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# Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London

Driving Discoveries for Tomorrow's Cancer Care

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [News](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/) - Catch up on the latest news and updates from the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London. From important announcements to behind-the-scenes highlights, there’s always something new to explore.
- [DNA-copying overload may reveal which cancer cells respond to ATR-inhibitor drugs](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/dna-copying-overload-may-reveal-which-cancer-cells-respond-to-atr-inhibitor-drugs/) - Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that makes some cancer cells especially vulnerable to experimental drugs known as ATR inhibitors. The findings could support the development of tests to identify the patients most likely to benefit.
- [Study reveals gaps in cancer risk assessment and genetic tools for British Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-reveals-gaps-in-cancer-risk-assessment-and-genetic-tools-for-british-bangladeshi-and-pakistani-communities/) - Scientists have carried out one of the largest and most comprehensive studies to date of the genetic and clinical factors associated with cancer in British Bangladeshi and Pakistani people. The findings could help inform future efforts to make cancer screening and risk assessment more equitable.
- [AI combines multiple DNA clues to improve cancer detection from blood](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ai-combines-multiple-dna-clues-to-improve-cancer-detection-from-blood/) - Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence method that can detect signs of cancer by combining several different clues found in DNA fragments circulating in the blood. The method, developed by a team led by scientists at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and the University of Cambridge, uses a comparatively inexpensive form of genome sequencing to detect signals shared by a range of cancer types.
- [Protein lost in lung cancer reveals hidden layer of gene control](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/protein-lost-in-lung-cancer-reveals-hidden-layer-of-gene-control/) - Scientists at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, have uncovered an important way that cells keep their genes under control. The discovery could help explain one of the earliest molecular changes that occurs during the development of lung cancer. The study, published in Science Advances, reveals that a protein called LIMD1, which is frequently lost in lung cancer, plays a much bigger role in controlling gene activity than scientists previously realised. The findings uncover a previously hidden layer of gene regulation and may provide new insight into how normal cells begin to lose control during the earliest stages of cancer.
- [‘Sugar-coated’ tumour matrix may offer way to make triple-negative breast cancer easier to treat](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/sugar-coated-tumour-matrix-may-offer-way-to-make-triple-negative-breast-cancer-easier-to-treat/) - Researchers at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, have discovered a way in which the environment surrounding triple-negative breast cancer cells helps suppress our immune system, making this cancer harder to treat. The findings open the door to a potential new treatment strategy that could make triple-negative breast cancers more vulnerable to the immune system and help more people to benefit from immunotherapy in future.
- [Scientists awarded £5.7m to harness epigenetics in next-generation anti-viral therapies](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/scientists-awarded-5-7m-to-harness-epigenetics-in-next-generation-anti-viral-therapies/) - BCI researcher Dr Gabriella Ficz and team have been awarded funding as part of a £5.7m national collaborative initiative exploring how epigenetics can be harnessed to strengthen our immune system’s ability to fight viruses. Dr Ficz will receive £880,000 to support her team’s contribution to the epiPRIME project, awarded by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).
- [Professor Louise Jones elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-louise-jones-elected-fellow-of-the-academy-of-medical-sciences/) - Professor Louise Jones at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has been elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences. She joins 60 exceptional biomedical and health scientists elected to its prestigious Fellowship.
- [BCI PhD Day - Celebrating the work of our postgraduate research students](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-phd-day-celebrating-the-work-of-our-postgraduate-research-students/) - After taking place online for the last two years running, we were pleased to be able to hold this year’s annual BCI PhD Day in person on 15th September. Organised by the BCI PhD Forum, PhD Day celebrates the work of our postgraduate research students and provides the opportunity for them to showcase their research to fellow students and academics.
- [Study offers clues to blood cancer risk, revealing how gene mutations compete over time](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-offers-clues-to-blood-cancer-risk-revealing-how-gene-mutations-compete-over-time/) - Researchers have developed a new way to understand how genetic changes linked to blood cancer evolve in our cells, offering new insight into predicting blood cancer risk.
- [Lab-grown ovarian ‘mini-tumours’ provide new tool for immunotherapy research](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/lab-grown-ovarian-mini-tumours-provide-new-tool-for-immunotherapy-research/) - Researchers have developed a way to grow miniature ovarian tumours in the lab that mimic the tumour environment found in patients. The new approach offers a useful way to study how cancer cells interact with the immune system and to explore potential treatments. Ultimately, it could help accelerate progress for patients and reduce reliance on research methods involving animals.
- [NHS changes guidelines for bladder cancer patients following new clinical trial results](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/nhs-changes-guidelines-for-bladder-cancer-patients-following-new-clinical-trial-results/) - Thousands of people with advanced bladder cancer across the UK can now receive three rather than six chemotherapy cycles after research led by Professor Thomas Powles and team leads to a change to NHS treatment guidelines. For patients, this means fewer toxic side effects and a better quality of life during treatment.
- [New £1m clinical trial launches to improve quality of life for people with myelodysplastic syndromes](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-1m-clinical-trial-launches-to-improve-quality-of-life-for-people-with-myelodysplastic-syndromes/) - Researchers have been awarded £1m to launch a new clinical trial for people with myelodysplastic syndromes, a form of blood cancer with limited treatment options.
- [KEYNOTE-522: Immune therapy for breast cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/keynote-522-clinical-trial-represents-important-step-forward-for-immunotherapy-in-early-breast-cancer/) - Results of an interim analysis from the KEYNOTE-522 trial have shown a treatment combination of immunotherapy plus chemotherapy to improve response rates in patients with early triple-negative breast cancer. Prof Peter Schmid presented the results at the ESMO Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.
- [Barts Cancer Institute teams awarded nearly £3m from Cancer Research UK to seek novel cancer therapy targets](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/barts-cancer-institute-teams-awarded-nearly-3m-from-cancer-research-uk-to-seek-novel-cancer-therapy-targets/)
- [New spinout launches to advance early pancreatic cancer detection](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-spinout-launches-to-advance-early-pancreatic-cancer-detection/) - Queen Mary University of London has launched a new company, Procyon Diagnostics, to provide pioneering early cancer detection tests. The company’s first test, PancRISK, offers new hope for detecting pancreatic cancer earlier, building on over 15 years of research by Professor Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic at Queen Mary’s Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), funded by the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.
- [Introducing: Professor Nitzan Rosenfeld](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/introducing-professor-nitzan-rosenfeld/) - Our new Director Professor Nitzan Rosenfeld tells us about his journey leading to the BCI.
- [Professor Nitzan Rosenfeld appointed as new Barts Cancer Institute Director](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-nitzan-rosenfeld-appointed-as-new-barts-cancer-institute-director/) - We're delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Nitzan Rosenfeld as our new Director
- [New treatment for mesothelioma improves survival in breakthrough clinical trial](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-treatment-for-mesothelioma-improves-survival-in-breakthrough-clinical-trial/) - The ATOMIC-meso trial is the culmination of 20 years of research at the Barts Cancer Institute
- [Celebrating the BCI’s highlights of 2025](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/celebrating-the-bcis-highlights-of-2025/) - join us as we look back at some highlights of Barts Cancer Institute’s news stories of 2025.
- [New approach offers hope for people with rare eye cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-approach-offers-hope-for-people-with-rare-eye-cancer/) - A more active approach to monitoring and treating people with a rare eye cancer (known as uveal melanoma) that has spread to the liver could help some patients to live longer, according to researchers at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London. The findings, from a retrospective study of the largest UK cohort of patients with this condition to date, offer an encouraging sign of progress in this rare and difficult-to-treat cancer.
- [Driving Discoveries for Tomorrow's Cancer Care](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/driving-discoveries-for-tomorrows-cancer-care/) - Today, on World Cancer Day, we’re sharing a new film. Join us as we go behind the scenes at Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London and meet the people who are making progress possible.
- [Breakthrough life-extending treatment for advanced bladder cancer available on NHS](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/breakthrough-life-extending-treatment-for-advanced-bladder-cancer-available-on-nhs/) - The new combination treatment offers hope to thousands of people living with advanced urothelial cancer. The clinical trials, led by Professor Tom Powles, showed that overall survival rates were almost twice as long with this new treatment compared to the current standard treatment.
- [New blood test for prostate cancer is highly accurate and avoids invasive biopsies](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-blood-test-for-prostate-cancer-is-highly-accurate-and-avoids-invasive-biopsies/) - A new and simple blood test has been found to efficiently and accurately detect the presence of aggressive prostate cancer, in a study led by BCI's Professor Yong-Jie Lu.
- [Immunotherapy shows promise for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/immunotherapy-shows-promise-for-patients-with-metastatic-triple-negative-breast-cancer/) - Immunotherapy has been shown to confer an encouraging survival benefit in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC).
- [Investigating new strategies to target lung cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/investigating-new-strategies-to-target-lung-cancer/) - Recent research from Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) at Queen Mary University of London has identified a novel therapeutic strategy to target lung cancer tumours that lack the gene LIMD1.
- [New Epigenetics Hub set to advance early disease detection](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-epigenetics-hub-set-to-advance-early-disease-detection/) - A £3m collaboration will investigate how marks on DNA in blood enable early disease detection
- [Long noncoding RNAs in genome stability and cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/unravelling-the-role-of-long-noncoding-rnas-in-genome-stability-and-cancer/) - Dr Lovorka Stojic, Group Leader in the Centre for Cancer Cell & Molecular Biology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has recently received a Cancer Research UK Career Establishment Award to investigate the role of long noncoding RNAs in the maintenance of genome stability and in cancer.
- [Evolutionary Insights: From cancer to corals](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/evolutionary-insights-from-cancer-to-corals/) - Dr Benjamin Werner has teamed up with evolutionary ecologists as part of a new research collaboration, funded by a $1 million research grant from the Human Frontier Science Program.
- [BCI researcher part of team shortlisted for Cancer Grand Challenges awards](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-researcher-part-of-international-team-shortlisted-for-cancer-grand-challenges-awards/) - Dr Benjamin Werner from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, is part of an international team that has been selected to share its ideas on how to solve one of cancer’s toughest challenges.
- [BCI researcher receives UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Award](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-researcher-receives-ukri-future-leaders-fellowship-award/) - Dr Benjamin Werner from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, is one of the next generation of UK science leaders to receive funding through UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowships scheme. Dr Werner will receive an award of approximately £1.4 million, which will support a research project looking at the evolutionary dynamics of circular extra-chromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in human cancers.
- [BCI researcher joins global Cancer Grand Challenges team](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-researcher-joins-global-cancer-grand-challenges-team-taking-on-some-of-the-most-challenging-forms-of-cancer/) - Dr Benjamin Werner from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London is part of a world-class team of researchers that has been selected to receive a £20m Cancer Grand Challenges award to tackle the challenge of extrachromosomal DNA, a major driver of tumour evolution present in around a third of cancers.
- [Understanding the role of cancer’s circular genome in tumour evolution](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/understanding-the-role-of-cancers-circular-genome-in-tumour-evolution/) - New research, co-led by Dr Benjamin Werner from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, indicates that the circular DNA structures present in around a third of cancers lead to extensive genetic diversity within tumours, giving them the ability to adapt rapidly to environmental stress and resist targeted cancer treatment.
- [First steps towards a vaccine for pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/uk-and-china-research-team-take-first-steps-towards-a-vaccine-for-pancreatic-cancer/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute and Zhengzhou University have developed a personalised vaccine system that could ultimately delay the onset of pancreatic cancer. The study reports the team’s work with a pre-clinical model using mice, and provides strong proof-of-concept for the creation of a vaccine for cancer prevention in individuals at high risk of developing this disease.
- [Steps towards the development of a new immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/steps-towards-the-development-of-a-new-immunotherapy-for-pancreatic-cancer/) - A research team led by Professor Yaohe Wang at the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has created a novel oncolytic viral agent expressing interleukin-12 (IL-12) that shows promise as a potential anti-tumour immunotherapy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
- [Study links widely-used drug azathioprine to skin cancers](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-links-widely-used-drug-azathioprine-to-skin-cancers/) - A drug used to treat inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis, and prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, has been identified as an important contributor to skin cancer development in a study by researchers from Queen Mary University of London, including our Barts Cancer Research UK Centre (BCC) Bioinformatics team, the University of Dundee and the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
- [Dissecting complex biological pathways with machine learning](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/dissecting-complex-biological-pathways-with-machine-learning/) - We spoke with Group Leader Dr Jun Wang and Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Anthony Anene from Barts Cancer Institute’s Centre for Cancer Genomics & Computational Biology about their most recent publication. Published in Patterns, the paper describes the development of a machine-learning tool called ACSNI that can be used to predict tissue-specific pathway components from large biological datasets.
- [Therapy for high-grade glioma](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/combination-therapy-for-high-grade-glioma/) - A phase I clinical trial that set out to assess the safety of a new combination therapy for a type of aggressive brain tumour has found the treatment to be well tolerated in patients. The trial used a treatment combination of ADI-PEG20, pemetrexed and cisplatin, which showed encouraging efficacy in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas (HGGs), a disease for which little progress has been made over the last few decades.
- [Investigating new treatment options for mesothelioma](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/investigating-new-treatment-options-for-mesothelioma/) - Results from a phase I clinical trial led by Professor Peter Szlosarek were recently published in JTO Clinical and Research Reports. The trial was investigating the safety and efficacy of a new drug combination for the treatment of mesothelioma. We spoke to Professor Szlosarek to find out more about the trial, and how the drug combination may be able to help patients with mesothelioma.
- [BCI and KCL collaboration develops a clinically-relevant CAR T cell imaging system](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-and-kcl-collaboration-develops-a-clinically-relevant-car-t-cell-imaging-system/) - A collaboration involving researchers from BCI’s Centre for Molecular Oncology, led by Dr Jane Sosabowski, and the ImmunoEngineering Group of King’s College London (KCL), led by Dr Sophie Papa, has developed an effective and clinically-relevant imaging system to monitor chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells within the body. This system reduced the tumour burden in a pre-clinical model of prostate cancer and allowed for repeated and non-invasive assessment of CAR T cell localisation.
- [BCI scientist visits politicians in Westminster](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-scientist-visits-politicians-in-westminster/) - Dr John Riches from our Centre for Haemato-Oncology swapped a lab coat for legislation when he visited Zoë Grunewald (Second Clerk - Commons Science and Technology Committee) at the House of Commons for a week in Westminster. The week (26-30th November 2018) was part of a unique pairing scheme run by the Royal Society.
- [Combining medicine with blood cancer research](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/combining-medicine-with-blood-cancer-research/) - This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Dr John Riches, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London. Dr Riches is a clinician scientist who splits his time between BCI where he leads a group researching blood cancer in our Centre for Haemato-Oncology and directs the MSc Cancer & Clinical Oncology Programme, and St Bartholemew’s Hospital where he treats blood cancer patients.
- [Investigating new treatment targets for lymphoma, and beyond](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/investigating-new-treatment-targets-for-lymphoma-and-beyond/) - We spoke with Dr John Riches, Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Haemato-Oncology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, about his team’s recent publication, which describes a new potential treatment target for a subset of lymphomas.
- [Flying in the face of cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/using-flies-to-reveal-mechanisms-of-cancer-development-qa-with-dr-ribeiro/) - Using flies to reveal mechanisms of cancer development- Q&A with Dr Ribeiro Dr Paulo Ribeiro is a Senior Lecturer and Group Leader in our Centre for Tumour Biology. His research group focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms that regulate tissue growth, invasion and spread using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. We asked Dr Ribeiro
- [AR alterations in prostate cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ar-alterations-in-prostate-cancer/) - Recent findings from a study published in JAMA Oncology have identified genetic markers within blood samples which may indicate whether patients with prostate cancer will respond to hormonal therapies. The study may represent an important step forward for the development of more personalised treatments for advanced prostate cancer.
- [Barts Cancer Institute hosts its first Robotic Surgery Symposium](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/barts-cancer-institute-hosts-its-first-robotic-surgery-symposium/) - On 4th November 2021, Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust, hosted its first Robotic Surgery Symposium, focused on the use of robotic systems for minimally invasive (or laparoscopic) surgery.
- [Study identifies how cancer-causing gene regulates genetic variation in prostate cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-identifies-how-cancer-causing-gene-regulates-genetic-variation-in-prostate-cancer/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, the Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, and the University of Milan have identified a novel role for a cancer-causing gene in controlling an important genetic process that underpins genetic variation in prostate cancer.
- [Introducing Dr Barrie Peck](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/introducing-dr-barrie-peck/) - Introducing new Group Leader, Dr Barrie Peck We are pleased to welcome Dr Barrie Peck to the CRUK Barts Centre as a new Group Leader. We recently spoke with Barrie to find out more about him, his research and the work he will be doing on cancer metabolism. Barrie undertook a degree in Molecular Biology
- [CRUK Career Establishment Award](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cruk-career-establishment-award/) - Dr Oliver Pearce has received a Cancer Research UK Career Establishment Award, which will fund a project that will look at restoring response to immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.
- [Introducing Dr Diu Nguyen](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/introducing-dr-diu-nguyen/) - We would like to wish a very warm welcome to Dr Diu Nguyen who has recently joined the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London as a Lecturer and Group Leader. Dr Nguyen joins us from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA, where she completed her postdoctoral training investigating the role of post-transcriptional regulation in normal and malignant cancer stem cells.
- [Understanding the evolution of Barrett’s oesophagus to cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/understanding-the-evolution-of-barretts-oesophagus-to-cancer/) - February is Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Month. At Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, a key area of research focus is on a condition that can precede oesophageal cancer called Barrett’s oesophagus.
- [Research team awarded £20m funding to tackle cancer’s biggest questions](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-team-awarded-20m-grand-challenge-funding-from-cruk-to-tackle-cancers-biggest-questions/) - Dr Stuart McDonald from our Centre for Tumour Biology has been announced by Cancer Research UK as a member of a global research team funded through its Grand Challenge competition- an international funding initiative that aims to answer some of the biggest questions facing cancer research.
- [Blood test predicts chemotherapy resistance in prostate cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/blood-test-predicts-which-prostate-cancer-patients-are-resistant-to-chemotherapy-drug/) - Research conducted at Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, indicates that regular blood tests before and during chemotherapy for prostate cancer can detect whether or not a patient is resistant or developing resistance to treatment with a drug called docetaxel.
- [Clinical study to investigate new personalised treatment for ovarian cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/clinical-study-to-investigate-new-personalised-treatment-for-ovarian-cancer/) - Dr Michelle Lockley from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London has received funding from Barts Charity and the Anticancer Fund to investigate a new personalised treatment approach for ovarian cancer that has returned after previous chemotherapy.
- [Ovarian Cancer Perspectives: Q&A with Dr Michelle Lockley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ovarian-cancer-perspectives-qa-with-dr-michelle-lockley/) - In recognition of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Dr Michelle Lockley, Group Leader and clinical researcher in BCI’s Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology. Dr Lockley’s research group focuses on improving treatments for women with ovarian cancer, particularly for those whose tumours are resistant to chemotherapy.
- [Unravelling the circuitry that controls cancer growth and spread](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/unravelling-the-circuitry-that-controls-cancer-growth-and-spread/) - Research reveals novel insights into the molecular circuitry controlling cancer cell growth and spread. The findings highlight new pathways involved in these key processes of cancer progression that may represent targets for therapies.
- [New insight into how a faulty protein drives lung cancer gives clues to why some therapies fail](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-insight-into-how-a-faulty-protein-metex14-drives-lung-cancer-gives-clues-to-why-some-therapies-fail/) - The findings could help explain why cancer drugs that target the molecule MET work for some people but not others.
- [Genomics project reaches goal of 100,000 genomes sequenced from NHS patients](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/genomics-project-reaches-goal-of-100000-genomes-sequenced-from-nhs-patients/) - UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced yesterday that a project involving Queen Mary researchers has reached its goal of sequencing 100,000 whole genomes from NHS patients.
