Dr Nick Courtier
Senior Lecturer: Radiotherapy
- courtiern@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 206 87566
- 13.16, 13th Floor, Eastgate House, 35-43 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0AB
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I am interested in the toxicities associated with modern radiotherapy treatment – both technical approaches to minimise their incidence/severity and supportive interventions to help people live more active and fulfilling lives. Inequalities in access to, experience of and outcomes from cancer care forms a second strand of research.
Much of my work involves multi-disciplinary collaboration, patient participation and multiple and mixed methods ranging from trial design to exploratory case studies.
I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students in any of the following areas:
- Theory and practice of radiotherapy
- Experience of cancer treatment
- Management of breast cancer
- Inequalities in cancer care
Biography
My professional background is therapeutic radiography. I have been a lecturer in Radiotherapy & Oncology at Cardiff University since 2011. I completed my PhD in 2010 – Fatigue during radiotherapy for early-stage breast cancer and its relationship to irradiated volumes, IL-6sR and anxiety and depression: towards a prognostic model.
Honours and awards
- Associate Editor of Radiography 2019
- Future Leaders in Cancer Research Academy 2018
- Enriching Student Life Award nominated 2018
- Wales Radiography Team of the Year 2016
- Fellow of Higher Education Academy 2013
- Research Capacity Building Collaboration PhD Fellowship 2006
- BSc Radiotherapy & Oncology 1st class Honours
Professional memberships
- Society and College of radiographers (SCoR) (since 2006)
- Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) (since 2006)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA (since 2013)
- Breast Radiotherapy Interest Group (BRIG) (since 2011)
Committees and reviewing
Associate Editor of Radiography journal
Grant reviewer for:
- College of Radiographers Industrial Partnership Scheme (2011–present)
- College of Radiographers PhD Fellowship (2017–present)
- American Society of Radiologic Technologists Foundation CoR International Collaborative Clinical Research Grant 2019
Journal reviewer for:
- Supportive Care in Cancer
- International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics
- Radiotherapy in Practice
- Psycho-Oncology
Member of
- Member of Welsh Cancer Centre Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary Group (2019–present)
- College of Radiographers Research Committee (2011–2016)
- Trial Management Group for the Phase I-II Isotoxic Accelerated Radiotherapy (ISTART) Trial (2010–2018)
- Steering Group for Tenovus Cancer Callback Project (2012–2015)
- Breast Radiotherapy Interest Group (BRIG) (2011–present)
Publications
2020
- Wuni, A., Courtier, N. and Kelly, D. 2020. Developing a policy framework to support role extension in diagnostic radiography in Ghana. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences (10.1016/j.jmir.2020.09.013)
- Hopkinson, J.et al. 2020. Potential for identification of memory problems in the cancer clinic to enable improved treatment experience and outcomes: mixed methods case study research. European Journal of Oncology Nursing 48, article number: 101777. (10.1016/j.ejon.2020.101777)
- Courtier, N.et al. 2020. Expectations of therapeutic radiography students in Wales about transitioning to practice during the Covid-19 pandemic as registrants on the HCPC temporary register. Radiography (10.1016/j.radi.2020.09.001)
- Judge, A.et al. 2020. Evaluating Canadian radiation therapists’ and UK therapeutic radiographers’ experiences and opinions of a safety strap to secure patients during radiotherapy. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences 51(3), pp. 436-442. (10.1016/j.jmir.2020.05.006)
- Abdul-Razak, W., Courtier, N. and Kelly, D. 2020. Opportunities for radiographer reporting in Ghana and the potential for improved patient care. Radiography 26(2), pp. e120-e125. (10.1016/j.radi.2019.09.011)
2019
- Courtier, N.et al. 2019. The volume of liver irradiated during modern free-breathing breast radiotherapy: implications for theory and practice. Radiography 25(2), pp. 103-107. (10.1016/j.radi.2018.12.003)
2018
- Courtier, N.et al. 2018. Soluble interleukin-6 receptor mediated fatigue highlights immunological heterogeneity of patients with early breast cancer who undergo radiation therapy. Advances in Radiation Oncology 3(4), pp. 552-558. (10.1016/j.adro.2018.05.007)
- Courtier, N.et al. 2018. ACTIVE: a randomised feasibility trial of a behavioural intervention to reduce fatigue in women undergoing radiotherapy for early breast cancer: study protocol. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 4, article number: 85. (10.1186/s40814-018-0275-7)
