Aims
Co-located at the University of Liverpool, LHNC brings together a breadth of internationally recognised clinical and scientific expertise, providing a unique opportunity to make impactful differences for patients with diseases of the head and neck locally, nationally and internationally.
More specifically our aims are:
To enhance quality and safety of PATIENT care driven by world-leading translational research defined by contemporary clinical problems
To attract programmatic funding to strengthen our position as a world-leading academic institute for the treatment and translational research of head and neck disease.
Organisational structure
Liverpool Head and Neck Centre (LHNC) is a formal collaboration between Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT), The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Liverpool (UoL).
Mersey Head and Neck Oncology Research Group (MHNORG) strategises, co-ordinates and facilitates our broad research themes which are categorised as follows:
Fundamental translational research including; solid tumour immunology, radiobiology and head and neck cancer development
Clinical trials
Clinical outcomes – including Quality of Life and Survivorship
Health inequalities.
HaNC, our Patient Research Forum is integral to LHNC and comprises individuals who have previously experienced Head and Neck Cancer and subsequently wish to contribute to our research endeavour. HaNC members participate in our monthly Steering Group and regularly review Head and Neck related research proposals.
Senior Leadership Group
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Professor Terry Jones
Director LHNC/ Director of R&I LUHFT and Consultant Head & Neck/ Thyroid Surgeon
I am a Professor of Head and Neck Surgery and the University of Liverpool and an Honorary Consultant Otolaryngologist / Head and Neck Surgeon at Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
In 2019, I was appointed as inaugural Director of the Liverpool Head & Neck Centre, the largest UK NHS/University collaboration delivering research-driven high-quality patient care. I have led the development of Transoral Laser Microsurgery as a standard of care for oropharynx cancer (OPSCC) and co-lead the international clinical trial, PATHOS, which will establish the safety and effectiveness of risk-stratified reduced dose (chemo)radiotherapy for patients undergoing transoral surgery for Human papillomavirus associated oropharynx cancer. Due to report in 2027, if PATHOS proves positive, it will result in global practice change for this patient group
I have secured >£18 million research funding and published >200 peer-reviewed papers, review articles and textbook chapters. I have edited two international reference textbooks (Scott-Brown, Head and Neck and Stell & Maran) as well as Clinical Otolaryngology, the leading UK ENT scientific journal. Research I led, directly influenced the UK government decision to vaccinate boys against Human papillomavirus (HPV), resulting in a predicted ~£0.54billion saving in NHS treatment costs.
I developed cadaveric courses in Transoral Laser Microsurgery Head & Neck surgery resulting in >100 surgeons being trained in the technique, raising the standard of transoral surgery for UK head & neck cancer patients.
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Mr Jeffrey Lancaster
Clinical Director LHNC and Consultant Head & Neck / Thyroid Surgeon
Mr Lancaster was trained in Liverpool as both an under and post graduate since 1988.
He took up a consultant post at Aintree, joining the head & neck department in 2006. His current practice solely focuses on head & neck cancer; both the investigation of and treatment.
His clinical interests include the applications of trans-oral laser surgery of upper aero-digestive tract tumours and fistula reduction post laryngectomy.
Managerially he has a joint role with the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance, working towards the creation of regional rapid diagnostic clinics for the early detection of head & neck cancer.
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Professor Richard Shaw
Chair MHNORG and Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon
Professor Shaw has been an honorary Consultant at Aintree and the Dental Hospital since 2007, and prior to that trained in surgery in Glasgow and Liverpool, undertaking a H&N surgery fellowship. He has an academic interest in research and teaching (see the relevant pages of LHNC) and is president elect of the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO).
He has significant experience in H&N reconstruction and in particular oral cavity cancers. He has a research and clinical interest in premalignant lesions, sentinel node biopsy and late effects of radiotherapy including osteoradionecrosis.
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Professor Andrew Schache
Chair LHNC Education Commitee and Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon
I am a clinical-academic Head & Neck Surgeon from an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery background, providing cancer and reconstructive surgical care to Head & Neck patients.
Originally from New Zealand, I completed my Higher Surgical Training in the internationally renowned Liverpool unit, ultimately being awarded the BAOMS Intercollegiate Gold Medal for outstanding performance in the national speciality exit examination.
I held the inaugural Wellcome Trust-FDS Research Fellowship, supporting my doctoral research into Human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers, and leading to the award of PhD in molecular oncology from the University of Liverpool in 2013. I subsequently held a prestigious NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer (ACL) post in Liverpool.