- [Biological clues in tissues surrounding breast tumours](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/biological-clues-in-tissue-surrounding-breast-tumours-could-indicate-likelihood-of-cancer-recurrence/) - A new study has identified molecular characteristics in ‘normal-looking’ tissues surrounding breast tumours that may indicate whether breast cancer is likely to return following surgical removal of the tumour.
- [Prof Jones wins RCPath Award](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-jones-wins-rcpath-award/) - Congratulations to Professor Louise Jones who is the recipient of a RCPath Excellence Award, which celebrates excellence in pathology practice and promotes high standards in pathology education, training and research to deliver the best patient care.
- [Research identifies new way to halt pancreatic cancer invasion by targeting healthy cells](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-identifies-new-way-to-halt-pancreatic-cancer-invasion-by-targeting-healthy-cells/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London have identified a new channel of communication through which non-cancerous cells drive the invasion of cancer cells in pancreatic cancer. By blocking a particular signalling molecule within this pathway, called Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1, the team was able to reduce invasion of pancreatic cancer cells in the laboratory.
- [Unexpected inhibitor of breast cancer invasion revealed](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/unexpected-inhibitor-of-breast-cancer-invasion-revealed/) - The findings could help us to distinguish who will benefit from treatment
- [Switching on survival signalling to drive drug resistance](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/switching-on-survival-signalling-to-drive-drug-resistance/) - Researchers at the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, led by Dr Richard Grose, Centre for Tumour Biology, have discovered that the loss of a single protein- PHLDA1- is sufficient for the development of drug resistance to a type of targeted therapy in endometrial and HER2-positive breast cancer cells.
- [In conversation with Professor Marco Gerlinger](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/in-conversation-with-professor-marco-gerlinger/) - This International Clinical Trials Day, we spoke with Professor Marco Gerlinger. Professor Gerlinger and his team’s laboratory research focuses on understanding and overcoming drug resistance in bowel and gastro-oesophageal cancers, and identifying new and more effective ways to treat these cancers using immunotherapies and combination therapies.
- [Understanding the role of the bone marrow in blood cell health and disease](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/understanding-the-role-of-the-bone-marrow-in-blood-cell-health-and-disease/) - Congratulations to Dr Miguel Ganuza from Barts Cancer Institute’s Centre for Haemato-Oncology who is the recipient of a Career Development Award from the Medical Research Council. The award of approximately £1.5 million over 5 years will fund a research project that will investigate how the bone marrow supports blood stem cells and how changes within the bone marrow can drive the development of diseases, such as leukaemia.
- [Miguel Ganuza receives ASH Global Research Award](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/miguel-ganuza-receives-ash-global-research-award/) - Congratulations to Dr Miguel Ganuza from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, who has been selected by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) to receive the 2021 ASH Global Research Award. Dr Ganuza is one of twelve talented early-career investigators selected for this award.
- [Research explainer with Dr Gabriella Ficz](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-explainer-with-dr-gabriella-ficz/) - We spoke with Dr Gabriela Ficz to find out about her recent publication in Nature Communications. The study set out to determine how embryonic stem cells can acquire features that are found in cancer cells.
- [Introducing Dr Özgen Deniz](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/introducing-dr-ozgen-deniz/) - We are pleased to welcome Dr Özgen Deniz to Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) at Queen Mary University of London as a Lecturer and Group Leader. After receiving a Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellowship, Dr Deniz is establishing her own independent research group in BCI’s Centre for Haemato-Oncology.
- [Stepping behind the scenes](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/stepping-behind-the-scenes-bloodwise-supporters-visit-the-bci/) - Last month, Barts Cancer Institute’s Dr Bela Wrench hosted a session as part of the Bloodwise Lab Tour Programme, aimed at bringing current and potential supporters closer to research funded by the charity and to demonstrate the impact they can have in the fight against blood cancer.
- [Novel insights into graft-versus-host disease](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/novel-insights-into-graft-versus-host-disease/) - Research led by Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has identified a subset of immune cells involved in site-specific tissue damage in cancer patients who have developed harmful graft-versus-host disease after stem cell transplantation. The insights gained from the study may help to define new targets for more selective approaches to prevent or treat this condition in patients who have received a stem cell transplant.
- [Urine test for pancreatic cancer starts clinical study](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/urine-test-to-detect-early-stage-pancreatic-cancer-starts-clinical-study/) - A urine test that can detect early stage pancreatic cancer has reached the final stage of validation before being developed for use with patients. If successful, this non-invasive urine test would be the first in the world to help clinicians detect the highly lethal cancer at an early stage - enabling many more people to have surgery to remove their tumour, which is currently the only potentially curative treatment.
- [Metal analysis of urine for pancreatic cancer detection](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/metal-analysis-of-urine-for-pancreatic-cancer-detection/) - Research has revealed that the signature of metal ions present in urine samples is an accurate indicator of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, one of the deadliest types of cancer.
- [Our pancreatic cancer research](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/our-pancreatic-cancer-research-looking-back-over-the-last-year/) - November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and today (19th November) is World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Join us in looking back at some of our pancreatic cancer research from the last year.
- [Our Pancreatic Cancer Research: From BCI Bench to Bedside](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/our-pancreatic-cancer-research-from-bci-bench-to-bedside/) - Pancreatic cancer is a core area of research focus at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, with a major aim being direct translation of laboratory research into clinical trials with the hope of improving outcomes for patients. Find out more this World Pancreatic Cancer Day.
- [Research on the use of urine biomarkers for early detection of pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-on-the-use-of-urine-biomarkers-for-early-detection-of-pancreatic-cancer/) - Professor Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic and her team at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, are working to identify biological clues or ‘biomarkers’ for early, non-invasive detection of pancreatic cancer in urine samples. In their most recent paper, published in the International Journal of Cancer, the team reported that a urine biomarker panel could detect pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer, up to 2 years before clinical diagnosis.
- [Research reveals how breast cancer drug can accelerate cancer cell growth](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-reveals-how-breast-cancer-drug-can-accelerate-cancer-cell-growth/) - The breast cancer drug lapatinib which is designed to shrink tumours can sometimes cause them to grow in the lab, according to a new study published in eLife. By understanding the molecular basis of this phenomenon, scientists hope that their findings will lead to safer treatment options and drug design in the future.
- [Targeting healthy cells changes invasive behaviour of pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-finds-targeting-healthy-cells-changes-invasive-behaviour-of-pancreatic-cancer/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, led by Dr Angus Cameron, have found a way to modulate the invasive behaviour of pancreatic cancer by targeting a non-cancerous cell type found within pancreatic tumours. The findings, published in Cell Reports, provide valuable insights into the biology of pancreatic cancer progression, and could help to drive improvements in cancer treatment.
- [UK charities join forces to fund the work of Dr Angus Cameron](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/uk-charities-join-forces-to-fund-the-work-of-dr-angus-cameron/) - BCI’s Dr Angus Cameron, Centre for Tumour Biology, is to receive joint funding from Worldwide Cancer Research and Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF) to support vital research on pancreatic cancer. The charities have awarded equal sums totalling £235,000 to support the work of Dr Cameron and his laboratory group.
- [Tackling blood cancer with Blood Cancer UK](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/tackling-blood-cancer-with-blood-cancer-uk/) - This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, find out about the Blood Cancer UK-funded research projects currently underway at the Barts Cancer Institute, which span from looking at the specific genetic changes that drive blood cancer development, to identifying new treatment strategies to improve the outcomes for patients.
- [Vitamin B5 could improve red blood cell production in people with myelodysplastic syndromes](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/vitamin-b5-could-help-improve-red-blood-cell-production-in-people-with-myelodysplastic-syndromes/) - Scientists from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London and the Francis Crick Institute, have uncovered why patients with a rare type of blood cancer suffer from ineffective red blood cell production, and how vitamin B5 could be combined with existing drugs to improve outcomes.
- [Clinical trial shows tumour-starving drug improves survival of mesothelioma](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/clinical-trial-shows-tumour-starving-drug-improves-survival-of-mesothelioma/) - An innovative therapy provides new hope to patients with malignant mesothelioma – a rare but rapidly fatal type of cancer with few effective treatment options – according to results presented by Professor Peter Szlosarek and his team at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [Ovarian cancer's protective barrier: how the tumour matrix teaches cells to disarm immune attack](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ovarian-cancers-protective-barrier/) - The results suggest new strategies to overcome the cancer’s defences and treat patients more effectively
- [Scientists uncover a promising strategy to combat leukaemia resistance](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/scientists-uncover-a-promising-strategy-to-combat-leukaemia-resistance/) - Research reveals a vulnerability in leukaemia cells that causes them to fill with toxic fatty acids
- [Skin cancer rewires its energy systems to spread more efficiently](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/skin-cancer-rewires-energy-systems-to-spread-more-efficiently/) - Melanoma cells rewire their mitochondria, but reversing this could make tumour cells less invasive.
- [Researchers shed light on the mystery of liver cells’ origins](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/researchers-shed-light-on-the-mystery-of-liver-cells-origins/) - Understanding how new liver cells are created could inform how and why cell growth spirals out of control in cancer
- [BCI researchers part of international team shortlisted for Cancer Grand Challenges award](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-researchers-part-of-international-team-shortlisted-for-cancer-grand-challenges-award/) - Dr Özgen Deniz and Dr Benjamin Werner are part of a team shortlisted for these prestigious awards
- [New tool predicts risk of skin cancer spread more accurately than human inspection](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-tool-predicts-risk-of-skin-cancer-spread-more-accurately-than-human-inspection-2/) - These results could aid the treatment of individuals most at risk of aggressive skin cancer.
- [New study suggests promising approach for treating pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-study-suggests-promising-approach-for-treating-pancreatic-cancer/) - Researchers have pinpointed the cells that drive the spread of pancreatic cancer and revealed a weakness in these cells that could be targeted using existing cancer drugs.
- [World Pancreatic Cancer Day: research reveals molecules that alter the disease’s spread](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/world-pancreatic-cancer-day-research-reveals-molecules-that-alter-the-diseases-spread/) - 'Star-shaped' cells in the pancreas emit molecules that alter the tumour's aggressiveness
- [Video: mini-tumours shed light on how pancreatic cancer spreads](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/video-mini-tumours-shed-light-on-how-pancreatic-cancer-spreads/) - We spoke to Professor Richard Grose about his lab's latest study, which uses mini-tumours to understand how pancreatic cancer coerces normal cells to help it spread to other tissues. The new paper has been featured on the cover of the latest issue of the Journal of Pathology.
- [Scientists uncover promising leukaemia treatment targeting fat metabolism](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/scientists-uncover-promising-leukaemia-treatment-targeting-fat-metabolism/) - Researchers at Barts Cancer Institute reveal promising acute myeloid leukaemia treatment targeting fat metabolism, addressing the urgent need for better therapies.
- [Introducing: Dr Vivek Singh](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/introducing-dr-vivek-singh/) - Dr Vivek Singh will be researching innovative AI approaches to medical data analysis.
- [Dr Luigi Ombrato awarded Cancer Research UK grant to understand how the seeds of secondary tumours grow](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/dr-luigi-ombrato-awarded-cancer-research-uk-grant-to-understand-how-the-seeds-of-secondary-tumours-grow/) - Congratulations to Dr Luigi Ombrato who has been awarded a £700k grant to investigate the earliest stages of cancer spread.
- [Scientists uncover protein with the power to help or hinder breast cancer progression](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/scientists-uncover-protein-with-the-power-to-help-or-hinder-breast-cancer-progression/) - The findings could help more patients to benefit from the latest advances in immunotherapies.
- [International Clinical Trials Day – how Barts clinical trials are changing cancer care](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/international-clinical-trials-day-how-barts-clinical-trials-are-changing-cancer-care/) - To mark International Clinical Trials Day 2024, we’re spotlighting some of our clinical trial work and how it is helping to transform the lives of people with cancer.
- [Tackling Inequalities in LGBTQIA+ Cancer Care with Dr Alison Berner](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/tackling-inequalities-in-lgbtqia-cancer-care-with-dr-alison-berner/) - Why does cancer disproportionately affect LGBTQIA+ people? We spoke to Dr Alison Berner.
- [International study reveals four distinct types of oesophageal cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/international-study-reveals-four-distinct-types-of-oesophageal-cancer/) - New research reveals that the most common type of oesophageal cancer, oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), is composed of four distinct subtypes—each of which may benefit from different treatment approaches.
- [€9.8m ERC Synergy grant awarded to study how human tissues stay healthy as we age](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/e9-8m-erc-synergy-grant-awarded-to-study-how-human-tissues-stay-healthy-as-we-age/) - Researchers at the BCI and the Crick have been awarded a €9.8m ERC Synergy grant for their pioneering 6-year project called MUTAHOME.
- [Cancer-killing virus treatment shows promise in brain tumour trial](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cancer-killing-virus-treatment-shows-promise-in-brain-tumour-trial/) - An innovative cancer-killing virus shows promise for tackling glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumour, according to new results from a phase I clinical trial co-led by researchers at Barts Cancer Institute.
- [How non-cancerous cells in pancreatic cancer may weaken the immune system's response](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/how-non-cancerous-cells-in-pancreatic-cancer-may-weaken-the-immune-systems-response/) - New research sheds light on how certain non-cancerous cells in pancreatic cancer can affect the body’s natural immune defences and could have a significant impact on patients’ survival.
- [Scientists discover the ‘roadmap’ that aggressive cancer uses to spread around the body and identify ways to block its escape](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/scientists-discover-the-roadmap-that-aggressive-cancer-uses-to-spread-around-the-body-and-identify-ways-to-block-its-escape/) - Scientists have discovered a new way to predict which tumours will become aggressive before they metastasise and spread around the body. The findings could help doctors spot which tumours are likely to be aggressive and cause metastatic cancer. They also open new avenues for treating cancer before it spreads.
- [Immunotherapy for advanced bladder cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/immunotherapy-improves-survival-in-patients-with-advanced-bladder-cancer-2/) - An immunotherapy drug called ‘avelumab’ has been shown to significantly improve survival in patients with the most common type of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led by Professor Tom Powles.
- [New class of drug reduces risk of death in bladder cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-class-of-drug-leads-to-30-per-cent-reduced-risk-of-death-for-bladder-cancer-patients/) - A new type of drug that helps target chemotherapy directly to cancer cells has been found to significantly increase survival of patients with the most common form of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led in the UK by Professor Tom Powles from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.
- [New drug combination doubles survival for people with bladder cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-drug-combination-doubles-survival-for-people-with-bladder-cancer/) - Clinical trial results from BCI and Barts NHS trust provide new hope for people with bladder cancer.
- [Immunotherapy drug improves survival for people with kidney cancer in landmark clinical trial](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/immunotherapy-drug-improves-survival-for-people-with-kidney-cancer-in-landmark-clinical-trial/) - Professor Tom Powles and team reveal first successful adjuvant therapy for kidney cancer in 50 years.
- [Professor Thomas Powles selected as one of Nature’s top ten people who shaped science in 2023](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-thomas-powles-selected-as-one-of-natures-top-ten-people-who-shaped-science-in-2023/) - Professor Powles has been recognised for his transformative clinical work delivering a life-extending treatment for severe bladder cancer.
- [Thomas Powles named in TIME's list of the 100 most influential people in global health this year ](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/thomas-powles-named-in-times-list-of-the-100-most-influential-people-in-global-health-this-year/) - Professor Powles has been recognised for his transformative clinical work delivering a life-extending treatment for severe bladder cancer.
- [‘The neighbouring effect’: Centrosomal abnormalities drive invasion of surrounding cells](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/the-neighbouring-effect-centrosomal-abnormalities-drive-invasion-of-surrounding-cells/) - Centrosomal amplification, a particular change that occurs within some cancer cells, has been shown to drive the invasion of neighbouring cancer cells.
- [Breaking down the barrier](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/breaking-down-the-barrier-fighting-fibrosis-in-pancreatic-cancer/) - The Medical Research Council has awarded Dr Godinho a £600,000 project grant to fund vital research on pancreatic cancer, that will investigate ways to tackle the impenetrable barrier that surrounds pancreatic tumours, in the hope of identifying targets for therapeutic intervention.
- [Cancer cell communications](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cancer-cell-communications-qa-with-dr-susana-godinho/) - We spoke with Dr Susana Godinho, Group Leader in Barts Cancer Institute’s Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, to find out about her recent paper published in Current Biology. Dr Godinho and her team set out to identify why cancer cells carrying extra centrosomes exhibit increased release of communications packages known as small extracellular vesicles.
- [Understanding centrosome amplification in cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/understanding-centrosome-amplification-in-cancer/) - Dr Susana Godinho, Group Leader in the Centre for Cancer Cell & Molecular Biology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has recently received a Cancer Research UK Discovery Programme Foundation Award. The award of approximately £1.4 million over 6 years will support a research project that will investigate the impact of centrosome amplification in cancer.
- [How cancer cells shapeshift to spread through the body](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-tool-predicts-risk-of-skin-cancer-spread-more-accurately-than-human-inspection/) - Researchers show how cancer cells rearrange their inner workings to squeeze between obstacles
- [Follicular lymphoma marked by spatial tumour heterogeneity](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/follicular-lymphoma-marked-by-spatial-tumour-heterogeneity/) - A research team at the BCI, Queen Mary University of London, led by Dr Jessica Okosun, Centre for Haemato-Oncology, has found that tumours at different sites within the same patient with follicular lymphoma can be genetically diverse. This suggests that a sole biopsy is incapable of capturing all the genetic events in any given individual and presents a significant challenge when providing targeted therapies to treat this disease.
- [Lymphomas: Perspectives from bench and bedside](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/lymphomas-perspectives-from-bench-and-bedside/) - We recently spoke with Dr Jessica Okosun about her work as a clinical researcher working on lymphoma. Find out about her motivations for becoming a clinical researcher and her work on blood cancers.
- [Dr Mirjana Efremova awarded £1m Cancer Research UK grant to decode bowel cancer’s plastic nature](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/dr-mirjana-efremova-awarded-1m-cancer-research-uk-grant-to-decode-bowel-cancers-plastic-nature/) - Congratulations to Dr Mirjana Efremova who has been awarded a £1m grant to use cutting-edge computational tools to study how bowel cancer adapts.
- [Research explainer: Mis-segregation of human chromosomes](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-explainer-mis-segregation-of-human-chromosomes/) - Dr Sarah McClelland from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has recently published new research in the journal Cell Reports revealing new insights into why cell division can sometimes go wrong.
- [Professor Sarah McClelland awarded £1.5m from CRUK to study cancer’s chromosomal chaos](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-sarah-mcclelland-awarded-1-5m-from-cruk-to-study-cancers-chromosomal-chaos/) - Congratulations to Professor Sarah McClelland, who has received a £1,500,000 Programme Foundation Award from Cancer Research UK (CRUK), to support her lab’s work at Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London.
- [SNPnexus in the fight against COVID-19](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/snpnexus-a-valuable-tool-in-the-fight-against-covid-19/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, have released a web-based tool called SNPnexus COVID to streamline the analysis of host genetic sequencing data and allow for the identification and prioritisation of genetic variants that may impact an individual’s susceptibility to and the severity of COVID-19 infection.
- [Impact of COVID-19 in patients with HBP conditions in East London](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/impact-of-covid-19-in-patients-with-hbp-conditions-in-east-london/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London have conducted a population-based study to explore the risk factors associated with COVID-19 susceptibility and survival in patients with a history of diseases of the liver, pancreas or biliary system - also known as hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) diseases - in East London.
- [OPTIMA: Improving treatment for cancer patients through artificial intelligence](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/optima-improving-treatment-for-patients-with-prostate-breast-and-lung-cancer-through-artificial-intelligence/) - Professors Claude Chelala and Louise Jones from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, are part of a €21.3 million public-private research programme that will seek to use artificial intelligence to improve care for patients with prostate, breast and lung cancer.
