Dr Gillian Crawford PhD, RGN, BA (Hons), MSc, Registered Genetic Counsellor
Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer
As an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, my research addresses a number of ethical issues generated within the complex area of genomic medicine, informed by my clinical practice.
Gillian completed her general nurse training at Guy’s hospital and worked for 8 years in medical oncology/haematology. She moved into Cancer Genetics in 1999 and worked as a senior genetic nurse specialist in Oxford. In 2001 she moved to Southampton to a joint NHS/University post as a principal genetic counsellor/research nurse working as part of the CRUK cancer centre. The role involved being the local co-ordinator for a range of national and international research studies into inherited cancers including chemoprevention, screening, epidemiology and DNA based projects. Southampton was consistently one of the top three recruiting centres in the country for these studies. At the same time she began to develop her own research interests. Initially she designed a project looking at the experience of living with von Hippel Lindau disease which resulted in a novel patient held record scheme. She collaborated in qualitative research led by PIs at Southampton and Edinburgh exploring the nature of the boundary between research and clinical practice in the field of cancer genetics. She very much enjoyed the active combination of clinical practice and research during this period.
In 2011 Gillian was awarded a NIHR clinical academic fellowship to develop her own research, with the aim of developing a clinical academic career and leading research development in the genetic counselling profession. Her PhD explored the consent and disclosure practices surrounding clinically relevant incidental findings from genetic tests from both health professional and patient perspectives. Her research has provided an insight into the gap between the enormous technological advances and their translation into clinical practice.
Plans for post-doctoral work include the delivery of a survey to health professionals to review consent practices with regard to genomic testing, a pressing issue following the 100 000 genomes project.
Qualifications
Doctorate of Philosophy, University of Southampton, 2016
MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice (Cancer Care), King’s College University 2005
BA (hons) Health Care Studies, Oxford Brookes University 1999
Appointments held
Member of NIHR CRN Genetics National Speciality Group
Member of UK Cancer Genetics Group steering committee and conference organiser
Assessor for Genetic Counsellor Registration Board
Member of UHS Hospital Clinical Ethics Committee