Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Accept all cookies Reject all non-essential cookies Find out more

Get involved with PUMA

PUMA is currently requiting for a Lead Clinical Trial Unit to run the PUMA platform.

Call for Expression of Interest:

Lead Clinical Trial Unit

 of the Early Psychosis multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) platform trial (PUMA)

 

We wish to appoint a Clinical Trial Unit (CTU) to lead the Early Psychosis Multi-Arm, Multi-Stage (MAMS) trial platform (PUMA) in partnership with recently appointed joint Chief Investigators (C.I.s) Oliver Howes and Katherine Beck, both from the King’s College London. The trial platform is currently being designed by a collective of working groups, and led by Peter Jones and Belinda Lennox 2024 - 2026, after which a full protocol and application for funding to deliver the trial platform will be submitted to Wellcome. The C.I.s will take forward the leadership of the trial from mid-2026 in partnership with a selected CTU, overseeing the setup of the trial platform and delivery of at least the first two comparison arms over the following five years with the selected CTU possibly delivering all future trials within the platform.

About PUMA

PUMA aims to improve patient outcomes in early psychosis by dramatically accelerating the delivery of clinical trials and transforming treatments in this area. To achieve this, we will establish a MAMS trial platform that will be truly co-created by the whole early psychosis community in the UK – patients, carers, clinicians, academics and regulators. Our aim is for PUMA to become the leading national platform for the delivery of clinical trials in early psychosis.

The Multi-Arm, Multi-Stage (MAMS) platform trials approach of mechanistically diverse treatments has the potential to accelerate our treatment of psychosis with the added achievable goal of a stratified approach to treatment. The platform is initially intended to test drug treatments but, in principle, could be extended to non-pharmacological interventions, in due course.

We have received funding from the Wellcome Trust to design a protocol for the PUMA platform between April 2024 – October 2026.  The objective is to deliver a master trial protocol for review and, subject to funding, then be implemented.  Five PUMA Working Groups (WG) are designing all aspects of this protocol and considering the infrastructure required to deliver the trial. WGs have been informed by a comprehensive Delphi process and systematic review, both completed in Spring 2025. We are on track to produce the master protocol in March 2026. Wellcome will review this and take a funding decision. In the meantime, we shall be able to continue trial set-up over 2026 and anticipated beginning recruitment in the first half of 2027.

Our team is a global, multidisciplinary consortium, including mental health clinicians, researchers, methodologists, statisticians, and people with lived experience of psychosis and carers.  Further details of the working groups, team and our work: Early Psychosis Multi-arm, Multi-stage Platform Trial (PUMA) — Department of Psychiatry

 

About Clinical Trial Unit

The CTU will, in partnership with the C.I. set up and deliver the first two treatment arms in PUMA as set out in the proposal as reviewed and agreed by Wellcome in 2026. The commitment will be for at least 5 years or longer, delivering all PUMA platform future trials.

The successful CTU will have relevant experience in successful delivery of multisite clinical trials and a good track record in the successful management of complex trials in time and at planned cost. Experience of clinical trials in mental health (e.g. psychosis) and managing of multi-arm multi-stage platform trials would be desirable.

We are seeking a CTU with a vision for harmonising and galvanising the mental health research community to successfully deliver the platform, which will include wide promotion of the platform, incentivisation of sites and senior Principal Investigators (P.I.s), and capacity building in the wider team.

CTUs will be required to send an Epression of Interest Letter (max 2 pages) and a recommendation from a credible source, like a partner institution or an experienced investigator.

Shortlisted CTU representatives will be interviewed by a sub-group of the PUMA Steering Committee including people with lived-experience of early psychosis and nominees of Wellcome.

 

Selection Criteria

Essential Criteria

  1. Current registration with relevant bodies, such as the UK Clinical research collaboration (UKCRC)
  2. Track record of successfully completed multi-site Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMP)
  3. Experience of delivering platform trials
  4. Excellent Quality Management System (QMS)
  5. Excellent organisational structure to effectively manage the trial necessary to effectively manage a platform trial including experienced staff and facilities

Desirable Criteria

  1. Track record with non-comercial CTIMP in mental health
  2.  Track record of successfully delivering clinical trials that use similar methodologies (Multi-Arm Multi-Stage platform trials)
  3. Track record of growing number of new investigators served by the CTU in the last five years

 

Please email your Expression of Interest Letter and a recommendation from a credible source as attachments to puma@psych.ox.ac.uk. The closing date is 17.00 on Monday 24 November 2025. Interviews will take place on 02 December 2025 midday.

 

For more information and informal discussion of the position please contact Professor Peter Jones  pbj21@cam.ac.uk or Professor Belinda Lennox, belinda.lennox@psych.ox.ac.uk