- [PCRF’s national pancreas tissue bank extends access to precious pancreas samples](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/pcrfs-national-pancreas-tissue-bank-extends-access-to-precious-pancreas-samples/) - The world’s first national pancreas tissue bank has recently opened its stores to UK-based researchers to access high-quality pancreas samples that will facilitate vital research into improving the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
- [Coming together to tackle pancreatic cancer – The London Pancreas Workshop](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/coming-together-to-tackle-pancreatic-cancer-the-london-pancreas-workshop/) - Experts in the field converged to discuss the latest advances in pancreatic cancer
- [Introducing: Dr Oscar Maiques](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/introducing-dr-oscar-maiques/) - Welcome to our newest group leader, Dr Oscar Maiques.
- [Shining a Spotlight on AI Research at the Barts Cancer Institute](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/shining-a-spotlight-on-ai-research-at-the-barts-cancer-institute/) - We explore Nobel-Prize-winning research and the theory behind AI, and speak with Dr Vivek Singh, Dr Oscar Maiques and Professor Claude Chelala, three researchers using cutting-edge AI in their work at the BCI.
- [Queen Mary's Barts Cancer Institute co-leads £43.6m initiative to accelerate AI-powered cancer breakthroughs](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/queen-marys-barts-cancer-institute-co-leads-43-6m-initiative-to-accelerate-ai-powered-cancer-breakthroughs/) - Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London will co-lead a ground-breaking collaboration, PharosAI, that aims to harness cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and unlock decades of NHS cancer data. The UK government is committing £18.9 million to the project.
- [Mouse models of ovarian cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/mouse-models-of-ovarian-cancer-an-invaluable-tool/) - Research led by the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has revealed that mouse models of the most common and deadly form of ovarian cancer, high-grade serous ovarian cancer, can effectively replicate the disease in humans. These models provide useful pre-clinical tools that may help to determine which patients are likely to respond to particular treatments.
- [Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ovarian-cancer-awareness-month-2/) - This Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke to Professor Fran Balkwill about her work and the challenges we face in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
- [Chromosomal instability in ovarian cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/chromosomal-instability-in-ovarian-cancer/) - We spoke with Dr Sarah McClelland and senior postdoctoral researcher in her group, Dr Nadeem Shaikh, about the team’s most recent paper, published in Cancer Research, which set out to explore the mechanisms of chromosomal instability in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma - the most common type of ovarian cancer. The study sheds light on how these mechanisms may be able to be targeted to overcome treatment resistance in this cancer type.
- [Combining research and public engagement](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/combining-research-and-public-engagement/) - Fran Balkwill, Professor of Cancer Biology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, recently wrote a World View article for the journal Nature Reviews Cancer, discussing her dual career in public engagement and research.
- [Impact of chemotherapy on immune cells in the TME](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/the-impact-of-chemotherapy-on-immune-cells-in-the-tumour-microenvironment/) - Research from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has revealed novel insights into the effects of chemotherapy on the tumour microenvironment (TME). The study found that chemotherapy enhances the anti-tumour actions of immune cells within the TME and their ability to support immune responses against cancer.
- [Building a human tumour microenvironment in the lab](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/building-a-human-tumour-microenvironment-in-the-lab/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, led by Professor Fran Balkwill and Dr Oliver Pearce, have built two 3D multi-cellular models of the human tumour microenvironment (TME) in ovarian cancer. The models, which are the first created from the CanBuild project, have revealed novel insights into the role of the TME in cancer progression.
- [BCI academic receives prestigious science learning award](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-academic-receives-prestigious-science-learning-award/) - Congratulations to Professor Fran Balkwill from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, who has been announced as the 2021 winner of the Beetlestone Award, which recognises leadership and legacy in the field of informal science learning.
- [BCI research features in new Science Museum Group exhibition on cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-research-features-in-new-science-museum-group-exhibition-on-cancer/) - A research project led by Professor Fran Balkwill from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London features in a world-first free exhibition exploring the revolution in science that is transforming cancer care.
- [Video: Illuminating the city of cells inside cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/illuminating-the-city-of-cells-inside-cancer/) - A new technique produces stunning, nebula-like images of tumours that provide crucial insights into cancer, how it behaves and how our immune cells attempt to fight it.
- [Video: Engineering a Tumour on a Chip](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/engineering-a-tumour-on-a-chip/) - Meet Dr Joash Joy, a postdoctoral researcher working on engineering artificial tumours to explore how cancer therapies can be made more effective.
- [Scientists identify strategy to make chemotherapy more effective for women with ovarian cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/scientists-identify-strategy-to-make-chemotherapy-more-effective-for-women-with-ovarian-cancer/) - Scientists have discovered a potential way to improve chemotherapy’s effect on ovarian cancer by manipulating specific immune cells around the tumour, potentially offering a way to help thousands of women with ovarian cancer benefit more from standard therapies and potentially delay relapses.
- [Professor Fran Balkwill named in top 100 female scientists in the UK](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-fran-balkwill-named-in-top-100-female-scientists-in-the-uk/) - On 21 October, Research.com released its first annual ranking of top female scientists in the world and Professor Fran Balkwill from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has been named as one of the top 100 female scientists in the UK. The aim of the ranking is to “inspire female scholars, women considering an academic career, as well as decision-makers worldwide with the example of successful women in the scientific community.”
- [New phase III clinical trial using combination therapy extends survival in triple-negative breast cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-trial-using-combination-therapy-extends-survival-in-triple-negative-breast-cancer/) - Research provides new hope for people with an aggressive type of breast cancer.
- [Immune therapy reduces risk of recurrence in aggressive breast cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/immune-therapy-reduces-risk-of-recurrence-in-aggressive-breast-cancer/) - An immune therapy for the most aggressive form of breast cancer can substantially reduce the risk of the disease returning, according to a clinical trial led by Professor Peter Schmid of Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [Research highlighted in ASCO annual report on progress against cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-highlighted-in-asco-annual-report-on-progress-against-cancer/) - Research led by Professors Peter Schmid and Thomas Powles from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has been selected by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for inclusion in the Clinical Cancer Advances 2021, the Society’s annual review of progress against cancer. The notable studies, which investigated the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer and advanced bladder cancer, are featured as two of many remarkable milestones in clinical cancer research and care.
- [Immunotherapy significantly reduces recurrence in aggressive breast cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-drug-combination-significantly-reduces-recurrence-in-aggressive-breast-cancer/) - An immunotherapy drug called ‘pembrolizumab’ has been shown to significantly reduce disease recurrence in patients with the most aggressive type of breast cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led by Professor Peter Schmid from Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.
- [Groundbreaking trials reveal improved survival for two hard-to-treat cancers](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/groundbreaking-trials-reveal-improved-survival-for-two-hard-to-treat-cancers/) - Prof Tom Powles and Prof Peter Schmid announced practice-changing results at ESMO 2024
- [Scientists explore new way to bring CAR-T cell therapy to pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/scientists-explore-new-way-to-bring-car-t-cell-therapy-to-pancreatic-cancer/) - A new strategy to help powerful cancer-targeting immune cells, known as CAR-T cells, infiltrate pancreatic tumours has been developed by researchers at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [Antibody therapy in pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/antibody-therapy-extends-survival-in-mice-with-pancreatic-cancer/) - Scientists have found a way to target and knock out a single protein that they have discovered is widely involved in pancreatic cancer cell growth, survival and invasion. Called avb6, the protein is present on the surface of more than 80 per cent of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma – the most common form of pancreatic cancer – and is vital to increase the successful growth and spread of the tumour cells.
- [Foot-and-mouth-disease virus could help target pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/foot-and-mouth-disease-virus-could-help-target-pancreatic-cancer/) - Researchers at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, have identified a peptide, or protein fragment, taken from the foot-and-mouth-disease virus that targets another protein, called avβ6 (alpha-v-beta-6). This protein is found at high levels on the surface of the majority of pancreatic cancer cells.
- [CAR T cell therapy for pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/researchers-identify-novel-target-that-could-improve-the-safety-of-car-t-cell-therapy-for-pancreatic-cancer/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, have identified a protein that may represent a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Using this protein as a target, the team successfully created a CAR T cell therapy - a type of immunotherapy - that killed pancreatic cancer cells in a pre-clinical model.
- [Aspiring young scientists explore cancer research at the BCI and beyond](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/aspiring-young-scientists-explore-cancer-research-at-the-bci-and-beyond/) - We opened our doors to budding young scientists for the STARS work experience programme.
- [BCI inspires young science stars](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-inspires-young-science-stars/) - We welcomed more than 20 promising students from schools around the capital into the BCI.
- [Professor Louise Jones wins Goudie Medal for excellence in pathology](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-louise-jones-wins-goudie-medal-for-excellence-in-pathology/) - Professor Louise Jones has been awarded the Pathological Society’s prestigious Goudie Medal for her seminal contributions to pathological science and understanding of disease.
- [Prof Nick Lemoine interviewed on Channel 4 News about long COVID](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/prof-nick-lemoine-interviewed-on-channel-4-news-about-long-covid/) - During the interview, Professor Lemoine highlighted that studies being undertaken across the country aim to elucidate the mechanisms involved in long COVID, and further studies are being set up to identify treatments that will be effective against the disease.
- [Professor Nick Lemoine recognised in the New Year Honours List](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-nick-lemoine-recognised-in-the-new-year-honours-list/) - Congratulations to Professor Nick Lemoine, Director of Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, who has received a CBE for services to clinical research, particularly during COVID-19.
- [The TME: Key to controlling cancer cell growth](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/the-tumour-microenvironment-key-to-controlling-cancer-cell-growth/) - The tumour microenvironment: Key to controlling cancer cell growth Research led by Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, reveals novel insights into the role of the tumour microenvironment (TME) in the regulation of cancer growth. Gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the communication between cancer cells and their TME, and how these
- [Pericytes and control of cancer growth](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/pericytes-novel-insights-into-the-control-of-cancer-growth/) - New study reveals novel insights into the role of blood vessels within the tumour microenvironment in the regulation of cancer growth. Understanding this relationship better may provide new avenues that can be explored for cancer therapies.
- [Blood vessel protein has protective role in cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-finds-blood-vessel-protein-to-have-a-protective-role-in-cancer/) - A study has identified a novel mechanism that controls tumour growth, involving a particular protein expressed by specialised cells within tumour blood vessels.
- [BCI part of new UK-wide cancer immunotherapy initiative](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-part-of-new-uk-wide-cancer-immunotherapy-initiative/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London are part of a nationwide team of universities, hospitals and industry collaborating on a new platform to understand immunotherapy response and side effects in cancer.
- [BCI paves the way for the next era of radiation research in £18m partnership](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-paves-the-way-for-the-next-era-of-radiation-research-in-18m-partnership/) - The BCI is advancing radiation research through the Cancer Reserach UK City of London Radiation Research Centre of Excellence, an £18M partnership with the Crick, UCL and King's.
- [Blood Cancer Awareness Month: how can we personalise treatments to improve care?](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/blood-cancer-awareness-month-how-can-we-personalise-treatments-to-improve-care/) - For Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Dr Lou Herman reflects on the current challenges facing blood cancer patients and how we’re addressing them.
- [New EHA President](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-eha-president/) - Congratulations to Professor John Gribben who has been announced as the new President for the European Hematology Association (EHA). The Presidency was handed over to Professor Gribben on the 16th June, the final day of the 24th EHA Congress.
- [Prof John Gribben in BBC’s The Diagnosis Detectives](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/prof-john-gribben-in-bbcs-the-diagnosis-detectives/) - Professor John Gribben, Lead for the Centre for Haemato-Oncology at Barts Cancer Institute and Consultant Haematologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, is part of a new BBC Two series called The Diagnosis Detectives. Professor Gribben is one of a panel of 12 of the UK’s leading medical experts who have been assembled to diagnose patients with life-changing symptoms that have puzzled other doctors and remained undiagnosed.
- [Professor John Gribben receives prestigious José Carreras award](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-john-gribben-receives-prestigious-jose-carreras-award/) - Professor John Gribben receives prestigious José Carreras award John Gribben, Professor of Medical Oncology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has been named this year's winner of the European Hematology Association's prestigious José Carreras Award in recognition of his exceptional achievements and pivotal role in shaping the landscape of blood disorder (haematological)
- [Welcoming Professor Francesca Ciccarelli to the BCI](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/welcoming-professor-francesca-ciccarelli-to-the-bci/) - Professor Francesca Ciccarelli will be joining Barts Cancer Institute to lead our Centre for Cancer Genomics & Computational Biology.
- [Surprising ‘two-faced’ cancer gene role supports paradigm shift in predicting disease](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/surprising-two-faced-cancer-gene-role-supports-paradigm-shift-in-predicting-disease/) - A genetic fault long believed to drive the development of oesophageal cancer may in fact play a protective role early in the disease, according to new research published in Nature Cancer.
- [Protein level predicts immunotherapy response in bowel cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/protein-level-predicts-immunotherapy-response-in-bowel-cancer/) - Researchers have shown that the amount of a protein called CD74 can indicate which people with bowel cancer may respond best to immunotherapy.
- [Introducing: Dr Alastair Lamb](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/introducing-dr-alastair-lamb/) - Welcome to our newest group leader, Dr Alastair Lamb.
- [Smarter chemotherapy approach could delay drug resistance in ovarian cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/smarter-chemotherapy-approach-could-delay-drug-resistance-in-ovarian-cancer/) - Adaptive chemotherapy can prolong survival in lab models of ovarian cancer, according to new results. The findings could pave the way for a more effective and gentler approach to treating ovarian cancer that uses existing drugs in a more intelligent way.
- [Beyond ‘one size fits all’: Study reveals ethnic differences in breast cancer development and outcomes, demanding tailored care approaches](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/beyond-one-size-fits-all-study-reveals-ethnic-differences-in-breast-cancer-development-and-outcomes-demanding-tailored-care-approaches/) - Women of African or South Asian genetic ancestry tend to develop breast cancer and die at a younger age than women of European ancestry, according to new research by Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London. The study, which looked at clinical and genetic data from over 7,000 women with breast cancer, also found important genetic differences in these women’s cancers that could impact their diagnosis and treatment.
- [Study reveals molecules enabling bowel cancer to hijack healing processes and spread](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-reveals-molecules-enabling-bowel-cancer-to-hijack-healing-processes-and-spread/) - Scientists have uncovered how bowel cancer cells imitate our gut’s natural healing processes to adapt, spread and grow. The findings researchers at Barts Cancer Institute could lead to new treatment strategies aimed at preventing cancer spread.
- [Cells’ recycling system plays a surprising role in shaping immune cells DNA](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cells-recycling-system-plays-a-surprising-role-in-shaping-immune-cells-dna/) - Researchers have discovered a new mechanism by which B cells – antibody-producing immune cells – use a cellular recycling process called autophagy to control changes to their DNA essential for antibody improvement. The findings could have future implications for the development of certain blood cancers and autoimmune diseases.
- [Could a breath test detect blood cancer?](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/could-a-breath-test-detect-blood-cancer/) - Molecules exhaled in the breath may provide clues to detect blood cancer, according to new research by scientists at Barts Cancer Institute. The findings could enable the development of a blood cancer breathalyser, providing a rapid, low-cost way to detect disease.
- [Aspiring scientists gain a ‘burst’ of inspiration at the BCI](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/aspiring-scientists-gain-a-burst-of-inspiration-at-the-bci/) - This month, we welcomed a total of 43 aspiring young scientists from across London to the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, where they had the opportunity to meet researchers, try their hands in the lab and learn more about what it takes to become a scientist.
- [£10m awarded to partnership investigating innovative radiolabelled nanomedicines](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/10m-awarded-to-partnership-investigating-innovative-radiolabelled-nanomedicines/) - Researchers at Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, will play a part in a revolutionary new partnership with King’s College London and the University of Leeds, aiming to accelerate and optimise the clinical translation of healthcare nanotechnologies.
- [Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Tissue Bank achieves landmark international accreditation](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/pancreatic-cancer-research-fund-tissue-bank-achieves-landmark-international-accreditation/) - The Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Tissue Bank (PCRFTB) has become the first in England to receive ISO 20387:2018 accreditation, an international standard that recognises excellence in biobanking.
- [Rogue’ DNA rings reveal earliest clues to deadly brain cancer’s growth](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/rogue-dna-rings-reveal-earliest-clues-to-deadly-brain-cancers-growth/) - An international team of scientists has revealed how rogue rings of DNA that float outside of our chromosomes – known as extrachromosomal DNA, or ecDNA – can drive the growth of a large proportion of glioblastomas, the most common and aggressive adult brain cancer. The discovery could open the door to much-needed new approaches to diagnose glioblastoma early, track its progress and treat it more effectively.
- [New AI model sheds light on  high-risk skin cancer: Q&A with the authors](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-ai-model-sheds-light-on-high-risk-skin-cancer/) - Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that could help doctors identify which skin cancers are most likely to spread. We spoke to Professor Jun (Alex) Wang, a group leader at BCI, and Dr Emilia Peleva, a Clinical Research Fellow and dermatologist in his team, about their new study, published in npj Precision Oncology.
- [Blood test helps guide immunotherapy for bladder cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/blood-test-helps-guide-immunotherapy-for-bladder-cancer/) - A new clinical trial led by Professor Thomas Powles at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has shown that a blood test to detect tumour DNA could help doctors decide which patients with bladder cancer are most likely to benefit from further treatment after surgery. The new approach improved survival in those identified as high-risk while safely sparing low-risk patients from unnecessary side effects.
- [Discovery reveals new understanding of cancer-driving proteins in rare brain tumours and beyond](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/discovery-reveals-new-understanding-of-cancer-driving-proteins-in-rare-brain-tumours-and-beyond/) - Scientists have discovered that a single letter change in a gene called PRKCA drives a rare and hard-to-treat brain cancer, chordoid glioma, through an entirely unexpected mechanism. The findings could open up new ways to design targeted treatments for this difficult-to-treat disease, and possibly for other cancers involving the same gene.
- [Tackling the deadliest cancer type](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/tackling-the-deadliest-cancer-type/) - November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Lung cancer is one of the main cancer types on which research is focused here at the Barts CRUK Centre.
- [Science and art collide at this year’s Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/science-and-art-collide-at-this-years-royal-academys-summer-exhibition/) - An artwork by Professor Tyson V. Sharp from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London has been selected for display in Room VIII at the Royal Academy of Art’s prestigious Summer Exhibition.
- [Researchers identify new mechanism implicated in lung cancer progression](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/researchers-identify-new-mechanism-implicated-in-lung-cancer-progression/) - A new study performed by researchers from BCI led by Dr Tyson Sharp, Lead of the Centre for Molecular Oncology, has identified a novel mechanism implicated in the development of lung adenocarcinoma (the most common type of non-small cell lung cancer), mediated by the loss of a gene called LIMD1.
- [Professor Fran Balkwill elected as Fellow of the Royal Society](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-fran-balkwill-elected-as-fellow-of-the-royal-society/) - Professor Fran Balkwill is one of 90 exceptional researchers across the world to be elected this year to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences.
- [Barts Cancer Institute receives LEAF Awards for sustainability](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/barts-cancer-institute-receives-leaf-bronze-award-for-sustainability/) - The Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, has been awarded the LEAF Bronze award for sustainability, achieving Bronze or Silver certification standards across each of our 15 laboratory sections.
- [From MSc Cancer student to Principal Investigator – how do you build a research career?](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/from-msc-cancer-student-to-principal-investigator-how-do-you-build-a-research-career/) - When Dr Alex Papachristodoulou joined our MSc programme at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, he discovered his passion for cancer research and set out on a career path that led him to launch his own independent lab.
