I was appointed as a Clinical Lecturer in paediatric oncology at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (GOS-ICH) in 1998 after completing my PhD in cancer biology, undertaken as a clinical research fellow at the Institute of Cancer Research (1995-1998). My initial 4 year appointment (1998-2002) at GOS-ICH was funded by a donation to ICH from the Great Ormond Street Hospital Special Trustees. In 2001 I was awarded a Cancer Research UK (then the Cancer Research Campaign) Clinician Scientist Fellowship (2002-2007). Since 2007, I have received HEFCE and Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre core funding. In 2005 I gained Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in Paediatrics and Paediatric Oncology and was appointed as Honorary Consultant Oncologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital.