Dr Robert Samuel

Profile

I graduated in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh in 2015, having also completed a BMedSci in Epidemiology in 2012. I undertook NIHR Academic Foundation training in Newcastle, where I developed early interests in oncology, clinical research, and quality improvement.

I was appointed as an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow at the University of Leeds in 2018 and entered Clinical Oncology specialty training in West Yorkshire. From 2021 to 2024, I completed a CRUK-funded PhD across the University of Leeds and the University of Manchester, awarded in 2025, focused on translational and immunological mechanisms of treatment response in anal squamous cell carcinoma. I am currently an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer and Clinical Oncology registrar at Leeds Cancer Centre.

My research focuses on HPV-associated anal cancer and rectal cancer, integrating clinical trials, translational science, and biomarker-driven approaches to improve outcomes following chemoradiotherapy. I am co-founder of the International Multidisciplinary Anal Cancer Consortium (IMACC) Early Career Researchers Network. I contribute to institutional research strategy through the Leeds Cancer Research Centre Translational and Clinical Trials Committees and as a future leader for Leeds RadNet Work Packages 1 and 2. I supervise Academic Foundation Trainees, co-supervise a PhD student, and mentor junior academics and medical students, with a strong commitment to developing multidisciplinary clinical academic capacity.

Responsibilities

• Supervisior of PhD, AFP and ESREP projects

Qualifications

• PhD
• PGDip
• MBChB
• MRCP
• BMedSci

Professional memberships

• RCR
• ESTRO

Student education

I am actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Clinical Oncology, with regular contributions to the Leeds FRCR Part 1 course. I deliver teaching to clinical academic trainees and medical students, focusing on gastrointestinal malignancies, clinical trial methodology, and academic career development. I supervise Academic Foundation Trainees and support their academic development through project supervision, feedback, and career mentoring. I mentor medical students through the BONUS programme, supporting early exposure to Clinical Oncology and academic career pathways. I have delivered talks at Oncology Careers Days for Leeds medical students and contributed to Leeds Integrated Academic Training days. My teaching is informed by my translational research and clinical practice, integrating contemporary trial design, biomarker-driven oncology, and multidisciplinary perspectives.

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Medical Research