- [Barts Cancer Institute book celebrates two decades of cancer discovery](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/barts-cancer-institute-book-celebrates-two-decades-of-cancer-discovery/) - Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary Univerity of London, is delighted to announce the publication of a special commemorative book celebrating twenty years of cancer discoveries since the establishment of the institute.
- [Discovery of lingering DNA damage could change our understanding of cancer development](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/discovery-of-lingering-dna-damage-could-change-our-understanding-of-cancer-development/) - Dr Michael Spencer Chapman and team have uncovered forms of DNA damage in healthy cells that can persist unrepaired for years
- [Celebrating the BCI’s highlights of 2024](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/celebrating-the-bcis-highlights-of-2024/) - Join us as we look back at some highlights of Barts Cancer Institute’s news stories this year.
- [Helping cancer patient advocates find their voice](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/helping-cancer-patient-advocates-find-their-voice/) - We recently welcomed a group of 16 cancer patient advocates into our labs for the 11th edition of our VOICE science for advocates course, co-run with the charity Independent Cancer Patients' Voice.
- [Future leaders in focus: highlights from the CRUK City of London Centre Symposium 2024](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/future-leaders-in-focus-highlights-from-the-cruk-city-of-london-centre-symposium-2024/) - Experts in the field converged to discuss the latest advances in pancreatic cancer
- [World Cancer Day: celebrating 20 years of progress at Queen Mary’s Barts Cancer Institute](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/world-cancer-day-celebrating-20-years-of-progress-at-barts-cancer-institute/) - Join us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Barts Cancer Institute
- [Video: Knowledge is power – how our VOICE science course is helping cancer patient advocates to speak out](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/knowledge-is-power-how-our-voice-science-course-is-helping-cancer-patient-advocates-to-speak-out/) - One of our VOICE participants explains why she travelled half way around the world to take part
- [BCI researcher part of Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Queen Mary, Envisagenics and Cancer Research Horizons](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-researcher-part-of-strategic-collaboration-agreement-with-queen-mary-envisagenics-and-cancer-research-horizons/) - BCI's Dr Ana Rio-Machin is part of a new research collaboration agreement that will leverage Envisagenics' SpliceCore® AI platform for expanded discovery and research in haematopoietic cancers.
- [Professor Victoria Sanz-Moreno recognised for major contributions in the fight against melanoma](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-victoria-sanz-moreno-recognised-for-major-contributions-in-the-fight-against-melanoma/) - Congratulations to Professor Victoria Sanz-Moreno from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London who has received the Estela Medrano Memorial Award from the Society of Melanoma Research, which honours women who have made major contributions in the fight against melanoma.
- [The REMODEL project: Remodelling tumour microenvironments to improve immunotherapy](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/the-remodel-project-remodelling-tumour-microenvironments-to-improve-immunotherapy/) - Professor Fran Balkwill from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London has received a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Frontier Research grant of over £2 million to investigate the most effective ways to remodel cancers to enhance the effects of immunotherapy.
- [Celebrating a New Milestone at the PCRF Tissue Bank](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/celebrating-a-new-milestone-at-the-pcrf-tissue-bank/) - Recently, the PCRF Tissue Bank registered its 1,000th tissue donor, reaching a new milestone. We spoke with Amina Saad, who is responsible for over 660 donor registrations, including the Tissue Bank’s 1,000th registration, about her role as a Tissue Collection Officer within the Tissue Bank team.
- [Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II: 1926-2022](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/her-majesty-the-queen-elizabeth-ii-1926-2022/) - It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. We extend our deepest sympathies to The Royal Family at this very difficult time.
- [Celebrating 10 years of the Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/celebrating-10-years-of-the-breast-cancer-now-tissue-bank/) - This summer, the Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank is celebrating 10 years of enabling vital breast cancer research. Since opening in 2012, the Tissue Bank has provided researchers across the globe with access to high-quality breast tissue, breast cells and blood samples from breast cancer patients, driving advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- [BCI researcher receives new Pancreatic Cancer UK Fellowship](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-researcher-receives-new-pancreatic-cancer-uk-fellowship/) - Congratulations to Dr Audrey Lumeau, Postdoctoral Researcher at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, who has received a Career Foundation Fellowship from the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK to investigate chromosomal instability in pancreatic cancer and its role in therapy resistance.
- [BCI researcher receives prestigious MRC grant to investigate how HPV infection develops into cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-researcher-receives-mrc-grant-to-investigate-hpv-infection-and-cancer/) - Dr Sarah McClelland from BCI is part of a collaborative project that has secured £1.2 million in funding from the Medical Research Council to investigate the mechanisms leading to cancer development in cells infected with human papillomavirus.
- [£3.1 million for PROTECT trial](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/3-1-million-for-protect-trial-population-based-genetic-testing-for-cancer-risk-in-women/) - Yorkshire Cancer Research has announced a £3.1 million grant for research led by Ranjit Manchanda to investigate the risks, benefits, and feasibility of introducing population-based genetic testing for ‘all’ women to find out if they are at high risk of cancer. Thousands of women living in Yorkshire and other parts of the UK will be offered tests as part of the PROTECT (Population based germline testing for early detection and cancer prevention) clinical trial.
- [Study suggests simple blood test could help to monitor pancreatic cancer patients](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-suggests-simple-blood-test-could-help-to-monitor-pancreatic-cancer-patients/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London have found it is possible to identify and track genetic variations in the tumours of patients with pancreatic cancer using a simple blood test.
- [Prof Manchanda receives prestigious recognition from India’s leading medical school](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/prof-manchanda-receives-prestigious-recognition-from-indias-leading-medical-school/) - Congratulations to Professor Ranjit Manchanda from the CRUK Barts Centre who has been awarded the Distinguished Infosys Chair in Oncology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
- [Rewiring the biology of leukaemia cells to reverse drug resistance](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/rewiring-the-biology-of-leukaemia-cells-to-reverse-drug-resistance/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London have identified a way to reverse resistance to a group of cancer drugs, known as kinase inhibitors, in leukaemia cells. By rewiring the inner workings of the cancer cells, the team was able to prime leukaemia cells for sensitivity to treatment in the laboratory.
- [International Day of Women and Girls in Science](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science/) - This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Radhisha Kohombage, an MSc student at BCI, spoke to some fellow students, to hear more about their roles, inspirations, and advice for the next generation who would like to pursue a career in science.
- [Breaking down language barriers in cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/breaking-down-language-barriers-in-cancer/) - Vinaya Srirangam Nadhamuni, Clinical Research Fellow at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has been working on a project to make information about screening programmes more accessible to minority ethnic groups in the UK.
- [Turning back the molecular clock: Tracing cell lineage](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/turning-back-the-molecular-clock-tracing-cell-lineage/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, the Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of Southern California, have developed a new method that measures subtle changes to the genetic code of cells (called DNA methylation) to study the dynamics of what happens to cells within our bodies over time. The new method, published in Nature Biotechnology, provides a way to measure the birth and death of human cells, making it possible to trace cell lineage and evolution.
- [Barts Cancer Institute at ASH 2021](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/barts-cancer-institute-at-ash-2021/) - In December each year, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) hosts its Annual Meeting and Exposition - the premier event in malignant and non-malignant haematology. The event represents an invaluable opportunity for researchers at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London to highlight their blood cancer research on an international stage.
- [International collaboration set to investigate new treatment strategy for lymphoma](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/international-collaboration-set-to-investigate-new-treatment-strategy-for-lymphoma/) - An international collaboration involving researchers from Queen Mary University of London, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston has secured a €1M research grant from Dutch blood cancer charity, Lymph&Co, to investigate a new treatment target for lymphoma.
- [AI algorithm identifies most effective drugs for liver cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/researchers-develop-ai-algorithm-that-identifies-most-effective-drugs-for-liver-cancer/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London and King’s College Hospital have shown that a new computer-based algorithm can rank drugs used to treat primary liver cancer, based on their efficacy in reducing cancer cell growth.
- [Overcoming drug resistance in breast cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/overcoming-drug-resistance-in-breast-cancer/) - In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Dr Ioanna Keklikoglou, Lecturer and Group Leader in the Centre for Tumour Microenvironment at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London. Dr Keklikoglou’s research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control resistance to anti-cancer therapies in breast cancer.
- [Celebrating the work of our PhD students](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/celebrating-the-work-of-our-phd-students/) - On 28th September, we held our annual PhD Day – an event that celebrates the work of the postgraduate research students at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [Location is key: Understanding RNA localisation in cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/location-is-key-understanding-rna-localisation-in-cancer/) - Dr Faraz Mardakheh has received a project grant from the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, to investigate how RNA localisation becomes dysregulated during cancer progression.
- [Mapping the emergence of treatment resistance in leukaemia](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/mapping-the-emergence-of-treatment-resistance-in-leukaemia/) - Research led by Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has identified a new role for a group of cells called adipocytes in contributing to treatment resistance in a type of leukaemia. Published in Nature Communications, the findings broaden the understanding of resistance pathways in blood cancer cells, which is critical for developing novel treatment strategies to improve outcomes for people with leukaemia.
- [HPV screening for cervical cancer prevention](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/hpv-screening-for-cervical-cancer-prevention/) - Professor Jack Cuzick, Director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Theme Lead for Cancer Prevention & Risk Reduction at the Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, has been awarded a Queen Mary Impact Award for his research on human papilloma virus (HPV) screening for cervical cancer, which has transformed cervical cancer prevention programmes worldwide.
- [Immune cells assemble - boosting the effects of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/immune-cells-assemble-boosting-the-effects-of-chemotherapy-in-pancreatic-cancer/) - A new study from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has demonstrated that immune cells can be stimulated to assemble into special structures within pancreatic cancer such that, at least in a pre-clinical model, researchers can demonstrate an improvement in the efficacy of chemotherapy.
- [Study identifies biomarker that could help to diagnose pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-identifies-biomarker-that-could-help-to-diagnose-pancreatic-cancer/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, have identified a protein that could be used to aid in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Findings from the new study suggest that a protein called pentraxin 3 may be a specific diagnostic biomarker - or biological measure - for pancreatic cancer, with the ability to differentiate pancreatic cancer from other non-cancerous conditions of the pancreas.
- [Doctoral training programme secures future investment from MRC](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/doctoral-training-programme-secures-future-investment-from-mrc/) - A partnership between Queen Mary University of London and the University of Southampton has successfully bid for 45 studentships from the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
- [Study suggests blood test could guide precision treatment in bladder cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-suggests-blood-test-could-guide-precision-treatment-in-bladder-cancer/) - A blood test that can detect tiny amounts of circulating cancer DNA may be able to identify risk of cancer recurrence and guide precision treatment in bladder cancer following surgery, according to a clinical study led by Professor Tom Powles from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust. The findings from the study, published today in Nature, may change our understanding of cancer care following surgery.
- [Study to investigate how AI could aid early detection of pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-to-investigate-how-ai-could-aid-early-detection-of-pancreatic-cancer/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London and Edge Hill University are set to investigate how artificial intelligence could be used to improve early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
- [Researchers develop virus-based treatment platform to fight pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/researchers-develop-virus-based-treatment-platform-to-fight-pancreatic-cancer/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and Zhengzhou University have developed a powerful therapeutic platform that uses a modified virus for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. By using the virus in combination with other drugs, the treatment significantly extended survival in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer.
- [Study receives prize for Research Excellence in Pathology](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/barts-cancer-institute-research-receives-prize-for-research-excellence-in-pathology/) - Congratulations to Barts Cancer Institute’s Professor Hemant Kocher, who is co-lead author of the paper selected by The Journal of Pathology for the Jeremy Jass Prize for the calendar year 2019.
- [PCRF's national pancreas tissue bank opens to UK-based researchers](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/pcrf-national-pancreas-tissue-bank-opens-to-uk-based-researchers/) - The UK’s national tissue bank for pancreatic diseases at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, is now open for UK-based researchers needing samples of blood, urine and saliva to aid their research.
- [Protein powerhouses - Q&A with Dr Mardakheh](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/protein-powerhouses-increased-protein-synthesis-in-cancer-cells/) - We spoke with Dr Faraz Mardakheh from Barts Cancer Institute’s Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology about his most recent research paper, published today in Developmental Cell. The study sheds lights on how invasive cancer cells increase their protein-making capacity in order to boost their growth and invasive capabilities, and identifies a key player involved in this process, which may represent a target for therapeutic interventions.
- [Protecting blood against premature ageing](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/study-identifies-protein-that-protects-blood-against-premature-ageing/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and the University of Edinburgh have discovered a key protein that supports the production of healthy blood cells throughout life by regulating the inflammatory response. This is the first study to identify a protein that directly keeps in check blood stem cells’ immune responses to protect them from excessive damage and premature ageing.
- [Student receives nationally recognised certificate](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/student-receives-nationally-recognised-certificate-for-laparoscopic-surgical-skills/) - Congratulations to Ryan McWilliams who has been awarded the Laparoscopic Passport (LapPass) - a certificate of proficiency in surgical skills that is recognised nationwide. Ryan is the first intercalating MBBS student undertaking the MSc Laparoscopic Surgery and Surgical Skills programme at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, to get a LapPass in the UK.
- [Aggressive melanoma cells at edge of tumours are key to cancer spread](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/aggressive-melanoma-cells-at-edge-of-tumours-are-key-to-cancer-spread/) - Research led by Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has revealed novel insights into the mechanisms employed by melanoma cells to form tumours at secondary sites around the body. The findings from the study may help to identify new targets to inhibit melanoma spread and guide treatment decisions in the clinic.
- [Going virtual for BCI PhD Day 2020](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/going-virtual-for-bci-phd-day-2020/) - On 23rd September 2020, Barts Cancer Institute held their annual PhD Day, which is a celebration of the work of our postgraduate research students and an opportunity for them to showcase their research to fellow students and academics. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year’s PhD Day took place online via Zoom, and 130 staff and students tuned in to watch the live presentations by our students.
- [London Pancreas Workshop 2020](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/london-pancreas-workshop-2020/) - On 11th September 2020, Professors Hemant Kocher and Nick Lemoine hosted the eighth London Pancreas Workshop (LPW) - a forum for state-of-the-art clinical and basic research in pancreatic cancer. In a first for the biennial event, this year’s LPW took place online with pre-recorded speaker presentations and live, interactive Q&A sessions.
- [Results from the Phase I STARPAC trial](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/clinical-trial-shows-combination-therapy-with-vitamin-a-is-safe-for-patients-with-pancreatic-cancer/) - A treatment combination involving the addition of a form of vitamin A to the current standard treatment regimen for pancreatic cancer is safe for patients, according to an early phase clinical trial led by Professor Hemant Kocher from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [Immune ‘cloaking’ in cancer cells](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/immune-cloaking-in-cancer-cells-and-implications-for-immunotherapy/) - Researchers have created a mathematical model that can determine the impact of the immune system on tumour evolution. The information gained from using this model may be able to be used to predict whether immunotherapy is likely to be effective for a patient’s cancer, helping to guide treatment decisions.
- [Using AI to study tumour evolution](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/reconstructing-the-evolutionary-history-of-cancer-using-artificial-intelligence/) - Researchers have developed a computation model that can reconstruct the evolutionary history of cancer. By unravelling the genetic complexity of a tumour, the tool can be used to better understand how the cancer has developed and may help to guide treatment strategies in the future.
- [Proposed new surgery protocol for ovarian cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/proposed-new-surgery-protocol-highly-acceptable-among-premenopausal-women-at-increased-risk-of-ovarian-cancer/) - For women at high risk of ovarian cancer, standard preventive practice is to offer removal of both the fallopian tubes and ovaries, but the surgery induces menopause in women who have not yet reached this stage of life. A proposed alternative two step surgical protocol, which delays the induced menopause caused by the removal of the ovaries, is highly acceptable to this premenopausal group of women.
- [BCI PhD student makes thesis competition national final](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-phd-student-makes-thesis-competition-national-final/) - Congratulations to Vinaya Srirangam Nadhamuni, a Clinical Research Fellow at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, who has progressed to the national final of the 2020 Vitae Three Minute Thesis® competition.
- [Broadening cancer gene testing](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/broadening-cancer-gene-testing-is-cost-effective-and-could-prevent-millions-more-cancer-cases-worldwide/) - Screening entire populations for breast and ovarian cancer gene mutations could prevent millions more cancer cases across the world compared to current clinical practice, according to an international study led by Queen Mary University of London.
- [Covid-19 and blood cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/impact-of-covid-19-infection-in-patients-with-blood-cancer/) - One of the first studies to investigate the outcome of Covid-19 infection in patients with blood cancer has been conducted by clinical researchers from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and Barts Health NHS Trust.
- [Personalised ovarian cancer risk prediction reduces worries](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/personalised-ovarian-cancer-risk-prediction-reduces-worries/) - Offering personalised ovarian cancer risk prediction to women shows that 98 per cent of participants felt less worried after finding out their ovarian cancer risk status, according to a new study.
- [Immunotherapy for advanced bladder cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/immunotherapy-improves-survival-in-patients-with-advanced-bladder-cancer/) - An immunotherapy drug called ‘avelumab’ has been shown to significantly improve survival in patients with the most common type of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led by Professor Tom Powles.
- [International Women's Day 2020](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/international-womens-day-2020/) - In recognition of International Women's Day on 8th March, we spoke to some of our female scientists about their roles and inspirations.
- [New and valuable insights into familial myeloid leukaemia](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-and-valuable-insights-into-familial-myeloid-leukaemia/) - Research has identified new genetic features implicated in a type of blood cancer known as familial myeloid leukaemia. The study, published in Nature Communications, offers novel insights into the biology of this inherited cancer, and provides a framework to inform how to more effectively manage at-risk individuals and patients affected by this type of blood malignancy.
- [Protein network rewiring in cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/delving-deeper-into-protein-network-rewiring-in-cancer/) - Research published in Nature Biotechnology has identified new ways to analyse the complexity of the internal workings of normal cells and cancer cells. The study highlights how genetic changes rewire the biochemistry of cancer cells and may aid in identifying new drug targets specific for a patient’s disease.
- [Tackling resistance in skin cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-identifies-new-route-for-tackling-drug-resistance-in-skin-cancer-cells/) - Researchers have found that melanoma cells fight anti-cancer drugs by changing their internal skeleton (cytoskeleton) – opening up a new therapeutic route for combating skin and other cancers that develop resistance to treatment.
- [Prof Patel awarded Honorary Fellowship](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/prof-patel-awarded-honorary-fellowship/) - Congratulations to Prof Bijendra Patel who was awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Association of Surgeons of India in recognition of his outstanding contribution to surgery and surgical education.
- [The Class of 2019](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/class-of-2019-congratulations-to-this-years-bci-graduates/) - The hard work of the students enrolled on the Postgraduate Taught Courses and PhD studentships here at the Barts Cancer Institute paid off yesterday (19th December) when they graduated at the Queen Mary University of London, School of Medicine and Dentistry Winter Graduation Ceremony.
- [Prof Manchanda awarded prestigious oration](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/prof-manchanda-delivers-oration-at-cancer-genetics-conference/) - Professor Ranjit Manchanda delivered the Shyam Agarwal Memorial Oration at the Indian Society of Cancer Genetics Conference on 15 December.
- [ASH 2019](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ash-2019/) - Once again this December, researchers from Barts Cancer Institute (BCI)’s Centre for Haemato-Oncology made the trip to the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, which this year took place in Orlando, Florida.
- [IBIS-II - new results from international breast cancer study](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ibis-ii-study-finds-anastrozole-reduces-breast-cancer-rates-long-term-for-high-risk-postmenopausal-women/) - The Queen Mary University of London professor leading an international breast cancer study says anastrozole – rather than tamoxifen – should be the preventive drug-of-choice for post-menopausal women at increased risk of developing the disease.
- [Inspiring the scientists of tomorrow](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/inspiring-the-scientists-of-tomorrow/) - A team of Barts Cancer Institute researchers from Professor Claude Chelala’s group took part in the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre Family Fun Day. The fun-filled afternoon provides an amazing opportunity for children, young people and their families to take part in fun, educational, hands-on activities and meet researchers.
