Professor Jason Boland

Jason Boland is a professor and honorary consultant in palliative medicine at Hull & York Medical School and North East Lincolnshire. He qualified in medicine from the University of Cambridge in 1999, with an MA in neuroscience. He completed his higher specialist training in palliative medicine in Sheffield, where for his PhD he performed a systematic analysis of the in vitro effect of opioids on adaptive and innate immune function. He is collaborating on a European trial to evaluate the effect of opioids on immune and endocrine function in opioid naive patients randomised to receive weak or strong opioids.

His interests include understanding the molecular actions of opioids and how to maximise their efficacy while minimising toxicity as well as development and improvement of the delivery of palliative care. He is currently researching the effect of opioids on immune, endocrine, gastrointestinal and cognitive function, and is also involved in non-malignant lung disease research. He lectures nationally and internationally on these topics. He is on the sub-committee of an international pharmacovigilance audit which is assessing the benefits and toxicity of Haloperidol for Nausea. He is developing palliative care research in NE Lincolnshire where he is currently the PI on 2 portfolio studies.

He is the elected Chair of the Science Committee of the Association for Palliative Medicine (UK and Ireland) as well as being on their Executive Committee. He is on the organising committee for the palliative care congress and Association for Palliative Medicine conference; and leads on organising their research study days. He is an NIHR Dissemination Centre panel of expertcommentator. He is on the gastrointestinal subgroup and Early Stage and Acute Toxicities Subgroup of the NCRI Supportive & Palliative Care CSG, and on the Steering Group for NIHR Themed Review on End of Life Care. He is an associate editor for BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care and is on the editorial board for the journal Palliative Medicine and for the Palliative Care Formulary. He is the editor for a evidence update blog for the BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care Journal.

He regularly delivers undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, including SSCs/SSIPs, and is involved in reviewing and reshaping the palliative medicine curriculum in Hull York Medical School. He is the academic lead for palliative medicine and led the cancer block. He recently won the Postgraduates' Choice Award for the University of Hull’s Student-Led Teaching Awards and was a finalist in the Hull York Medical School 2016 phase 2/3 awards.

I have set up and am developing NE Lincolnshire as a palliative medicine research site:

• I've been awarded £22,482 a year over the past 2 years by the NIHR clinical research network for a research nurse
• PI for Improving Rehabilitation in Palliative care using Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)  - portfolio study
• PI for Improving the Management of pain from advanced cancer in the Community (IMPACCT) - portfolio study
• PI for The Prognosis in Palliative care Study (PiPS2) - portfolio study
• PI for Self-Management of Analgesia and Related Treatments at the End of life portfolio study (pilot site)
• PI for carers needs study - portfolio study
• PI on CRN portfolio study to assess the impact of opioid induced constipation on patients - portfolio study

In Hull, I am PI for The Palliative Radiotherapy And Inflammation Study (PRAIS)  and Validation of a palliative needs assessment tool in ILD (NA-ILD) study - portfolio studies.

I am currently collaborating with Prof Fallon in Edinburgh, who is leading on a study assessing the immune and endocrine function in patients with cancer commencing opioids.

I am collaborating with Prof Johnson and colleagues in London and Manchester to develop a tool to assess needs in patients with interstitial lung disease. CRUK Marie Curie £117,462.

CI on a qualitative study to explore palliative care nurses perceptions of the multiprofessional education of medical students.

CI on a qualitative study using reflective essays to explore medical students perceptions of palliative care patients.

Developing translational immunology studies to assess the pre-clinical impact of early palliative care in NSCLC.

NIHR Comprehensive Clinical Research Network research Clinical Lead for NE Lincolnshire Community.

I have been awarded £19,958 by Macmillan via Hull Churches Home from Hospital Service to evaluate and develop a training and support package for their Families together project.

I am the CI on 2 qualitative education projects, including an international one exploring palliative care nurses perceptions of the multiprofessional education of medical students.

Grants

• Co-PI with Prof Noble (Cardiff). Marie Curie £177,489. RAMBO: Research Assessment Outcome Measures for Malignant Bowel Obstruction. 2018-2020.
• Co-applicant, Lead Prof Bennett (Leeds) and Prof Yorkshire Cancer Research £1,369,806. RESOLVE: Improving Health Status and Experience of Pain and other Symptoms for People with Advanced Cancer. 2018-2022.
• Co-applicant, Lead Prof Macleod. Yorkshire Cancer Research; £4,942,336. TRANSFORM: Reducing inequalities in cancer outcomes in Yorkshire: Realising our potential for innovation in diagnosis, patient management, survivorship and palliative care research. 2017-2022.
• Co-applicant for Wolfson palliative care centre bid. Wolfson Foundation, lead – Prof Johnson. £500,000 – 2016
• Lead applicant. National Institute for Health Research clinical research network £22,482. Research nurse. 2016
• Site PI. Lead Prof Bennett (Leeds). Hull awarded £2,000. IMPACCT: Improving the Management of Pain from Advanced Cancer in the Community Implementation Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial. 2017-2019.
• Lead applicant. Health Education Yorkshire and the Humber £16,000. Yorkshire generalist palliative care guidelines. 2015-2019.
• Co-applicant. Lead – Prof Johnson. Marie curie, £117,454. NAT ILD: The Adaption and Validation Of An Assessment Tool To Identify The Palliative Care Needs Of People With Irreversible Idiopathic Interstitial Lung Disease For Use In Every Day Clinical Practice. 2014-2016.
• Principal Investigator. Macmillan £19,958. Hull churches Families Together Evaluation. 2014-2017