- Lester, J. F.et al. 2018. Initial results of the phase ib/II, I-START trial: Isotoxic accelerated radiotherapy for the treatment of stage II-IIIb NSCLC. [Meeting Abstract}. Journal of Clinical Oncology 36(15_Sup), article number: e20551. (10.1200/JCO.2018.36.15_suppl.e20551)
2016
- Courtier, N.et al. 2016. Cancer and dementia: an exploratory study of the experience of cancer treatment in people with dementia. Psycho-Oncology 25(9), pp. 1079-1084. (10.1002/pon.4212)
- Schembri, A.et al. 2016. The impact of breast size on mean lung dose for patients receiving tangential radiotherapy to the whole breast. Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice 15(2), pp. 181-188. (10.1017/S1460396916000091)
2015
- Mantzourani, E. D.et al. 2015. Perceptions of faculty in health care and social sciences on teaching international students. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 7(5), pp. 635-644. (10.1016/j.cptl.2015.06.018)
2013
- Courtier, N.et al. 2013. A prognostic tool to predict fatigue in women with early-stage breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy. The Breast 22(4), pp. 504-509. (10.1016/j.breast.2012.10.002)
- Courtier, N.et al. 2013. Psychological and immunological characteristics of fatigued women undergoing radiotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer 21(1), pp. 173-181. (10.1007/s00520-012-1508-6)
2012
- Lester, J. F.et al. 2012. 156 The I-START trial: ISoToxic Accelerated RadioTherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer [Abstract]. Lung Cancer 75(S1), pp. S51. (10.1016/S0169-5002(12)70157-5)
2011
- Courtier, N.et al. 2011. Hepatic Irradiation during Modern Radiotherapy Protocols after Breast Conservation [Abstract]. Clinical Oncology 23(3), pp. 199-203. (10.1016/j.clon.2011.01.363)
2010
- Courtier, N. 2010. Fatigue during radiotherapy for early-stage breast cancer and its relationship to irradiated volumes, IL-6sR and anxiety and depression: Towards a prognostic model. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
2009
- Courtier, N., Gambling, T. and Mason, M. D. 2009. Fatigue, depression and physical activity in breast radiotherapy patients: Are they explained by sickness behaviour? [Abstract]. Clinical Oncology 21(3), pp. 251-251. (10.1016/j.clon.2009.01.001)
2008
- Courtier, N., Gambling, T. and Mason, M. D. 2008. Acute fatigue in a breast radiotherapy cohort and its relationship to irradiated volumes, body mass index and biological factors. Presented at: National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference, Birmingham, UK, 5-8 October 2008.
- Courtier, N., Gambling, T. and Mason, M. D. 2008. Joy in repetition: the effect of advances in statistical software on the analysis of repeated measures studies in radiotherapy research. Presented at: Society & College of Radiographers Radiotherapy Conference, Brighton, 2 February 2008.
2007
- Courtier, N. and Mundy, L. A. 2007. The volume of the liver irradiated during breast radiotherapy. Presented at: Society & College of Radiographers Radiotherapy Conference, Brighton, 1 February 2007.
Teaching
I am an experienced lecturer in radiotherapy, oncology and research methods at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Teaching interests include radiotherapy treatment planning, lung and breast cancer and research design. Between 2012 and 2018, I was part of a small teaching team that delivered the University of Malta pre-registration radiotherapy.
I supervise research with undergraduate and taught and research postgraduate students. I have experience of doctoral examination in the UK and overseas.
My profile as an independent researcher has been established on a programme of work looking at radiotherapy-related fatigue – progressing from understanding the psychological and radio-biological causes to identification of host immunological mediators and development of novel methods to predict and minimise fatigue.
A second stream seeks to explore the experience and outcomes of people with cognitive and physical impairments accessing cancer services.
A third areas of work is technical radiotherapy research with a translational focus on reduced toxicity.
Work has been funded by Tenovus Cancer Care, Welsh Government, Cancer Research UK, College of Radiographers and Research Capacity Building Collaboration.
Supervision
I am interested in supervising students in the areas of:
- Radiotherapy theory and practice
- Experience of cancer treatment
- Management of breast and lung cancer
- Inequalities in cancer care
Current doctoral students:
‘The extent and experience of altered taste during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer’
‘Role extension opportunities in diagnostic radiography in Ghana and potential to impact on patient care’
‘Global research on the impact of dermatological disease (GRIDD): development and validation of a patient-centred impact measure for adults with skin conditions’
‘Rural radiography practice: exploration of experiences of radiographers in Ghana’