- [Leading the next generation of radiotherapy research](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/leading-the-next-generation-of-radiotherapy-research/) - Cancer Research UK (CRUK) have today announced the launch of a new £56 million research network that will accelerate the development of advanced radiotherapy techniques in the UK. The network, named ‘RadNet,’ will pioneer the use of the latest technologies in world-first research projects with the aim of improving cancer survival by optimising and personalising radiotherapy.
- [Director named in Progress 1000](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/director-named-in-progress-1000/) - Director of the Barts Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Professor Nick Lemoine, was named in the 2019 Evening Standard Progress 1000 List, which recognises the most influential people in the capital.
- [BRCA testing for higher risk group](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/brca-testing-for-higher-risk-group/) - Researchers are calling for population-wide BRCA testing in the Jewish community after finding it to be more effective than current approaches, cost effective and to have a high satisfaction rate with those undergoing testing.
- [Blood Cancer Awareness Month 2019](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/blood-cancer-awareness-month-2019/) - Today marks the start of Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Our researchers are committed to work to understand the biology of blood cancer and harness this knowledge to identify new treatment strategies to help those affected.
- [London Cancer PhD Student Network](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/london-cancer-phd-student-network/) - The newly established London Cancer PhD Student network recently held its first event, which attracted over 60 PhD students from across London to the Barts Cancer Institute. Speakers from six institutes gave short chalk talks to describe their research.
- [New research funded by PCRF](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/new-research-funded-by-pcrf/) - The Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund is supporting two new research projects at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London. The projects, led by Professor Hemant Kocher and Dr Gunnel Halldén, will aim to identify ways to enhance the efficacy of treatments for pancreatic cancer, to ultimately help those affected by this devastating disease.
- [World Economic Forum, China](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/world-economic-forum-china/) - Professor Fran Balkwill was selected as a high-level delegation to the World Economic Forum in Dalian, China, to discuss her work in cancer research. As one of three researchers selected by the European Research Council to attend, she participated in presentations, panel discussions and press conferences on the topic of ‘Tackling cancer from within – new perspectives’.
- [BCI PhD Day 2019](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-phd-day-2019/) - On Tuesday 11th June, Barts Cancer Institiute held their annual PhD Day, which celebrates the work of BCI’s postgraduate research students. The day provides a fantastic opportunity to for the students to showcase their work to fellow students and academics through oral and poster presentations.
- [Cervical Screening Awareness Week](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cervical-screening-awareness-week/) - This week (10-16th June) is Cervical Screening Awareness Week, an initiative started by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening. In the UK, approximately 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, making it the 14th most common cancer in women. Cervical screening, otherwise known as a smear test, can help to prevent cervical cancer, which claims 870 lives per year.
- [Supporting surgical training in Gaza](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/supporting-surgical-training-in-gaza/) - Dr Bijendra Patel recently returned from a visit to Gaza, where he and his colleagues from the Royal College of Surgeons, England, are helping to develop essential surgical training and skills amongst local Palestinian health workers.
- [International Clinical Trials Day](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/international-clinical-trials-day/) - Every 20th May, we celebrate International Clinical Trials Day. Clinical methods have evolved drastically over the years, and decades of honing this process has given rise to the present-day standard of clinical trials.
- [IBD and bowel cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ibd-and-bowel-cancer/) - April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. We recently spoke with Dr Kit Curtius about her work which focuses on understanding how normal tissues evolve to become cancerous, with a particular interest in gastrointestinal pre-malignancies such as inflammatory bowel disease.
- [HPV and cervical screening](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/professor-jack-cuzick-wins-abstract-award/) - The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) has awarded their prize for the Best Overall Scientific Abstract 2019 to Professor Jack Cuzick, Director, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine and Head, Centre for Cancer Prevention, and his co-authors.
- [Eliminating cancer stem cells](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/eliminating-cancer-stem-cells/) - Research published today in Cell Stem Cell has discovered a protein which drives an aggressive form of blood cancer, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Inactivation of this protein selectively compromises leukaemic cells while promoting normal blood cell functions.
- [Resistance in Ovarian Cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/ovarian-cancer-awareness-month/) - Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month This month is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. In the UK each year, around 7,300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, making it the sixth most common cancer type in females. Here at the Barts Cancer Institute, our researchers are working to better understand the biology of ovarian cancer and translate this knowledge into
- [International Women’s Day](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/international-womens-day/) - Today (8th March) is International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. We spoke to Professor Victoria Sanz-Moreno, a Group Leader in our Centre for Cancer & Inflammation, about her career as a cancer researcher.
- [NHS Innovation Accelerator](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/nhs-innovation-accelerator/) - Dr Ranjit Manchanda from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, was announced today as one of 13 Fellows to join the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA), which supports dedicated individuals to scale their high impact, evidence-based innovations across the NHS and wider healthcare system. Dr Manchanda’s innovation is a
- [Tackling tumour scar tissue could be key to treating pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/tackling-tumour-scar-tissue-could-be-key-to-treating-pancreatic-cancer/) - The first study in the world to take a detailed look at scar tissue in human pancreatic cancer has revealed a range of different scar tissue types that could help clinicians predict which patients will respond best to particular treatments.
- [World Cancer Day 2019](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/world-cancer-day-2019/) - Today is World Cancer Day- an initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control that marks a day on which the entire world can unite in the fight against cancer. Find out how we are collaborating with scientists from around the world to accelerate progress in cancer research.
- [Immune cells found as accomplices in melanoma spread](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/immune-cells-found-as-accomplices-in-melanoma-spread/) - A new study published today in Cell has revealed that aggressive melanoma cells are able to manipulate the immune system to their advantage. As a result, immune cells that are supposed to recognise and destroy cancer cells actually behave differently and support the growth and spread of the tumour.
- [London leads the way in advanced prostate cancer research](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/london-leads-the-way-in-advanced-prostate-cancer-research/) - Dr Gunnel Halldén is leading a new pioneering study funded by Prostate Cancer UK, as part of the charity’s Research Innovation Awards scheme.
- [BCI at the 60th ASH Annual Meeting](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-at-the-60th-ash-annual-meeting/) - Researchers from our Centre for Haemato-Oncology attended the 60th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition to showcase our blood cancer research.
- [Globalisation of technology-enhanced learning for surgical education](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/globalisation-of-technology-enhanced-learning-for-surgical-education/) - Mr Patel is a leading expert in developing higher education degrees for acquiring surgical skills by simulation.
- [Congratulations to the Class of 2018](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/congratulations-to-the-class-of-2018/) - On 17th December, the Graduation Ceremony for Queen Mary University of London’s School of Medicine and Dentistry took place.
- [Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month 2018](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/pancreatic-cancer-awareness-month-2018/) - November marks Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed in over 9,900 people in the UK annually.
- [CRUK Barts Centre welcomes two new Group Leaders](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bcc-welcomes-two-new-group-leaders/) - We are pleased to welcome two new members of academic staff to the CRUK Barts Centre- Professor Victoria Sanz-Moreno and Professor Kamil R Kranc.
- [Accelerator Award to improve early detection and intervention of blood cancers](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/accelerator-award-to-improve-early-detection-and-intervention-of-blood-cancers/) - BCI researchers are lead members of an international team to be funded by an Accelerator Award, which will bring together scientists from the UK, Spain and Italy in a bid to improve early detection and intervention of blood cancers.
- [Blood Cancer Awareness Month 2018](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/blood-cancer-awareness-month-2018/) - Blood Cancer Awareness Month takes place every September to raise awareness of the challenges faced by those living with blood cancer. In the UK, blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer, with 240,000 people living with the disease and 38,000 people being diagnosed with a type of blood cancer each year.
- [World Cancer Research Day 2018](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/world-cancer-research-day-2018/) - The 24th September is World Cancer Research Day- a day dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of cancer research. Thanks to a united effort by researchers from around the world, cancer survival rates have doubled in the last 40 years, and 50% of those diagnosed with cancer now survive.
- [CRUK Barts Centre key partner in new £14m CRUK City of London Centre](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cruk-barts-centre-key-partner-in-new-14m-cruk-city-of-london-centre/) - We are delighted to announce that researchers from the Barts Cancer Research UK Barts Centre will play a leading role in the new Cancer Biotherapeutics Hub launched by CRUK - The 'CRUK City of London Centre’. The new centre will bring together world-leading cancer researchers from across London - CRUK Barts Centre, UCL, KCL and the Francis Crick Institute.
- [SNPnexus: Assessing the impact of genetic variation](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/snpnexus-assessing-the-impact-of-genetic-variation/) - A team of researchers from BCI’s Centre for Molecular Oncology, led by Prof Claude Chelala, have made new developments to SNPnexus- a computational tool that allows for the assessment of the functional effect of sequence variants within the genome.
- [VOICE 2018: From bedside to bench](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/voice-2018-from-bedside-to-bench/) - BCI held the 2018 VOICE (Vision On Information, Confidence & Engagement) course- a study week that aims to take patient advocates from bedside to bench by providing an introduction to basic cancer biology, research terminology and study design.
- [‘Chromosomal Catastrophes’ in Colorectal Cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/chromosomal-catastrophes-in-colorectal-cancer/) - Understanding how cancers develop and change over time is a big challenge. For obvious reasons, scientists can’t simply sit and watch a cancer growing in a person. Members of the Evolution and Cancer Laboratory at the BCI, including lead author Dr William Cross, were part of a collaborative team that set out to identify when particular genetic changes arise during bowel cancer development.
- [Uncovering the evolutionary history of IBD-associated colorectal cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/uncovering-the-evolutionary-history-of-ibd-associated-colorectal-cancer/) - A team of researchers from the BCI, led by Prof Trevor Graham, Lead of the Evolution and Cancer Biology Laboratory, have reported the genetic events involved in the early development of bowel cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Such knowledge may be able to be exploited to design simple diagnostic tests to stratify patients with IBD at high risk of developing cancer.
- [Prof Trevor Graham part of ‘ACE’ research centre within NCI’s Cancer Systems Biology Consortium](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/prof-trevor-graham-part-of-ace-research-centre-within-ncis-cancer-systems-biology-consortium/) - BCI’s Prof Trevor Graham, Lead of the Evolution and Cancer Biology Laboratory, is part of Arizona State University (ASU)’s recently funded research centre called ‘ACE’ (the Arizona Cancer Evolution Centre), which has been awarded more than $8.5 million over five years to serve as one of 13 research hubs within the National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Cancer Systems Biology Consortium (CSBC).
- [BCI at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting: Results from the PAKT and ABACUS trials](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-at-the-2018-asco-annual-meeting-results-from-the-pakt-and-abacus-trials/) - Professors Peter Schmid and Thomas Powles attended this year’s ASCO Annual Meeting, which took place from 1st-5th June in Chicago. Prof Schmid, presented data from the PAKT trial- a trial investigating the addition of a novel drug called AZD5363 to a standard chemotherapy regimen as a treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Prof Powles presented results from the ABACUS trial, which is investigating the efficacy and safety of a drug called atezolizumab administered prior to cystectomy in muscle invasive bladder cancer. The ABACUS trial was selected as one of the highlights of this year’s meeting.
- [Research suggests improved detection rates are needed to maximise cancer prevention](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/research-suggests-improved-detection-rates-are-needed-to-maximise-cancer-prevention/) - Current detection strategies are found to have identified only 2.6% of the BRCA gene mutation carriers in the Greater London population, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Medical genetics. The findings of the study, performed by researchers from the BCI’s Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine, led by Dr Ranjit Manchanda, suggest that enhanced and new approaches are required to maximise the opportunity for breast and ovarian cancer prevention.
- [Forecasting the evolution of cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/forecasting-the-evolution-of-cancer/) - New research, published today in Nature Genetics, has developed a computer model that forecasts the changes that occur within tumours as they develop. In the future, it is hoped that such a model may enable the prediction of the trajectory of tumour growth in patients, allowing clinicians to pre-empt disease course and tailor treatment regimens accordingly.
- [International Clinical Trials Day 2018](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/international-clinical-trials-day-2018/) - International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated on 20th May each year in recognition of the clinical trials conducted around the world, which ensure that research from the laboratory can be translated into patient benefit. The progress that is continuing to be made in cancer research, resulting in cancer survival rates doubling in the last 40 years, would not be possible without the researchers, clinicians, nurses and, of course, patients that are involved in clinical trials each year.
- [Fellows inaugurated at new Rutherford Academy of Population Genomics and Health Data Science](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/fellows-inaugurated-at-new-rutherford-academy-of-population-genomics-and-health-data-science/) - Queen Mary University of London has appointed four research fellows to its new Rutherford Academy of Population Genomics and Health Data Science, funded by the Medical Research Council and UK Research and Innovation's Rutherford Fund. Two of the fellows include BCI’s Dr Kit Curtius and Dr Dayem Ullah.
- [London Pancreas Workshop 2018](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/london-pancreas-workshop-2018/) - On Friday 4th May, BCI hosted the seventh London Pancreas Workshop, co-organised by Prof Hemant Kocher and our Director Prof Nick Lemoine, which attracted delegates from across Europe and America, with over 140 attendees in total. The biennial event is recognised as a forum for state-of-the-art clinical and basic research in pancreatic cancer.
- [Using a modified adenovirus to overcome treatment resistance in prostate cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/using-a-modified-adenovirus-to-overcome-treatment-resistance-in-prostate-cancer/) - Researchers from BCI’s Centre for Molecular Oncology, led by Dr Gunnel Halldén, have identified a mechanism by which a modified flu-like virus, called AdDD, is able to negate resistance to a drug called mitoxantrone and increase tumour cell killing in prostate cancer models. This mechanism is dependent on B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)- a protein involved in the regulation of cell death (apoptosis).
- [Staying connected: New developments for tissue banking bioinformatics](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/staying-connected-new-developments-for-tissue-banking-bioinformatics/) - A team of researchers at the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) of Queen Mary University of London have developed new analytical tools to aid in the analysis of tissue bank (TB) samples, which are an extremely valuable resource for scientists.
- [Researchers use flu-like virus to attack pancreatic cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/researchers-use-flu-like-virus-to-attack-pancreatic-cancer/) - A flu-like virus has now been used in experiments to successfully inhibit the growth of pancreatic cancer, according to an early study by researchers at the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
- [Cost-effective testing for breast and ovarian cancer gene mutations](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cost-effective-testing-for-breast-and-ovarian-cancer-gene-mutations/) - Screening the entire population for breast and ovarian cancer gene mutations, as opposed to just those at high-risk of carrying this mutation, is cost effective and could prevent more ovarian and breast cancers than the current approach, according to research led by Barts Cancer Institute of Queen Mary University of London. The researchers believe that implementing a programme to test all British women over 30 years of age could result in thousands of fewer cases of ovarian and breast cancer; up to 17,000 fewer ovarian cancers and 64,000 fewer breast cancers over a lifetime.
- [Some leukaemia patients may be missing out on new treatments](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/some-leukaemia-patients-may-be-missing-out-on-new-treatments/) - Patients with an aggressive form of leukaemia, currently ineligible for any type of targeted therapy, may in fact benefit from new drugs, according to new research by Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London.
- [CRUK Gibraltar Committee visit the BCI](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cruk-gibraltar-committee-visit-the-bci/) - We were recently visited by two members of the CRUK Gibraltar Committee, Giovi and Deborah, who came to the BCI for a laboratory tour with Dr Ana Rio-Machin, a postdoctoral researcher in the Centre for Haemato-Oncology. Ana’s research focuses on leukaemia, a type of blood cancer in which patients present an abnormal growth of white blood cells.
- [World Cancer Day 2018- unite in the fight against cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/world-cancer-day-2018-unite-in-the-fight-against-cancer/) - This Sunday, 4th February, is World Cancer Day and marks a day for us all to unite against cancer in a bid to beat this disease sooner. There are over 200 types of cancer, and the money raised by fundraisers on behalf of several charities allows for researchers to identify and develop new diagnostic tools and treatments to fight cancer. Thanks to the efforts of the public and the charities, money raised for cancer research has helped double some cancer survival rates in the last 40 years.
- [Dr Ranjit Manchanda awarded William Blair Bell Memorial Lecture](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/dr-ranjit-manchanda-awarded-william-blair-bell-memorial-lecture/) - Congratulations to our Dr Ranjit Manchanda, Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine, who has been awarded the William Blair Bell Memorial Lecture prize. Dr Ranjit Manchanda was awarded with the prize on 8th February and presented his lecture, entitled ‘Population based germline testing and targeted ovarian cancer prevention,’ the following day.
- [The involvement of the microenvironment in tumour evolution](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/the-involvement-of-the-microenvironment-in-tumour-evolution/) - For the first time, researchers at the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, have profiled what happens at the site of tumour metastasis as cancer grows and develops. By looking closely at the tumour microenvironment (TME), the team led by Professor Fran Balkwill, Lead for the Centre for Cancer & Inflammation, has identified changes that occur as a type of ovarian cancer evolves.
- [STORMing Cancer shortlisted for Cancer Research UK’s Grand Challenge Award](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/storming-cancer-shortlisted-for-cancer-research-uks-grand-challenge-award/) - STORMing Cancer, a team of multi-disciplinary scientists including our own Dr Stuart McDonald, from the Centre for Tumour Biology, has been shortlisted to the final stages of Cancer Research UK (CRUK)’s Grand Challenge Award- the world’s most ambitious cancer research grant consisting of a series of £20 million awards seeking researchers to tackle cancer’s toughest challenges. In their proposed
- [Seema Jaswal visits the BCI](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/seema-jaswal-visits-the-bci/) - Last Thursday was International Women’s Day- a day that celebrates the social, political, cultural and economic achievements of women from all over the world. Recently, an inspirational woman, Seema Jaswal- a television and radio presenter- visited us here at the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) to meet some of our researchers and find out more about the cutting edge research that goes on here.
- [Determining the mechanisms of response and resistance to treatment in bladder cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/determining-the-mechanisms-of-response-and-resistance-to-treatment-in-bladder-cancer/) - A worldwide collaboration involving BCI’s Prof Thomas Powles, Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine, has revealed mechanisms involved in the development of response and resistance to an immune checkpoint inhibitor in metastatic urothelial cancer. The findings may highlight ways to improve the efficacy of this treatment in the hope of achieving long-term remission for patients.
- [Screening for ovarian cancer did not reduce deaths](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/screening-for-ovarian-cancer-did-not-reduce-deaths/) - A large-scale randomised trial of annual screening for ovarian cancer did not succeed in reducing deaths from the disease, despite one of the screening methods tested detecting cancers earlier, according to results published in The Lancet.
- [Researchers use machine learning to rank cancer drugs in order of efficacy](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/researchers-use-machine-learning-to-rank-cancer-drugs-in-order-of-efficacy/) - Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, have developed a machine learning algorithm that ranks drugs based on their efficacy in reducing cancer cell growth. The approach may have the potential to advance personalised therapies in the future by allowing oncologists to select the best drugs to treat individual cancer patients.
- [Congratulations to Vinaya Srirangam Nadhamuni](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/bci-phd-student-wins-peoples-choice-award-at-thesis-competition-national-final/) - BCI PhD student wins People's Choice Award at thesis competition national final Congratulations to Vinaya Srirangam Nadhamuni, Clinical Research Fellow at Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, who won the People's Choice Award at the national final of the 2020 Vitae Three Minute Thesis® (3MT®) competition. The final took place on Wednesday
- [World Cancer Day 2020](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/world-cancer-day-2020/) - This World Cancer Day, hear from our Director and some of our researchers about the importance of international collaboration in the fight against cancer.
- [World Pancreatic Cancer Day 2019](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/world-pancreatic-cancer-day-2019/) - This World Pancreatic Cancer Day, hear from some of our researchers about what they are working on to help combat this devastating cancer type.
