Professor Louise Jones elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
Congratulations to Professor Louise Jones, Professor of Breast Pathology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, who has been elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences. She joins 60 exceptional biomedical and health scientists elected to its prestigious Fellowship today.
The Academy’s Fellowship includes some of the most influential biomedical and health scientists in the UK and internationally. Election to the Academy recognises Fellows’ outstanding contributions to advancing medical science and delivering tangible benefits for patients and the public.
Professor Louise Jones is Professor of Breast Pathology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and an honorary consultant histopathologist at Barts Health NHS Trust. She has been elected to the Academy for her national leadership in modernising pathology. Her work is supporting the use of genomics in UK healthcare, advancing precision medicine and contributing to progress towards AI-powered cancer care.
Professor Jones says:
“I feel honoured to become part of such a prestigious society. The Academy of Medical Sciences represents expertise, excellence and integrity in biomedical science, and has a reach that extends across medicine and society. These are all things I value deeply in my profession.
Clinical diagnostics is undergoing a massive transformation. Personalised treatment, guided by molecular profiling, is becoming the norm, while molecular technologies and AI are developing rapidly. The Academy brings together experts, patients and the public to influence policy and achieve change. This is the only way these huge advances will translate into clinical impact, and I look forward to being part of that.”
Professor Jones is elected alongside Professor Andrew Prendergast, Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunology at Queen Mary’s Blizard Institute, whose work focuses on child health, infection and nutrition, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, Vice-Principal for Health at Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, says:
“We are absolutely delighted that Professors Louise Jones and Andrew Prendergast have been elected as Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This is a richly deserved recognition of two exceptional researchers whose work is improving lives both in the UK and globally.
Their election reflects not only their individual achievements, but also Queen Mary’s deep commitment to research that tackles some of the most urgent health challenges facing society today. We are immensely proud to celebrate this achievement with them.”
Professor Nitzan Rosenfeld, Director of Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, says:
“I am immensely proud to congratulate Professor Louise Jones on her election as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Louise is an inspiring scientist, clinician, educator, and innovative leader in the adoption of advanced technology into cancer pathology.
In addition to her own area of research into early stages of breast cancer, she has made and continues to spearhead numerous key contributions that help place the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London and the UK as a whole as trendsetters in translational cancer research, in areas spanning cancer genomics, digital pathology, implementation of AI into routine healthcare, and more.”
Professor Jones is Chief Scientific Officer of PharosAI, a major UK initiative launched in 2025. PharosAI is creating a platform that links vast quantities of different types of data – including NHS patient records, gene sequencing data and tissue imaging – to enable researchers to apply AI tools to improve cancer diagnosis, drug discovery and treatment. It is a partnership between Queen Mary University of London, King’s College London, Barts Health NHS Trust, and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, backed by more than £40 million in public and private investment.
Professor Jones has held national leadership roles in genomic medicine, including as Lead for Molecular Pathology at Genomics England during the 100,000 Genomes Project. She also co-leads the Breast Cancer Now Biobank, the UK’s largest collection of high-quality breast tissue, breast cells and blood samples from people with breast cancer, which she helped establish in 2010.
At Barts Cancer Institute, she leads a laboratory studying ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS – an early, non-invasive form of breast cancer that can develop into invasive breast cancer in around 20% of people. Her team is working to understand who needs treatment (such as surgery) and who may be able to avoid it, by studying how DCIS progresses and which markers could guide treatment decisions.
Alongside her research, Professor Jones has helped shape education and training in pathology and genomic medicine across the UK. In addition to playing a major role in designing and teaching Queen Mary’s cancer sciences postgraduate courses, she established the UK National Genomics Training Programme for pathology trainees and has trained hundreds of pathologists in genomic testing.
Professor Jones is also committed to involving patients and the public in research. She helped establish VOICE, the first UK science training course for patient advocates, in partnership with the charity Independent Cancer Patients' Voice. As part of PharosAI, she also co-founded PIVOT, the Patient Involvement, Voice and Outreach Team, which brings together patients, carers and community representatives to help shape how AI is developed and used in healthcare.
Her election to the Academy recognises a career dedicated to realising the potential of personalised medicine, genomics and AI to transform the lives of people with cancer.
Read more:
- Queen Mary University of London co-leads £43.6m initiative to accelerate AI-powered cancer breakthroughs: PharosAI
- Professor Louise Jones wins Goudie medal for excellence in pathology
- OPTIMA: Improving treatment for patients with prostate, breast and lung cancer through artificial intelligence
- Professor Louise Jones wins RCPath Award
Category: General News, Grants & Awards
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