1. Membership:
   1. Board of Studies
   2. Phase II & III Curriculum Management Group
2. Academic lead for palliative care:
   1. Attained new HEE funding for increased delivery of specialist palliative care  across Hull York Medical School
   2. After completing a full mapping process of palliative care undergraduate teaching in Hull York Medical School we have developed general palliative care as a parallel theme across all medical and surgical attachments.
   3. Developing learning objectives for this theme
   4. Developing a specialist palliative care attachment across Hull York Medical School
   5. Curriculum review and implementation for general and specialist palliative care
3. Metabolic medicine block lead:
   1. Coordination of block, including exam question writing
   2. Exam question selection
   3. Question writing
   4. Exam marking and moderating
4. I was lead for the cancer block, developing Blackboard, online resources and a Hull York Medical School-wide radiotherapy study day, and have been central to cancer and general palliative care becoming a longitudinal theme across phase 2.

1. Undergraduate exams:
   1. Block 17 Exam question writing and reviewing - MCQs, MEQs and EMQs.
   2. Writing e-learning exam questions
   3. Phase 1, 2 and 3 Standard setting
   4. Phase 1, 2 and 3 exam marking
   5. Phase  1, 2 and 3  examination paper reviews
   6. Phase 1, 2 and 3 Board of Examiners meeting
2. Communication masterclasses:
   1. Delivered and led phase II and III communication masterclasses
   2. Built up a base of tutors on the south bank, now developing other areas
3. Undergraduate lectures:
   1. Plenary lectures, phase 1 block 13 – palliative care service provision
   2. Plenary lectures, phase 2 - Pain PPT
   3. Phase 1 spiritual issues in end of life care – single site interactive lecture
   4. HYMS year 4 critical appraisal revision sessions
4. Undergraduate cancer block 17 teaching phase 2:
   1. Development of the NE Lincolnshire undergraduate palliative medicine teaching
   2. Delivery of case review sessions to the medical students
   3. Delivery of lectures to the medical students
   4. Increased students time in hospice
   5. DNACPR and breaking bad news teaching
5. Hull York Medical School Elective student (part placement in Grimsby)
6. Mentor for 8 phase 2 students.
7. SSC/SSIP:
   1. Developed and delivered a phase 1 SSC to introduce students to palliative medicine and its principals
   2. Developed and led on a phase 2 SSC in Grimsby (4 students, 3 times a year) to further students clinical understanding of palliative medicine
   3. Setup, led, developed and delivered a phase 1 palliative medicine SSIP
   4. Setup, led, developed and delivered a phase 2 palliative medicine SSIP
8. Non-Hull York Medical School:
   1. Deliver metabolic derangement and clinical scenarios in cachexia lectures on post-graduate MSc
   2. Question writing and marking for MSc in nutrition exam
   3. Palliative care lectures to MSc in Translational Oncology
   4. Question writing for MSc in Translational Oncology exam

View Jason Boland's publications on Google Scholar

Professor Pål Klepstad, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway The Palliative Radiotherapy And Inflammation Study – PRAIS

Professor Fallon, University of Edinburgh: effect of opioids on immune and endocrine function

Professor Bennett, University of Leeds:

1. SMARTE study;
2. effect of opioids on survival.

Professor Ahmedzai, University of Sheffield:

translational immunological studies to assess the pre-clinical impact of early palliative care in NSCLC

Professor Johnson (Hull) and Prof Wells and Dr’s Ross and Bajwah in London and Prof’s Grande and Yorke in Manchester to develop a tool to assess needs in patients with interstitial lung disease

Dr Rachel Fearnley, Independent Researcher:

1. Hull Churches Home from Hospital Service Families Together Project;
2. Communication and support from health care professionals to families, with dependent children, following the diagnosis of parental life-limiting illness: A systematic review.

Professor Currow, Flinders University:  

1. Somatostatin analogues compared to placebo and other pharmacological agents in the management of symptoms of inoperable malignant bowel obstruction: a systematic review;
2. effect of opioids, benzodiazepines and anti-cholinergic load on clinical outcomes in patients receiving palliative care 

Primary supervisor for University of Hull PhD student - assessing prescribing in patients with dementia in nursing homes.

Alex Wray, PhD - Supporting bereaved children and their families following the death of a parent.

Secondary supervisor for University of Hull PhD student - assessing apathy in Huntington’s disease.

Primary supervisor for University of Hull research MD student developing a tool for the diagnosis of cluster headaches.

Thesis advisory panel Chair for 1 PhD student, 1 MSc student and TAP member for another PhD student.