- [Self-sampling test detects cervical pre-cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/cervical-pre-cancer-can-be-detected-in-self-collected-urine-or-vaginal-samples/) - Researchers from the Centre for Cancer Prevention have developed a non-invasive test to detect cervical pre-cancer by analysing urine and vaginal samples women collect themselves.
- [Call for genetic screening for all breast cancer patients](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/call-for-genetic-screening-for-all-breast-cancer-patients/) - A lifetime model evaluating the financial, health and social impact of multigene testing at diagnosis for all breast cancer patients was found to save lives and be extremely cost-effective for both UK and US health systems.
- [Understanding familial leukaemia](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/understanding-familial-leukaemia/) - In 2014, the charity Bloodwise awarded a 5-year programme grant to a team from Queen Mary University of London to support research to better understand the nature of the faulty genes responsible for an inherited/familial predisposition to MDS/AML.
- [2019 ASCO Annual Meeting](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/2019-asco-annual-meeting/) - Professor Peter Schmid, Lead of the Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, attended this year’s ASCO Annual Meeting and today presented updated survival data from the IMpassion130 trial.
- [Sun Awareness Week](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/sun-awareness-week/) - As the summer months approach and the weather gets warmer, it is important to be aware of the risks associated with prolonged exposure to the sun. This week (6th-12thMay) is Sun Awareness Week, part of a campaign run by the British Association of Dermatologists, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of overexposure to
- [Treatment for advanced kidney cancer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/combination-therapy-improves-survival-in-advanced-kidney-cancer/) - A combination therapy has shown powerful anticancer responses in patients with a type of advanced kidney cancer in a new international phase III clinical trial (KEYNOTE-426). Treatment with the combination therapy resulted in significant increases in overall survival when compared with the current standard of care, and the findings will help to provide a vital new treatment option for patients with this disease.
- [Pancreatic Cancer UK Grand Challenge](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/pancreatic-cancer-uk-grand-challenge/) - Our Director, Prof Nicholas Lemoine, and a team of researchers from the BCI and King’s College London have been awarded the Pancreatic Cancer UK (PCUK) Grand Challenge- PCUK’s largest ever research fund. The grant will be used for the development of a type of immunotherapy, known as CAR T cell therapy, to treat pancreatic cancer. Leanne Reynolds, Head of Research at PCUK

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/) - Barts Cancer Institute - Driving discoveries for tomorrow's cancer care
- [Paper of the Month](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/paper-of-the-month/) - We like to recognise the huge amounts of work and creativity that go into carrying out and publishing great cancer research. One way we do this is through our Paper of the Month award, which is decided by the Executive Board.
- [Postgraduate Research Degrees (PhD and MD)](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/study/study-at-bci/postgraduate-research/) - Launch your career in cancer research with a PhD or MD(res) at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/) - The Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine (CECM) supports the delivery of early-phase cancer studies, bringing together an academically led Trials Team and a Cancer Research Delivery Group to develop, run and deliver clinical trials for patients at Barts Health NHS Trust. The Centre specialises in innovative, biomarker-driven trial designs, including adaptive studies and perioperative trials using serial biopsies. Its focus is on translating preclinical research into the clinic and using carefully designed trials to deepen understanding of new treatments.
- [How we engage and involve patients and the public](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/patients-public/our-patient-and-public-engagement/how-we-engage-and-involve-patients-and-the-public/) - Research is more valuable when the people it aims to benefit have opportunities to help shape it. At Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, we work with people affected by cancer, patient advocates, young people and our wider communities to inform our research, share knowledge and make science more accessible.
- [VOICE patient advocacy course](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/patients-public/our-patient-and-public-engagement/voice-patient-advocacy-course/) - We work with the charity Independent Cancer Patients' Voice to run a course in London for cancer patient advocates that aims to explain the research pipeline; from ideas through experiments to clinical trials.
- [Our clinical trials research: information and involvement](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/patients-public/our-patient-and-public-engagement/our-clinical-trials/) - Learn more about the clinical trials work by the Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London. Find information about public engagement events and answers to frequently asked questions about trials.
- [Centre of the Cell](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/patients-public/our-patient-and-public-engagement/centre-of-the-cell/) - The first science education centre in the world to be located within working biomedical research laboratories, Centre of the Cell is directed by Professor Frances Balkwill, Professor of Cancer Biology at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [School work experience programmes](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/patients-public/our-patient-and-public-engagement/schools-work-experience/) - We run two schools experience programmes: STARS and BURSThrough, which seek to break down perceived barriers to higher education and ignite students’ aspirations to pursue careers in science.
- [Funding and studentships](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/study/study-at-bci/postgraduate-research/studentships-and-funding/) - Funding for postgraduate research studies at the Barts Cancer Institute is available through a number of different sources.
- [Applying for a project](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/study/study-at-bci/postgraduate-research/applying-for-a-project/) - Guidance on how to apply for a project, what our entrance requirements are and how to enroll if your application is successful.
- [RNA Hub](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/rna-hub/) - We are working to understand the fundamental mechanisms by which changes in different aspects of RNA biology contribute to cancer initiation and progression.
- [Our Achievements](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/about/our-achievements/) - From doubling survival for advanced bladder cancer to working with the NHS to accelerate AI-powered cancer breakthroughs, our research is transforming the lives of people with cancer.
- [Clinical Trials Portfolio](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/) - The Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine trials team at Queen Mary University of London currenly sponsor and run a portfolio of over 30 early phase clinical trials, with a focus in breast and urological cancers as well as cancers of unmet need such as lung and pancreatic cancer.
- [Media & Press](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/media-press/)
- [Postgraduate Taught Courses (MSc and PGDip)](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/study/study-at-bci/postgraduate-teaching/) - Our cancer programmes cover a variety of areas, including molecular biology, pathology of cancer, cancer treatments and therapies, cancer pharmacology, prevention and screening, diagnostics and research skills.
- [ICAP - ICAN 2026](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/icap-ican-2026/) - We're pleased to welcome deligates to the 29th International Conference on Arginine and Pyrimidines and 4th International Conference on Amino Acids and Nucleotides this summer at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [Flow Cytometry](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/flow-cytometry/) - The Barts Cancer Institute Flow Cytometry Facility at Queen Mary University of London is equipped with flow cytometry (Conventional and Spectral), and imaging cytometry instrumentation enabling high-throughput, multi-parametric single cell analysis across a number of disciplines.
- [Laboratory Management](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/laboratory-management/) - The Laboratory Management team at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London works to support a safe, efficient and sustainable research environment to enable world-class cancer research.
- [Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Tissue Bank (PCRFTB)](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/pancreatic-cancer-research-fund-tissue-bank/) - The Breast Cancer Now Biobank (BCNB) is the UK’s largest unique collection of high-quality breast tissue, breast cells and blood samples from breast cancer patients.
- [Tissue Banks](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/tissue-banks/) - We systematically collect primary and metastatic tissue samples from an array of cancer types to support current and future research.
- [Pathology](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/pathology/) - The BCI Microscopy Facility brings together a range of cutting-edge imaging systems, enabling imaging across scales – from whole tissues to nanoscale structures.
- [Charlotte test page](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/charlotte-test-page/)
- [Careers](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/careers/)
- [About](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/about/)
- [Our History](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/about/our-history/) - Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, is a modern institute built on more than nine centuries of medical practice and education.
- [Mass Spectrometry](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/mass-spectrometry/) - The Barts Cancer Institute Mass Spectrometry Facility at Queen Mary University of London provides end-to-end support for proteomics, phosphoproteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics using advanced high-resolution mass spectrometry platforms and optimised sample preparation workflows.
- [Research](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/) - Barts Cancer Institute is internationally renowned in multiple areas of cancer research. Our strength lies in our culture of close, multidisciplinary collaboration among our more than 350 research staff and 100 graduate students, based across 7 scientific centres and units.
- [Sustainability](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/sustainability/) - We are committed to embedding the principles of sustainable development across all areas of our operation and academic activities.
- [Radionuclides for Health UK](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/radionuclides-for-health-uk/) - Radionuclides for Health UK is an advocacy project that aims to highlight the need for the UK to establish a domestic supply of radionuclides for use in cancer research, treatment and diagnostics.
- [TORCMEK](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/torcmek/) - A Phase Ib/IIa study of AZD2014 in combination with Selumetinib in patients with advanced cancers
- [RAFT](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/raft/) - A study looking at robotic surgery for prostate cancer that has come back (RAFT)
- [PINBALL](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/pinball/) - A Phase II Pilot Trial Of Paclitaxel Protein Bound Plus Cisplatin Plus Gemcitabine and the Addition Of Paricalcitol Upon Disease Progression in Patients With Previously Untreated Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
- [PEBBLE](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/pebble/) - A phase II study investigating preoperative bintrafusp alfa in operable urothelial carcinoma of the bladder
- [MANTA](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/manta/) - A randomized Phase II study of Fulvestrant in combination with the dual mTOR inhibitor AZD2014 or Everolimus or Fulvestrant alone in Estrogen receptor-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer
- [IMPACT](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/impact/) - IMaging pilot study of the αvβ6 integrin radiotracer [18F]-A20FMDV2 in PAtients with solid Cancer Types
- [HIVEC-II](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/hivec-ii/) - A phase II, open label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial comparing hyperthermia plus mitomycin to mitomycin alone, in patients with intermediate risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
- [GAMMA](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/gamma/) - A Novel Single Arm Phase II Study for Relapsed Germ Cell Tumours with Poor Prognosis
- [CLEVAR](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/clevar/) - A clinical enabling study of bone-marrow vascular leak measured by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) in healthy subjects and patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML)
- [CALYPSO](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/calypso/) - A trial looking at MEDI4736, savolitinib and tremelimumab for advanced kidney cancer
- [ABACUS](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/abacus/) - A phase II study investigating preoperative MPDL3280A in operable transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
- [ARB](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/arb/) - Phase II window of opportunity study of short-term preoperative treatment with enzalutamide (alone or in combination with exemestane) in patients with primary breast cancer.
- [Pre-clinical imaging facility](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/preclinical-imaging/) - The Barts Cancer Institute Microscopy Facility brings together a range of cutting-edge imaging systems, enabling imaging across scales – from whole tissues to nanoscale structures.
- [Microscopy](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/microscopy/) - The Barts Cancer Institute Microscopy Facility brings together a range of cutting-edge imaging systems, enabling imaging across scales – from whole tissues to nanoscale structures.
- [BARBICAN](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/barbican/) - A randomised, open-label phase II study to determine the contribution of ipatasertib to neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus atezolizumab in women with triple-negative breast cancer
- [UROPANC](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/uropanc/) - Early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using a panel of biomarkers.
- [ABACUS-2](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/abacus-2/) - A phase II study of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors in urothelial cancer.
- [PAKT](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/pakt/) - A Phase II, Double Blind, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Study of the AKT Inhibitor AZD5363 in Combination with Paclitaxel in Triple-Negative Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer.
- [STARPAC2](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/starpac2/) - Phase IIb randomised clinical trial repurposing ATRA as a stromal targeting agent in a novel drug combination for pancreatic cancer.
- [DISCUS](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-experimental-cancer-medicine/clinical-trials-portfolio/discus/) - A randomised phase II study comparing 3 vs 6 cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy prior to maintenance avelumab in advanced urothelial cancer.
- [Centre for Tumour Microenvironment](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-tumour-microenvironment/) - Our main mission within the Centre is to discover how to exploit the tumour microenvironment (TME) in the control of cancer growth and spread. Our central aim is to understand the biology of the human TME using novel and relevant in vitro and in vivo models in research that is always led by information from patient samples and clinical problems. We aim to harness this knowledge to identify new treatment strategies.
- [Centre for Tumour Biology](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-tumour-biology/) - Work in this Centre focuses on different aspects of the biology of transformed cells or the stromal cells found in neoplastic foci. Our unifying interest is in understanding the cellular and molecular events which drive tumour progression to the malignant phenotype. We have a particular interest in understanding the nature of the “cross-talk” between epithelial cancer cells and their stromal partners during cancer evolution.
- [Centre for Haemato-Oncology](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-haemato-oncology/) - This Centre seeks to understand the molecular basis for lymphoma, leukaemia and myeloma to identify targets for novel targeted therapies and to identify biomarkers of prognosis and response to treatment. We also seek to understand the impact of the tumour microenvironment on malignant cell survival and resistance to therapy. A long-standing strength has been the translational components with strong links to the clinic through clinical senior lecturers and clinical research fellowships and high enrolment of patients in clinical trials.
- [Centre for Cancer Cell & Molecular Biology](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-cancer-cell-molecular-biology/) - Our main mission within the Centre is to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of cancer cell biology and how these can be therapeutically targeted. Our central aim is to understand the basic biology of cancer cells and harness this knowledge to identify new treatment strategies.
- [Centre for Cancer Biomarkers & Biotherapeutics](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-cancer-biomarkers-biotherapeutics/) - Our overarching vision within the Centre is to apply our skills and expertise in developing innovative personalised diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies. Research focuses on the discovery of new biomarkers for earlier diagnosis, monitoring disease progression and response to treatment, and identifying those individuals at risk of disease, and developing targeted treatments.
- [Projects and Partnerships](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/) - Collaboration sits at the heart of our work at Barts Cancer Institute. Working with partners across academia, healthcare and industry, our collaborative initiatives support innovative research and help translate new knowledge into meaningful advances for patients.
- [Kinomica](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/kinomica/) - Procyon Diagnostics is a spin-out company from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, developing non-invasive tests to detect cancer earlier, starting with pancreatic cancer. Using biomarkers in blood and urine combined with machine learning, its approach aims to support earlier diagnosis and improve outcomes.
- [CRUK City of London Centre and Radiation Research Centre](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/cruk-city-of-london-centre-and-radiation-research-centre/) - The Cancer Research UK City of London Centre is a major partnership bringing together leading London institutions to develop new cancer biotherapies. It combines discovery science, clinical research and data expertise to accelerate the translation of new treatments into practice.
- [Cancer Grand Challenges](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/cancer-grand-challenges/) - Cancer Grand Challenges is a global funding initiative supporting large, interdisciplinary teams to tackle some of the toughest problems in cancer research. BCI researchers have contributed to multiple international projects.
- [Procyon Diagnostics](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/procyon-diagnostics/) - Procyon Diagnostics is a spin-out company from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, developing non-invasive tests to detect cancer earlier, starting with pancreatic cancer. Using biomarkers in blood and urine combined with machine learning, its approach aims to support earlier diagnosis and improve outcomes.
- [VacV Biotherapeutics](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/vacv-biotherapeutics/) - VacV Biotherapeutics is a spin-out company from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, developing viral-based immunotherapies designed to both destroy cancer cells and stimulate long-term immune responses. Built on over 20 years of research, its platform aims to expand the reach and effectiveness of immunotherapy.
- [PharosAI](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/pharosai/) - PharosAI is a major UK-wide initiative designed to unlock the potential of artificial intelligence in cancer research and care. The partnership is co-led by Queen Mary University of London and King’s College London, working closely with Barts Health NHS Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
- [Contact Us](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/about/contact/) - The Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, is situated in the heart of the City of London on the beautiful Charterhouse Square Campus. Our research laboratories, clinical trials centre and teaching are located primarily on this campus, within minutes of the Barts Cancer Centre at St Bartholomew's Hospital, one of the most advanced cancer centres in Europe.
- [Support Us](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/about/support-us/) - Thank you for considering a donation to Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London If you would like to support the next generation of academics, researchers and doctors at Queen Mary, you can make a donation to The Barts and The London Student Support Fund. If you would like to discuss a bespoke gift
- [Centre for Cancer Evolution](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/centre-for-cancer-evolution/) - In this Centre, we employ unbiased high-throughput sequencing, mass spectrometry and multispectral imaging of tumour samples to gain unique insights into cancer evolution, genetics and cell signalling through from premalignancy to metastatic disease. Our ambition is to see translation of new knowledge into improvements in early cancer detection and precision medicine.
- [Our Centres](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/our-centres/) - We conduct discovery research with a clear line-of-sight to the clinic, exploring the fundamental biology driving cancer to transform patient care. Working with Barts Health NHS Trust, we study London’s diverse cancer patient population to ensure advances in research benefit everyone.
- [Core Services](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/) - Our research is supported by a number of Core Services. The institute's infrastructure and service support creates an ambitious environment, supporting cutting-edge cancer research.
- [Bioinformatics](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/bioinformatics/) - The Barts Cancer Institute Bioinformatics Facility at Queen Mary University of London provides data analysis and consultancy services for high-throughput measurements, including DNA and RNA sequencing, epigenomics and proteomics
- [Our Leadership Structure](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/about/our-leadership-structure/) - The Barts Cancer Institute is part of Queen Mary University of London, which is governed by the University Council, Senate and Senior Leadership Team. Find out more about the university's leadership and governance on the main Queen Mary website. The Barts Cancer Institute's Executive Board is responsible for the coordination of the Institute. It develops
- [Cancer Metabolism Hub](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/cancer-metabolism-hub/) - The BCI Cancer Metabolism Hub is a community of research groups investigating the fundamental metabolic alterations that take place in human cancers, translating these novel discoveries into clinical advances.
- [About Barts Cancer Institute](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/about/about-the-bci/) - We are a leading cancer research institute at Queen Mary University of London and part of the Cancer Research UK City of London Centre. Everything we do serves our ultimate goal: to create a future where no one lives in fear of cancer.
- [Life at BCI](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/careers/life-at-bci/) - Find out more about what it’s like to work at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- [Matrix Dynamics](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/matrix-dynamics/) - Matrix Dynamics is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) which aims to leverage its extracellular matrix target discovery and drug development platform to develop therapies against novel cancer targets.
- [Vacancies](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/careers/vacancies/) - Help us to create a better future for cancer patients At Barts Cancer Institute, we bring together people with a diverse range of skills and perspectives to drive discoveries for tomorrow's cancer care. Working at Queen Mary University of London Learn more about working at Queen Mary University of London, including benefits and development opportunities.
- [Breast Cancer Now Biobank](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/breast-cancer-now-biobank/) - The Breast Cancer Now Biobank (BCNB) is the UK’s largest unique collection of high-quality breast tissue, breast cells and blood samples from breast cancer patients.
- [Cancer Tissue Bank](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/cancer-tissue-bank/) - The Cancer Tissue Bank (CTB) is a dedicated research collaboration aiming to collect and provide tissues from all cancer types, including liver, prostate, breast and secondary disease.
- [Barts Gynae Tissue Bank](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/barts-gynae-tissue-bank/) - The Barts Gynae Tissue Bank (BGTB) collects primary samples from individuals with gynaecological malignancies and pre-malignant conditions.
- [Haemato-Oncology Tissue Bank](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/core-services/haemato-oncology-tissue-bank/) - Supporting research into blood cancers, the Haemato-Oncology Tissue Bank (HOTB) at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of Londoncollects primary samples from patients with known or suspected haematological malignancies.
- [Our patient and public engagement](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/patients-public/our-patient-and-public-engagement/)
- [Our People](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/)
- [Study](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/study/study-at-bci/) - Our postgraduate cancer programmes embed aspiring cancer scientists in a world-class research environment. We’re mentoring the next generation of cancer research leaders, welcoming students from around the globe via on-campus and distance learning programmes.
- [Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Hub](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/research/projects/epidermolysis-bullosa-research-hub/) - The Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Hub is a collaborative platform to accelerate translational research at Queen Mary University of London and with our partners across the UK.