Within my clinical role is as Consultant Head & Neck Surgeon at Aintree Hospital, I cover the breadth of Oral & Maxillofacial oncology surgery and reconstruction. I have a particular interest in virtual surgical planning technologies for complex custom composite reconstructions.
Offering all patients the opportunity and choice to be involved in clinical research/clinical trials is an ambition that I share with many of the Head & Neck team. LHNC has unique strengths in delivery of the national portfolio of clinical trials to our patients, with the aim to improve outcomes.
As a member of the Merseyside Head & Neck Oncology Research Group (MHNORG) I pursue both academic and surgical research interests, integrating “bench to bedside” research ambitions.
I have research interests in novel technologies and therapies, and ultimately how they can be incorporated into routine clinical care to achieve improvements in outcomes and provide tangible patient benefit.
Within my academic role, I supervise several doctoral (PhD/D) students (both from clinical and basic science backgrounds) and I am departmental director for post-graduate research (DDPR) within cancer medicine.As Lead for Education within the Liverpool Head & Neck Centre I am responsible for coordinating the extensive portfolio of educational activities that LHNC delivers. I support postgraduate and undergraduate education within the Liverpool School of Medicine both as Deputy Director for 5th Year student doctors and as module lead for several Masters in OMFS modules. Alongside my colleagues, I am course director/faculty for a variety of continuing professional development courses.
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Professor Christian Ottensmeier
Professor of Immuno-oncology/ Director of R&I
Click here to view the profile
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Debbie Horne
Liverpool Head and Neck Centre Manager
Debbie joined the team as Liverpool Head & Neck Centre Manager in December 2023.
Contact details: horned@liverpool.ac.uk
Website Leads
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Mr Jason Fleming
Consultant Head & Neck / Thyroid Surgeon and Website Co-lead
Jason Fleming is an academic clinician, working as a Consultant ENT/Head and Neck Surgeon and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Liverpool. His clinical practice is based at Aintree Hospital, which includes a tertiary head and neck cancer service for the patients of St. Helens, Knowsley, Whiston and Warrington. His clinical practice includes all head and neck/thyroid surgery, with a particular interest in trans-oral surgery (robotic/laser), and salvage surgery for recurrent cancer.
Having graduated from higher surgical training in London and the South-East, including specialist placements at St. George’s Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital, and a research secondment to defend a PhD in cancer sciences, he went on to complete an advanced head and neck surgical oncology Fellowship at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital. He then became the first UK trainee to be appointed to the prestigious Ablative and Reconstructive Head and Neck Fellowship at University of Alabama (UAB, Birmingham, AL), where he received dedicated training in trans-oral robotic surgery at one of the early pioneering US centres for the technique.
As a surgeon scientist, Mr Fleming plays an active role in the research and teaching activity of the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre and University of Liverpool, and has been awarded over £2.5 million in research grants. He regularly presents internationally on his clinical and research interests, is widely published in high impact specialty journals and has authored a number of textbook chapters. He is the Fellowship Director for the Shaun Jackson Head and Neck / Thyroid Fellowship.
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Miss Katharine Davies
Consultant Head & Neck / Thyroid Surgeon and Website Co-lead
Miss Katharine Davies graduated from Cardiff University in 2007. Having completed her specialty training within the Mersey region she undertook the Head and Neck Fellowship in Aintree University Hospital and took up post as a Consultant Head & Neck and Thyroid surgeon within Liverpool University Hospital NHS Trust in April 2020.
Her work involves both malignant and benign Head and Neck surgery including thyroid and salivary gland pathology. She is actively involved in the recruitment of patients to trials including PATHOS, BEST OF and PITSTOP and undertakes clinics both on the Aintree and Broadgreen site.
Outside of clinical work she is part of the education team delivering regular programmed medical student teaching within the trust. During her fellowship she created multiple surgical, anaesthetic and patient information videos that are used for education and training.
She is the co-creator of the recently designed Liverpool Head and Neck Centre website and the aforementioned videos will form a substantial part of this. As part of this media development she has been creating multiple patient and professional educational resources to better inform patients about conditions treated and the investigations and treatment they may undergo.
She is actively involved with improving the diagnostic pathway for patients with Head and Neck cancer and, in conjunction with the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance, is working on ways to achieve earlier diagnosis for patients with Head and Neck Cancer with the aim of improving treatment outcomes. Moving this work forward she is hoping to identify ways to get patients with head and neck cancer to present earlier and is part of a health inequalities group looking at barriers to this and ways to improve it.