impact on pre-trial entry screening tests and eligibility criteria
  • Commonly reported patients and tumour characteristics and issues in choosing appropriate stratification factors
  • Cancer treatments and issues in reporting protocol compliance
  • Adverse events due to cancer therapies and reporting these events
  • Response criteria in solid and non-solid tumours and reporting response endpoints
  • Issues in survival and time to event analyses
  • The challenges of trials including novel targeted agent therapy 
Trainer:
Andre Lopes & Giulia Pellizzari
Start date:
03/06/2025
Start time:
10.00 am
End time:
05.00 pm
Cost:

Fees & Registration

Early Bird until Thursday 27th February 2025
  • £200 for participants from non-profit organisations 
  • £350 for participants from for profit organisations 

Late registration from Friday 28th February 2025
  • £300 for participants from non-profit organisations 
  • £450 for participants from for profit organisations

Spaces are allocated on a first come first served basis, up to a maximum of 25 people. 

Please register for this course via the UCL online store. If you have any queries please contact the CTC Training Administrator at ctc.training@ucl.ac.uk

Payment is by credit card only. 

Last date for registration Monday 19th May 2025
Course materials

Statistical Monitoring Programs for R

Below are the programs used in Application of methods for central statistical monitoring in clinical trials. Clinical trials, Volume 10 Issue 5 October 2013 pp. 769 - 792.

The links give the R code and a word document with instructions on how to run the program and interpret the output.

Program nameInstructionsR Code
Dates: Order Checking
Dates: Weekends and National Holidays
Outliers
Digit Preference: Integers
Digit preference: Benford’s law and comparison with all other sites
Comparison of Means: Chernoff Faces and Star Plots
Inliers
Checking adverse event rates
Correlation checks
Variance checks
Categorical variables
Web applications

This online application allows the user to design randomised phase 2 trials (with either 2 or 3 arms) using a margin of practical equivalence. This work was done by Dr. Hakim-Moulay Dehbi and will be published in a scientific journal in the near future.

Training resources and materials
Clinician courses and resources

Information on courses aimed at clinicians can be found here

For more information on partnering with a CTU

Other education and training

CTC staff also collaborate with the Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) courses as well as undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and our statisticians run a number of UCL graduate skills courses aimed at researchers across UCL

There are currently no training courses available.

Contact Us
Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
University College London
90 Tottenham Court Road
London
W1T 4TJ

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Email:
ctc.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk
Telephone:
+44 (0)20 7679 9898 (General CTC Enquiries)
Fax:
020 7679 9899
University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT +44 (0)20 7679 2000

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