- [Study](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/study/)
- [Patients & Public](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/patients-public/)
- [News Search Results](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/news/news-search-results/)

## Team

- [Dr Nekisa Zakeri](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-nekisa-zakeri/) - My group’s research is focused on developing novel immunotherapeutic strategies for patients with primary and metastatic liver cancer, with a particular emphasis on cellular therapies and tumour microenvironment targeting. Despite recent advances in immunotherapy, the majority of patients with liver cancer do not achieve adequate responses. A central focus of our research is the therapeutic harnessing of unconventional T cells called gamma delta T cells to create more universally effective therapies. In parallel, we are studying the liver tumour microenvironment to identify targets for combination immunotherapy. Positioned at the interface of clinical hepatology and cancer immunology, our group also leads multidisciplinary clinical research aimed at optimising therapeutic responses, enhancing quality of life, and improving survival outcomes for patients with liver cancer.
- [Professor Hemant Kocher](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-hemant-kocher/) - My clinical research interests include tissue banking, clinical trials, innovative surgical techniques, epidemiology, meta-analysis and patient care pathways. My translational research interests include pancreatic cancer stroma and tumour-stroma cross-talk including cell signalling, adhesion, metastasis and invasion.
- [Dr Vivek Singh](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-vivek-singh/)
- [Professor Angus Cameron](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-angus-cameron/) - My research focuses on kinases regulating cancer cell growth and motility to understand how and when to target them with drugs. My group is currently examining the role of the PKN kinases in malignant progression.
- [Alexander Pawsey](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/alexander-pawsey/)
- [Benjamin Roche](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/benjamin-roche/)
- [Professor Sarah McClelland](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-sarah-mcclelland/) - My lab aims to understand the mechanisms that underlie numerical and structural chromosome aberrations in cancer at a molecular level, which also involves understanding how normal cells replicate and segregate their genomes.
- [Dr Audrey Lumeau](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-audrey-lumeau/) - My research focuses on understanding the relationship between chromosome instability mechanisms and tumour cells' resistance to therapies.
- [Dr Toni Martinez](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-toni-martinez/)
- [Dr Long Wang](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-long-wang/)
- [Dr Zoe Mitchell](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-zoe-mitchell/)
- [Dr Tia Gibson](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-tia-gibson/) - My research focusses on implementing nuclear imaging techniques (e.g. positron emission tomography) to study the in vivo behaviour of novel nanomedicines. My research also explores the use of nanoparticles for targeted radionuclide therapy.
- [Dr Abu Dayem Ullah](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-dayem-ullah/) - My role focuses on using health informatics, electronic health records (EHRs), and bioinformatics to understand cancer risk, prognosis and healthcare pathways. I work with large, linked clinical and molecular datasets to investigate cancer epidemiology, genetic susceptibility and health inequalities, with a particular interest in diverse and underserved populations. My research aims to translate data-driven insights into improved cancer prevention, early detection and patient outcomes.
- [Dr James Scarth](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-james-scarth/) - My research employs 2D and 3D in vitro models of oncogenic HPV infection to study the contributions of DNA replication stress and genomic instability during and cancer initiation.
- [Dr Diu T. T. Nguyen](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-diu-nguyen/) - The overarching goal of the Diu Nguyen laboratory is to understand the control of stem cells in normal development and human diseases. Our research program focuses on uncovering the role of post-transcriptional and translational regulation in normal and malignant stem cells using haematopoiesis as a model system. While somatic alterations in genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in tumorigenesis have been intensively studied, the impact of post-transcriptional control of gene expression in cancer development has recently emerged. We aim (1) to identify novel post-transcriptional and RNA regulators required for normal blood development and leukaemogenesis, and (2) to understand the molecular mechanisms for how altered activities of RNA-Binding Proteins contribute to malignant transformation, with the ultimate goal of developing innovative targeted therapies for cancer.
- [Dr Alexander Crozier](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/alexander-crozier/) - Technical Staff
- [Professor Marco Gerlinger](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-marco-gerlinger/) - We are investigating how drug resistance evolves in bowel and gastro-oesophageal cancers, how these tumour types can be treated more effectively through novel immunotherapies and targeted drugs, and how treatment sensitivity and resistance can be predicted.
- [Professor Yong-Jie Lu](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-yong-jie-lu/) - We aim to identify genetic alterations that influence cancer development, progression and therapeutic responses, in particular prostate cancer, and further develop them into biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and therapeutic stratification, with a current focus on circulating biomarkers.
- [Dr Junjie Chai](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-junjie-chai/)
- [Dr Lucy Silcock](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lucy-silcock/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Tony Chen](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/tony-chen/) - My research focuses on understanding minimal residual disease in follicular lymphoma and how it contributes to disease progression and relapse. By uncovering the biological mechanisms underlying treatment response, I aim to support the development of more precise monitoring strategies and improved therapies for patients.
- [Dr Zahra Bokhari](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/zahra-bokhari/) - My research is focused on studying the molecular mechanisms of integrin αvβ6-driven breast cancer progression and metastasis.
- [Dr Ozge Sonmezler](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ozge-sonmezler/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Zhao Cheng](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-zhao-cheng/)
- [Dr Jing Liu](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/jing-liu/) - My project evaluates the feasibility of using dried blood spot (DBS) samples as a low‑input source of cfDNA for liquid biopsy, aiming to support future decentralized cancer detection and monitoring.
- [Dr Prerana Huddar](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/prerana-huddar/) - In my research, I am exploring the effects of inflammation in colorectal cancer tumourigenesis.
- [Dr Gavin Craig](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/gavin-craig/) - I oversee the management of Barts Cancer Institute, driving strategy, culture and operational excellence. Leading on strategic planning across research, education, finance, workforce, estates and governance, I work to ensure the institute operates successfully, compliantly and inclusively.
- [Laura Vosper](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/laura-vosper/) - I am responsible for the Quality Management System within Barts ECMC. I prepare for all audit activity, including regulatory, internal and external inspections, and I lead and manage the training programme for all staff. Most importantly, I ensure that all research is undertaken according to ICH GCP and UK Clinical Trial Regulations.
- [Dr Francesca Jackson-Spence](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/francesca-jackson-spence/) - My interests are in genitourinary cancer drug development and biomarkers. My research focuses on optimising care for patients with advanced urology cancers using novel technologies, including integration of wearable devices and circulating tumour DNA.
- [Dr Elizabeth Nally](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/elizabeth-nally/) - My research focusses on improving how we measure and understand the patient experience in genitourinary cancers, particularly in the context of immunotherapy in early stage disease. I am developing more meaningful quality of life tools and patient-informed toxicity classifications, alongside investigating biomarkers to better predict outcomes.
- [Professor Peter Schmid](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-peter-schmid/) - My research interests focus on improving the care of women with breast cancer through clinical trials. I am investigating a variety of novel agents that target specific pathways within cancer cells and the surrounding tissue.
- [Dr Charlotte Ackerman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/charlotte-ackerman/) - I lead the operation of a clinical trial unit responsible for the set up and management of a portfolio of investigator-led, early phase, oncology international and national CTIMP clinical trials. I am responsible for collaborating with external funders and partners including IMP manufacturers, funders and laboratories at a national and international level. Budget and resource forecasting. I am knowledgeable in all phases and aspects of clinical trials from set up to closure. I am also responsible for strategy planning of Barts Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine, part of the nationwide ECMC network. I have an interest in translational oncology with a PhD focusing on prognostic and predictive biomarkers in urological cancers. Translational lead for Barts ECMC and ECMC Bladder Cancer Network Group.
- [Cheryl Lawrence](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/cheryl-lawrence/) - Operations
- [Dr Haichao Wang](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/haichao-wang/) - I research multi-modal AI for cancer detection using cell-free DNA in human body fluids (e.g. blood).
- [Dr Dina Mahdi](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dina-mahdi/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Dr Paolo Gallipoli](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-paolo-gallipoli/) - My research interests focus on mechanisms of disease initiation and maintenance and the identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets in myeloid leukaemias.
- [Dr Michael Allen](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-michael-allen/) - I'm a Staff Scientist at PharosAI and Post Doctoral Researcher at Queen Mary University of London (since 2005). My research focuses on how breast myoepithelial cells drive the progression of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive breast cancer. I hold a PhD in Cancer Studies from the University of Birmingham, have published 16 papers in the field, and am a Fellow of Advance HE. I also supervise students and teach at QMUL, and I'm part of PharosAI, an AI-driven cancer diagnostics initiative backed by major NHS and industry partners.
- [Dr Gabriella Ficz](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-gabriella-ficz/) - My group aims to discover the epigenetic changes taking place during cancer initiation and develop potential drugs that can prevent these changes which may be abnormal but reversible, before many damaging mutations occur.
- [Dr Leo Dudley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-leo-dudley/)
- [Dr Luigi Ombrato](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-luigi-ombrato/) - I lead the Metastatic Niche Lab, where we study how metastases form and what enables disseminated cancer cells to survive and grow in distant organs. Our research focuses on uncovering cell-cell interactions and signalling pathways within the tumour microenvironment that are critical for establishing a supportive metastatic niche. Our studies aim to identify key drivers of metastatic progression and new therapeutic targets to better prevent or treat metastatic cancers.
- [Dr Beatriz Salvador](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-beatriz-salvador/) - Our research aims to understand how pancreatic cancer starts, focusing on the very earliest changes in the pancreas before a tumour has formed. We use models that better reflect how the disease develops in real life and allow us to study how normal and abnormal cells interact during these early stages. We are particularly interested in how different cell types within early, pre-cancerous changes behave, and how they communicate with their surroundings. These interactions can either help prevent cancer from developing or contribute to its progression. By studying these early signals, we hope to identify warning signs that indicate which changes are most likely to become cancer, and to find ways to stop or slow down this process before cancer develops.
- [Dr Tanith Westerman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-tanith-westerman/) - My PhD investigates how glycosylated extracellular matrix regulates anti-tumour immunity in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Using decellularised tumour models, immune cell profiling and spatial molecular approaches, my project aims to understand how ECM glycans influence immune cell phenotype, localisation and crosstalk. The translational goal is to identify whether targeting ECM glycosylation can remodel immunosuppressive tumour microenvironments and enhance immune-mediated tumour killing.
- [Ismita Chhetri](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ismita-chhetri/)
- [Colin Pegrum](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/colin-pegrum/) - I manage the BCI Animal Technician Service and work closely with Project Licence Holders to support the delivery of high‑quality cancer research. I review study protocols and coordinate day‑to‑day in vivo research, helping to ensure that all work is carried out responsibly, with a strong commitment to animal welfare and in line with strict ethical and regulatory standards.
- [Dr Manuela Terranova Barberio](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/manuela-terranova-barberio/) - I manage the BCI Flow Cytometry Facility, providing training, technical support, and guidance on all cytometry platforms. My background is in translational breast cancer research, with a focus on epigenetics and immunotherapy combinations. I support researchers in designing, executing, troubleshooting, and analysing flow cytometry experiments, and in selecting the most appropriate techniques, including conventional, spectral, imaging cytometry and cell sorting. My expertise includes complex panel design, experimental planning, methods development and high-dimensional data analysis. I am also actively involved in the London Cytometry Club and serve on educational committees for the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC).
- [Stephen Rogers](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/stephen-rogers/) - I have been a Flow Cytometry Technician since 2016. In the BCI Flow facility, I specialise in cell sorting, technical troubleshooting, and experimental support.
- [Atar Diwani Massarwa](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/atar-diwani-massarwa/) - As part of the BCI Flow Cytometry Facility core team, I operate and maintain instrumentation spanning conventional, spectral, imaging cytometry platforms. I support researchers with experimental design, multi-colour panel optimisation, cell sorting, and data analysis across a broad range of research projects. My expertise is in providing hands-on training and troubleshooting to users at all levels.
- [Lucy Gentles](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lucy-gentles/) - Technical Staff
- [Sameena Iqbal](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sameena-iqbal/) - I work on the development and maintenance of the Quality Management System for Queen Mary University of London PharosAI activities.
- [Dr Rebecca Gresham](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/rebecca-gresham/) - I oversee all of the BCI laboratories and space. I have a team whose aim is to deliver frictionless, reliable, and optimised research spaces that maximise experimental productivity, reduce avoidable disruptions, and support the successful delivery of BCI research outcomes.
- [Dr Dhifaf Jasim](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-dhifaf-jasim/) - I manage the radiochemistry facility within the Cancer Imaging Department, overseeing the maintenance and operation of laboratory equipment including hot cells, gamma and beta counters, blood analysers, and the CFT machine. Alongside ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the lab, I also support and contribute to research activities, drawing on my scientific background to assist with experiments such as CFT studies, radiolabelling, and imaging research.
- [Professor Nitzan Rosenfeld](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-nitzan-rosenfeld/) - The Rosenfeld group develops molecular diagnostic tools for cancer detection, characterisation and monitoring, to help make more informed treatment decisions. We focus on liquid biopsies, in which we analyse blood samples to detect and characterise cell-free circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA).
- [Dr Hui Zhao](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/hui-zhao/) - My group focuses on developing bioinformatics approaches for early cancer detection, disease monitoring, and treatment response prediction, with an emphasis on liquid biopsy. I am particularly interested in analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) features such as fragment length distribution, end motifs, copy number alterations, mutation signatures, and DNA methylation patterns, which provide valuable information for non-invasive cancer diagnostics. A central aim of my work is to integrate these molecular signals using machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop robust, interpretable tools for ctDNA-based cancer profiling. By advancing multi-feature integration, I seek to improve sensitivity and specificity in clinical applications and ultimately translate these methods into tools that enhance cancer detection and patient outcomes.
- [Dr Amit Roshan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/amit-roshan/) - Our laboratory focuses on developing whole genome sequencing based approaches for detecting circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and applying them for clinical benefit in different cancer settings.
- [Professor Tommy Kaplan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/tommy-kaplan/) - We are a computational group, studying DNA methylation across the human body, in health and disease. We integrate epigenetic, genetic, chromatin, and gene expression data to understand gene regulation in development, ageing and in cancer, and to develop multimodal cell-free DNA applications for liquid biopsy.
- [Byron Morris](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/byron-morris/) - My research investigates domain generalisation in computational pathology, with the long-term goal of building multimodal AI systems that can robustly integrate histopathology, molecular, and clinical data across healthcare institutions. My current work focuses on understanding how domain shift is encoded within pathology foundation model representations and how this knowledge can be used to design simpler and more robust machine learning methods. By combining representation theory with multimodal learning, I aim to develop clinically reliable models that remain effective under real-world distribution shifts.
- [Melissa Jegiraj](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/melissa-jegiraj/) - My PhD research focuses on developing next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) methods for early breast cancer diagnosis using multimodal medical data, including mammography, ultrasound, MRI, pathology, and clinical information. The project aims to improve cancer detection, lesion characterisation, segmentation, and treatment outcome prediction through advanced deep learning, computer vision, and foundation model approaches. Ultimately, this work seeks to develop robust, interpretable, and clinically deployable AI tools that support healthcare professionals in delivering earlier and more accurate breast cancer diagnosis across diverse patient populations.
- [Dr Jack Henry](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-jack-henry/) - My research investigates how kinase signalling regulates epithelial junctional integrity, with a particular focus on mechanisms disrupted in colitis and colitis associated colorectal cancer. In parallel lead projects dissecting the roles of kinases within the YAP/TAZ pathway, a central driver of metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and stromal reprogramming across multiple cancer types. I also have a particular interest in integrating functional screening data to identify signalling patterns and uncover previously unrecognised biological mechanisms.
- [Mennatallah Ghouraba](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/mennatallah-ghouraba/) - I study immunotherpay resistance in metastatic colorectal cancer clinical trials using single cell and spatial multiomics.
- [Dr Wai Yiu Tse](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/wai-yiu-tse/) - I investigate the role of tubulin acetylation in DNA repair and explore why certain types of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) require DSB mobility for repair.
- [Dr Youssef Arafat](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/youssef-arafat/) - My research focus is to apply and develop computer vision and artificial intelligence techniques to study the clonal evolution of Prostate Cancer. I also have an interest in understanding the Tumour Microenvironment that surrounds these clones and its role in the progression of Cancer.
- [Dr Kim-Phuong To](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-kim-phuong-to/) - Ribosome biogenesis is observed to be robustly upregulated in Acute myeloid leukemia compared with healthy hematopoietic cells. We focus on one of the most upregulated factors that is required for AML cell proliferation and survival in vitro and vivo. This highlights a potential therapeutic vulnerability in leukemia.
- [Dr Eoin Gillespie](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-eoin-gillespie/) - My research focuses on the role of microtubule post-translational modifications (PTMs) in response to cellular stresses, including DNA damage and oxidative stress.
- [Dr Matthew Preece](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/matthew-preece/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Megan Perrett](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-megan-perrett/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Helen Ross-Adams](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-helen-ross-adams/) - I am a molecular biologist with an interest in developing clinically relevant biomarkers to support earlier disease detection, predict treatment response, and inform clinical management in pancreatic and breast cancer. I use a wide array of laboratory techniques to functionally characterise findings from the integration of large-scale genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data, alongside approaches that explore tumour heterogeneity and disease evolution, including the use of minimally invasive liquid biopsies.
- [Eve Guild](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/eve-guild/) - My project investigates how B cell dynamics contribute to melanoma progression by integrating multiplex imaging, spatial transcriptomics, and computational pathology. Using Multiplex Cell DIVE and spatial transcriptomic data from primary and metastatic melanoma samples, we will characterise the relationship between extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture, B cell states, localisation, and tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) formation. We will then develop deep learning models to predict B cell presence, subtype, and function from histology images and evaluate their prognostic value for patient survival, with a particular focus on how ECM remodelling influences B cell behaviour and melanoma progression.
- [Thaneswari Karpanasamy](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/thaneswari-karpanasamy/) - My project focuses on identifying HLA Class I presented peptides in oncogene amplified cancers through mass spectrometry immunopeptidomics. These peptides found in high-level copy number amplified oncogene amplicons that could activate CD8 T cell activation could be good potential therapeutic targets.
- [Dr Alejandro Castillo Kauil](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-alejandro-castillo-kauil/) - My research focuses on evaluating novel RGD-mimetic molecules that can remodel the tumour microenvironment in lung and pancreatic cancer models. By investigating the effects of low-dose treatment on tumour vasculature and immune cell infiltration, I aim to uncover strategies that enhance the effectiveness of both immunotherapy and chemotherapy, ultimately improving treatment outcomes.
- [Dr Michael Spencer Chapman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/michael-spencer-chapman/) - My work has focussed on using naturally-occurring somatic mutations in human cells as lineage markers, extending this to building large somatic phylogenies of hundreds of single haematopoietic stem cells. I have used this approach to study foetal development, ageing of normal blood, allogeneic transplant, gene therapy as well as the fundamental mechanisms of mutagenesis. My interests are to better understand somatic evolution in blood, and its impact on the phenotypes of ageing and disease.
- [Dr Jaume Barcelo](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-jaume-barcelo/) - My research investigates pancreatic cancer with a strong focus on metabolism and spatial biology, combining single-cell and spatial omics approaches to understand how tumour cells and their microenvironment are organised and interact across primary and metastatic sites. We aim to decode the functional and spatial heterogeneity of pancreatic tumours and uncover how metabolic rewiring shapes disease progression and metastasis.
- [Dr Amy Hall](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-amy-hall/) - My project aims to understand how ongoing chromosomal instability can impact immune-sensing pathways. In particular, I focus on how homologous recombination repair deficiency may cause cGAS-STING dysfunction in models oh high grade serous ovarian cancer.
- [Dr Ana Rita Pedrosa](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-ana-rita-pedrosa/) - My research focuses on understanding how cancer therapies modulate angiocrine signalling from both tumour and pre-metastatic lung vasculature, and how these vascular–immune interactions shape treatment responses and metastatic progression. To address these questions, I have developed and optimised unifocal lung cancer mouse models that enable clinically relevant evaluation of image-guided radiotherapy and combination therapies. I am now seeking to transition to an independent research position, where I aim to exploit the immunomodulatory functions of vascular endothelial cells to develop novel therapeutic strategies that enhance anti-tumour immunity and improve cancer treatment outcomes.
