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Get involved with PUMA

PUMA is recruiting a Chief Investigator to run the platform! See below for details:

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

We wish to appoint a Chief Investigator (C.I.) to lead the Early Psychosis multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) trial platform (PUMA). 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. will take forward the leadership of the trial from mid-2026, overseeing the set up of the trial platform and delivery of at least the first two comparison arms over the following three to five years.

 

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 February 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 begining 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 Chief Investigator

The C.I. will lead the set up and delivery of the first two treatment arms in PUMA as set out in the proposal as reviewed and agreed by Wellcome in 2026. The position will be for up to 5 years, and anticipated to take 20-40% FTE.

The successful applicant will be psychiatrist with relevant clinical and research experience in clincial trials. Experience of research in early psychosis would be desirable as would experience of organising studies across multiple organisations. The position is intended for an experienced C.I. in Clinical Trials of Investigative Medicinal products (CTIMP) in psychosis OR a developing leader, who has not yet had the opportunity to be a CI, but who could be expected to step-up into that senior position in 1-2 years with additional experience and support.  

We are seeking a person 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 new and senior Principal Investigators (P.I.s), and capacity building in the wider team.

We are appointing the CI and will then subsequently be advertising  and appointing the clinical trials unit to deliver the trial. Applicants do not need to establish a link with a CTU for the purposes of this application.

Applicants will be required to send a letter of application (max 2 pages) and a CV.  Shortlisted candidates 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. Have a CCT in General Adult Psychiatry
  2. Experience of CTIMP in mental health services, as C.I. or P.I.
  3. Research recruitment to clinical trials in NHS mental health services
  4. Experience of working in partnership with people living with psychosis, their carers and charities.
  5. Strong oral and written communication skills

Desirable Criteria

  1. Clinical experience working in EIP service
  2. Experience of  clinical and/or academic team leadership
  3. Experience of public communication
  4. Experience in leading multi-site research grants

Please email your CV and Letter of Application as attachments to puma@psych.ox.ac.uk. The closing date is 17.00 on 30 June 2025.

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