Careers

Our scientific teams are made up of clinical scientists and trainees, and each is managed by a Lead Clinical Scientist.

These teams are grouped into rare disease, responsible for prenatal, reproductive, postnatal, paediatric, neurological and endocrine conditions and inherited cancers, and acquired cancer, providing services for haematological malignancies and solid tumours.

Each team manages referrals for the respective clinical indication and provides high-level knowledge and specialist expertise to the genomic service. In addition to checking referrals, assigning and activating tests, Scientific teams are responsible for the analysis, interpretation and reporting of test results, acting as the interface between technical teams and clinicians and playing a pivotal role in patient care. Senior scientists also lead and oversee many of the R&D activities necessary to implement changes in the national genomic test directory (NGTD) or as part of collaborative research projects.

Relevant career development

• We support a scientist training programme (STP) in Genomics and Cancer Genomics, from the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS (opens in a new tab)).
• For those that already hold a role within our labs we can support further development through:
  • Route 2 in Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics and Developing Sciences, from the Association of Clinical Scientists (ACS (opens in a new tab))
  • The HCPC (opens in a new tab) International Route
• For scientific leaders there are further development opportunities, including:
  • Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (opens in a new tab) (RCPath)
  • The NSHCS (opens in a new tab) higher specialist scientist training (HSST) programme
  • The AHCS (opens in a new tab) higher specialist scientist equivalence (HSSE) route

Our technical team is sub-divided into 8 teams based on the main processes performed within them and the areas of the wet lab they are situated in.

Each team is led by a senior genetic technologist, who leads and manages genetic technologists, biomedical scientists, trainee genetic technologists, healthcare science practitioners, healthcare science associates and biomedical science placement students.

Staff are assigned to one team, but crossover and sharing of skills is often required. Teams include: specimen reception, extraction, next generation sequencing (NGS) and targeted sequencing.

Relevant career development

• We are able to host a limited number of placement students from accredited universities as part of working towards Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS (opens in a new tab)) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC (opens in a new tab)) registration.
• We can support staff to apply to register as a biomedical scientist, whether they have an accredited degree or not, through top-up modules and 'the equivalence route'.
• Genetic Technologists are supported to register with the Academy of Healthcare Science (AHCS (opens in a new tab)).

Bioinformaticians apply information technology to biological, medical, and health research. They use computational tools to gather and analyse data in fields such as population, biology, genetics, and pharmaceutical development.

Our Bioinformatics team at East Genomics is responsible for giving meaning to genomic data, which can be used to make a diagnosis for a patient with a rare condition or to identify the best treatment for a patient with cancer.

Their input is vital. The team works closely with our clinical scientists as well as the relevant clinicians and genetic counsellors across the region as necessary.

Relevant career development

• We can help you to become registered as a clinical bioinformatician through:
  • The Scientist Training Programme (STP) in Clinical Bioinformatics (Genomics), from the NSHCS (opens in a new tab);
  • The STP Equivalence Route for Clinical Bioinformatics (Genomics), from the AHCS (opens in a new tab).
• For scientific leaders, the NSHCS (opens in a new tab) higher specialist scientist training (HSST) in Clinical Bioinformatics (Genomics) is also available for further career progression.

Informatics is the study of the behaviour and structure of any system that generates, stores, processes and then presents information; it is basically the science of information. It takes into consideration the interaction between the information systems and the user, as well as the construction of the interfaces between the two, such as the user interface.

Our informatics lead at East Genomics works closely with all our lead scientists and has a close link with our Information Governance team (based in Cambridge), to ensure any future systems, surveys and data collection are set up in the correct way and information stored appropriately.

Work as part of a multidisciplinary team with genetic counsellors and laboratory scientists to provide diagnostic and counselling services for adults, children, and families with, or at risk of, conditions which may have a genetic basis.

Clinical geneticists also work closely with molecular genetic and cytogenetic scientists, who perform most of the tests they request, to interpret results.

Further information on the role and can be found here Clinical genetics | Health Careers (opens in a new tab)

Trained in both genetic medicine and counselling. It is their role to help patients understand and make decisions in situations where their genes affect their health.

They do this through taking and analysing family history information, assessing the risks of inheriting or passing on a medical condition, ordering and interpreting genetic and genomic tests, and explaining test results to patients and their relatives. Genetic counsellors also use techniques from counselling to help patients adjust to having a genetic or genomic condition, and to help them make difficult decisions associated with this.

Relevant courses and routes into genetic counselling

In terms of placement or work experience, unfortunately we can only offer those to people who are currently training to be a genetic counsellor, as we do not have the capacity to mentor and supervise those outside of a current genetic counselling training programme.

The best starting point in finding out about genetic counselling is the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (AGNC) website. (opens in a new tab)

One of the training routes for genetic counselling is the Scientist Training Programme (STP) (opens in a new tab). Advice about eligibility and experience is available on their website.

The advantage of this route is that it is funded by the NHS. Consideration for this course either requires a 2:1 in a relevant degree or 2:2 with relevant postgraduate experience, so some additional training will certainly make you eligible to apply.

There are only approximately 15 places a year at present so it is very competitive and the more relevant your experience the better. We would advise gaining some experience working in a caring environment, either as part of your continued education or outside that.

You could also consider looking into short extra-curricular learning experiences such as grief and loss counselling, leadership skills, stress management, assertiveness training. The national Genomics Education Programme website (opens in a new tab) also has lots of good resources.

Another route into genetic counselling is the privately funded 3-year MSc programme offered at Cardiff University (opens in a new tab) which is largely distance learning and includes clinical placements.

There are two main organisations that oversee professional registration for roles within our labs:

• • The Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) (opens in a new tab) holds voluntary registers for Genetic Technologists and Higher Specialist Scientists.
  • The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) (opens in a new tab) is the statutory regulator for a number of healthcare professions in the UK, including Biomedical Scientists and Clinical Scientists. All HCPC-registered professionals must follow HCPC standards (opens in a new tab) and renew their registration (opens in a new tab) every two years.