- [Dr Katherine Baines](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-katherine-baines/) - I am researching T-cell exhaustion and pseudo-exhaustion phenotypes in metastatic germ cell tumours, investigating the tumour microenvironment and implications for advanced cellular therapies.
- [Dr Daniel Mouzo](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/daniel-mouzo/) - My research aims to elucidate the molecular landscape of familial Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), focusing on the functional consequences of mutations in RNA helicases such as DDX41 and DHX34. Utilizing an integrated approach that couples single-cell and Total RNA-seq with functional models in primary human bone marrow, the work focuses on fingerprinting Variants of Unknown Significance (VUS) to improve clinical stratification. This research stream bridges the gap between basic RNA biology and clinical translation to prevent donor-derived leukaemia and identify novel therapeutic targets.
- [Dr Francesco Terenzi](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/francesco-terenzi/) - My research combines mathematical modelling and machine learning to study disease progression and the genetic evolution of cancer. I am particularly interested in quantitatively characterising the underlying evolutionary and dynamical processes that drive the transition from healthy blood to malignancy.
- [Adriana Yunda De Miguel](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/adriana-yunda-de-miguel/) - PhD Student
- [Dr Vimala Anthonydhason](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/vimala-anthonydhason/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Sarah Penny](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sarah-penny/) - My research focuses on post-translationally modified neoantigen discovery in gastrointestinal cancers - identifying which tumour-specific antigens tumour infiltrating T cells target in situ, and characterising these responses.
- [Anna Baxter](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/anna-baxter/) - My research focuses on the role of tubulin acetylation in DNA double-strand break repair and how this can be exploited in conjunction with DNA-damaging agents for cancer therapy, with a current primary focus on breast cancer. I investigate the vulnerabilities associated with loss of tubulin acetylation to identify new strategies for targeting DSB mobility and repair in cancer cells.
- [Andrea Vinaga](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/andrea-vinaga/) - My project investigates the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer. I commonly use a range of techniques, both in vitro and bioinformatics.
- [Daire Hanna](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/daire-hanna/) - My research explores the epigenetic regulation of the pancreatic tumour microenvironment, using decellularised tissue-based 3D co-culture models to investigate immune exclusion, CAR-T resistance, and epigenetic reprogramming strategies.
- [Dr Desmond Choy](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/desmond-choy/) - I am a generalist bioinformatician in the PharosAI project, focusing primarily on WGS, RNA-Seq and spatial transcriptomics technologies. I am responsible for data management and data analysis, often working closely with wet lab and IT teams within QMUL, external commercial partners and PharosAI colleagues based at other UK institutions. In addition to my PharosAI activities, I am also involved in Professor Claude Chelala's research projects, in particular the group's work on field cancerisation and ctDNA.
- [Dr Tizong Miao](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/tizong-miao/) - I research biomarkers for prostate cancer diagnosis, metastasis, treatment and prognosis, especially focusing on liquid biomarkers, such as CTC, ctDNA, and immune markers.
- [Dr Findlay Bewicke-Copley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-findlay-bewicke-copley/) - I am a bioinformatician in the group of Jessica Okosun focused on the analysis of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data derived from Lymphoma patients. I am currently working on projects involving disease detection in liquid biopsies from Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL) and the single cell characterisation of transformed Follicular Lymphoma. I also develop pipelines and packages using cutting edge software to automate and streamline all the informatics processes within the lab.
- [Grace Ma](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/grace-ma/) - Operations
- [Dr Peter Hall](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/peter-hall/) - Operations
- [Dr Qianqian Zhu](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/qianqian-zhu/) - I am a PhD-trained Software Engineer with a strong foundation in software engineering principles, committed to applying best practices in software design, development, and maintenance. I work as a Software Engineer/Data Scientist at Barts Cancer Institute, developing robust software and data solutions for bioinformatics applications. Passionate about building scalable, reliable, and high-quality systems that bridge advanced engineering practices with data-driven scientific research.
- [Dr Paul Grevitt](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-paul-grevitt/) - My research projects involve identifying tumour suppressors involved in regulating the hypoxic response and metabolic stress, with the aim to identify novel targeted therapies against these.
- [Dr Jana Kim](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/jana-kim/) - I manage the BCI Preclinical Imaging Facility and work closely with researchers to design high‑quality imaging studies. My expertise lies in optimising imaging strategies, and I provide training and support for data acquisition and analysis.
- [Dr Vinothini (Vinni) Rajeeve](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-vinothini-rajeeve/) - I manage the daily operations of a mass spectrometry core facility, supporting proteomics, phosphoproteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics research projects. My responsibilities include coordinating research service activities, method development, instrument maintenance, data analysis, troubleshooting, user training, and workflow optimisation to ensure high-quality and reproducible scientific data generation.
- [Professor Nick Lemoine](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-nick-lemoine/) - My groups' primary research interests are in the genomics and molecular pathology of pancreatic cancer and the development of oncolytic virotherapy.
- [Rhiannon Roberts](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/rhiannon-roberts/) - I am responsible for coordinating the collection of samples and data from multiple collection centres in the UK. This involves the set-up of new collection sites, ensuring compliance with GCP, HTA, DPA and other regulations. I also coordinate the application and review process for requests for samples and data.
- [Dr Izaak Tyson-Hirst](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/izaak-tyson-hirst/) - I am responsible for the ZenoTOF 7600 instrumentation and primarily focus on lipidomics analysis within the facility. I work closely with the Finch and Peck groups on lipidomic, metabolomic, and proteomic projects, with a current focus on developing redox proteomics methods.
- [Tanim Jamal](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/tanim-jamal/) - Operations
- [Dr Pinky Kotecha](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-pinky-kotecha/)
- [Dr Trupti Kolvekar](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/trupti-kolvekar/) - Operations
- [Ramiya Pratheepan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ramiya-pratheepan/)
- [Julie Cleaver](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/julie-cleaver/) - I oversee the day to day operations of the BCI Preclinical Imaging Facility, supporting imaging workflows and equipment use. I train users on imaging systems and protocols, and work closely with researchers to support effective study planning.
- [Tommy Shields](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/tommy-shields/) - I work within the mass spectrometry facility, supporting a diverse range of research projects for internal and external users. I specialise in sample preparation and analysis of proteomics, phosphoproteomics, and single-cell proteomics experiments. I contribute to the operation and upkeep of multiple mass spectrometers, ensuring optimal performance and reliability across the facility’s instrumentation.
- [Shreya Lovlekar](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/shreya-lovlekar/)
- [Dr Sam Wallis](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-sam-wallis/) - I manage the BCI Microscopy Facility, providing training and guidance across all of our microscopes. My background and expertise are in applied light microscopy to answer fundamental biology questions, including live cell imaging, super resolution microscopy and image analysis. I am also part of the Technician Commitment Steering Group and a Technical Staff representative on multiple committees.
- [Professor Claude Chelala](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-claude-chelala/) - I lead an interdisciplinary research group with complementary expertise in translational bioinformatics, health data science, and software engineering, enabling us to effectively leverage data-driven approaches for precision medicine. Our research projects are specifically concentrated on integrative analytics, biomarker discovery, and the design of sophisticated informatics systems capable of translating longitudinal clinical data and molecular findings into personalised strategies for patient care.
- [Dr Keiran Palmer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-keiran-palmer/)
- [Professor Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-tatjana-crnogorac-jurcevic/) - My research focuses on molecular pathology of pancreatic cancer, in particular its development and progression. We are using this knowledge to develop biomarkers for early, non-invasive detection of this malignancy in urine specimens.
- [Dr Pedro Casado-Izquierdo](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-pedro-casado-izquierdo/) - My work is based on studying signalling networks in AML primary samples in order to predict responses to kinase inhibitors.
- [Dr Silvana Debernardi](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-silvana-debernardi/) - My work focuses on the global analysis of miRNA in pancreatic cancer and developing miRNA biomarkers for early detection of this malignancy.
- [Tolu Ogunlana](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/tolu-ogunlana/)
- [Dr Aiman Ahmad](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-aiman-ahmad/)
- [Dr Lovorka Stojic](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-lovorka-stojic/) - My group studies how RNA-mediated mechanisms, in particular long noncoding RNAs, regulate cell division and how dysregulation of these processes leads to genome instability and cancer.
- [Eleanor MacKellar](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/eleanor-mackellar/)
- [Professor Michelle Lockley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-michelle-lockley/) - Our lab aims to improve treatments for women with ovarian cancer, particularly those that are resistant to chemotherapy. We are interested in developing therapies that can adapt to the evolution of chemotherapy resistance over time such as Adaptive Therapy.
- [Nikolina Bakali](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/nikolina-bakali/) - Technical Staff
- [Professor Fran Balkwill](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-fran-balkwill/) - My research is focused on the links between cancer and inflammation, being especially interested in translating knowledge of cancer biology into new biological treatments for cancer and in the role that inflammatory cytokines play in cancer promotion. We study the tumour microenvironment of ovarian cancer using a platform of human multi-cellular tissue culture models and mouse models to research biological therapies that may prevent relapse and increase patient survival.
- [Professor Andy Finch](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-andy-finch/) - Our group studies changes in metabolism and metabolic stresses that are caused by oncogene activation and how these stresses lead to tumour suppressive responses.
- [Professor Stuart McDonald](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-stuart-mcdonald/) - Our group is investigating the mechanisms of how premalignant diseases such as Barrett's esophagus progress to cancer that has a poor survival rate. Barrett's is common in the UK and all diagnosed patients undergo life-long endoscopic surveillance despite only a small proportion of which (
- [Dr Yannick Derwa](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/yannick-derwa/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Angela Abraham](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/angela-abraham/) - PhD Student
- [Professor Susana Godinho](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-susana-godinho/) - Our lab studies how cells organise their internal skeleton, called microtubules, which are controlled by a small structure known as the centrosome. This system is essential for accurate cell division, but in cancer it is often disrupted, for example when cells have too many centrosomes. A key challenge is understanding how cancer cells adapt to these changes and continue to grow. We investigate how alterations in centrosomes and microtubules affect cell behaviour. By uncovering these processes, our work aims to identify new vulnerabilities in cancer cells and support the development of more effective treatments.
- [Dr Loong Wang](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-loong-wang/)
- [Dr Elisa Scanu](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-elisa-scanu/)
- [Dr Eleni Maniati](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-eleni-maniati/) - My research project aims to integrate multi-omic molecular and histological data datasets of the microenvironment of HGSOC metastases. This work will allow us to identify key microenvironmental components and pathways that sustain and promote tumours.
- [Dr Molly Guscott](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/molly-guscott/) - My research is about understanding how chromosome instability (CIN) impacts ongoing genomic evolution, including differences dependent on the mechanisms of CIN, as well as how these impact the response to therapy. I use High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer, a cancer that has a extremely high occurrence of chemotherapy resistance and is a highly chromosomally unstable cancer type, as a model to investigate these questions. This includes using in vitro cell biology, syngeneic in vivo models and computational methods to interrogate genomic changes in different CIN environments.
- [Dr Alastair Lamb](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-alastair-lamb/) - Our lab focusses on Spatial Prostate Assessment and the Circulating Environment (aka the SPACE Group). We use cutting edge spatial molecular techniques to unpack clonal dynamics in the development of localised prostate cancer. Alongside this we seek to identify scalable “windows” into clonal lethality using machine learning approaches applied to histology and MRI images as well as ‘liquid biopsy’ of circulating tumour cells (CTCs). Our aim is to transform decision-making in clinical management of prostate cancer so that the right men get the right treatment at the right time.
- [Christine Hughes](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/christine-hughes/)
- [Dr Pramod Darvin](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/pramod-darvin/) - My research uses patient-derived organoids and primary stromal cell co-cultures to model pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a clinically relevant setting. I explore how tumour heterogeneity and microenvironmental cross-talk drive invasion and therapy resistance, with the aim of improving treatment strategies.
- [Rachel Bryan-Ravenscroft](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/rachel-bryan-ravenscroft/) - I study the early stages of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), which begins in the fallopian tube and is generally driven by TP53 mutations. Using 3D models of human fallopian tube cells with these mutations and other key mutations, alongside clinically derived fibroblasts and immune cells, I investigate how the microenvironment supports early cancer spread.
- [Dr Lucy Stevens](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lucy-stevens/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Dr Kastytis Sidlauskas](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/kastytis-sidlauskas/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Dr Sara Coca Membribes](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sara-coca-membribes/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Dr Pete Johnstone](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/pete-johnstone/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Nadia Rahman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/nadia-rahman/) - I manage the BCI Pathology core facility providing histology services in support of Biomedical research.
- [Hanifa Parkar](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/hanifa-parkar/) - Technical Staff
- [Eamonn Morrison](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/eamonn-morrison/) - Technical Staff
- [Maddy Boardman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/maddy-boardman/)
- [Honor Tookey](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/honor-tookey/)
- [Dr Pedro Monteiro](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-pedro-monteiro/) - My research focuses on elucidating the mechanisms underlying cancer cell invasion. In particular, I'm interested in the role of plasma membrane dynamics in mediating cancer cell interaction with its immediate environment, notably by allowing cancer cells to remodel and cleave the extracellular matrix, thus leading to cell breakage into the surrounding environment.
- [Dr Mirjana Efremova](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-mirjana-efremova/) - We are interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that promote cancer cell plasticity and adaptation of tumour cells in metastatic niches and under therapeutic pressure. By using dynamic analyses of the tumour microenvironment and metastatic niche in human samples and patient-derived organoids, in conjunction with single-cell omics, imaging and computational analyses, we aim to achieve a systems-level understanding of the molecular circuits and cellular crosstalk driving metastasis and therapy resistance.
- [Akil Gani](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/akil-gani/)
- [Sathyan Nagendram](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sathyan-nagendram/) - PhD Student
- [Dr Hanna Renshaw](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/hanna-renshaw/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Dr Harshita Goradia](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/harshita-goradia/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Dr Jinxia Zheng](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/jinxia-zheng/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr John Riches](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-john-riches/) - My major research interest is investigating the alterations in metabolism that accompany B-cell activation and how this is reflected in the metabolism of low- and high-grade lymphomas including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. Our aim is that an enhanced understanding of the metabolism of normal and malignant B cells will underpin the development of the next generation of anti-metabolic drugs for these diseases. In addition, I co-lead the Cancer Prevention, Screening and Clinical Trials module for our MSc Programmes.
- [Dr Paulo Ribeiro](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-paulo-ribeiro/) - Our research group is interested in uncovering the molecular mechanisms regulating tissue growth, invasion and metastasis using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a genetically tractable model organism.
- [Dr Iuliia Pavlyk](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-iuliia-pavlyk/) - My research focuses on exploring why ASS1 is differently expressed in human cancers and how this information may be transferred for anticancer therapy.
- [Alessandra Perini](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/alessandra-perini/) - My project focuses on investigating the systemic immune changes induced by radiotherapy and their effects on metastatic growth in breast cancer.
- [Dr Beatrice Malacrida](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-beatrice-malacrida/) - My research focuses on designing 3D in vitro models to understand the contribution of the tumour microenvironment during HGSOC progression.
- [Dr Malgorzata Maksymowicz-Trivedi](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-malgorzata-maksymowicz-trivedi/) - In my research, I study the effects of changed intracellular receptor trafficking on cellular signalling that leads to tumorigenicity and cancer metastasis. I also analyse the potential new interactions of cell signalling regulators.
- [Dr Panoraia Kotantaki](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-panoraia-kotantaki/) - My research is focused on the generation and use of bone marrow organoids (BMOs) as living “avatars” to model how breast cancer spreads to and reshapes the bone marrow niche. By combining iPSC-derived organoids with cancer cell lines and patient samples, I investigate early metastatic events and how treatments alter this process, aiming to uncover new therapeutic vulnerabilities.
- [Laura Knight](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/laura-knight/) - PhD Student
- [Aisha Moussa](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/aisha-moussa/) - My research project investigates the epitranscriptomic regulation of transposable elements and the mechanism behind their silencing in malignant cells. By disrupting these regulators, we aim to define how their reactivation can overcome immune evasion and trigger a potent anti-tumour response.
- [Dr Hale Tunbak](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/hale-tunbak/) - My research focuses on how active transposable elements contribute to anti-tumour immunity through the induction of ‘viral mimicry’ in cancer cells. Using acute myeloid leukaemia as a model, I investigate how epigenetic therapies can drive transposable element reactivation and stimulate innate immune responses, with the aim of uncovering novel epigenetic regulatory pathways and therapeutic vulnerabilities.
- [Calum Mould](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/calum-mould/) - Using banked serum samples from the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS), I am extracting circulating free DNA (cfDNA) from women diagnosed with cancer and trying to find cancer-specific signatures that are present in pre-diagnostic samples, using bioinformatics tools and machine learning. These signatures have the potential to be used as a screening/diagnostic tool, facilitating the prospect of a blood test for cancer.
- [Dr Elise Smith](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/elise-smith/) - I am investigating how chemotherapy impacts the heterogeneity and plasticity of cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment in colorectal cancer liver metastases. We are applying scRNA/ATAC-seq, spatial transcriptomics and patient-derived organoids, connected with clinical information from patients.
- [Dr Giulia Guiducci](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-giulia-guiducci/) - My research focuses on the roles of long non-coding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins in physiological processes, and on how their dysregulation contributes to cancer development.
- [Dr Andrea Martisova](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/andrea-martisova/) - I study how the presence of AML reshapes it's bone marrow microenvironment using primary cell cultures from healthy donors and AML patients.
- [Cecilia Morel](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/cecilia-morel/) - My research focuses on liquid biopsies as a minimally invasive approach to monitor tumour dynamics and treatment response in advanced pancreatic cancer. My work is computational, integrating molecular data from circulating tumour DNA with clinical information to track clonal evolution and identify proteogenomic biomarkers associated with treatment response, aiming to improve patient stratification and enable more timely, personalised adjustments to therapy. I am funded by the Wellcome Trust through the Health Data in Practice Doctoral Training Programme.
- [Dr Marta Buzzetti](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-marta-buzzetti/) - My research focuses on the use of patient-derived organoid co-cultures and genome wide CRISPR screens to unravel tumour intrinsic gene networks controlling resistance to CD3 bispecific antibodies in colorectal cancer, and possibly applicable to other tumour types.
- [Dr Pavel Artemov](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/pavel-artemov/) - My research investigates ctDNA as a response biomarker in CAR-T–Treated aggressive B-cell lymphomas.
- [Dr Sirisha Natani](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sirisha-natani/) - My research focuses on understanding how metabolic pathways and signalling networks drive acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) progression and therapeutic resistance. I use genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screening, targeted drug approaches, and in vivo models to identify metabolic vulnerabilities that can be exploited to improve treatment responses. Ultimately, my work aims to translate these findings into more effective, metabolism-informed therapies for AML.
- [Isobel Bonning](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/isobel-bonning/) - My PhD project aims to investigate the role of POLE3, a subunit of DNA Polymerase Epsilon, in response to ionising radiation, to exploit POLE3 as a novel target for radiosensitisation therapies.
- [Eve Leddy](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/eve-leddy/) - My project focuses on the role and regulation of transposable elements acting in a cis-regulatory capacity in paediatric AML by integrating multiple epigenomic datasets.
- [Professor Jun Wang](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-jun-wang/) - I have broad research interests and experience in bioinformatics, cancer genomics and data analytics. These research areas mainly involve developing and applying bioinformatics and computational approaches to analyse large-scale cancer datasets to uncover novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. I also lead the Cancer Research UK Barts Centre Bioinformatics Core Facility.
- [Dr Peter Gawne](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/peter-gawne/) - I am a radiochemist by training; developing radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear imaging, and radioligand therapies for treatment of a variety of cancers. However, my main research has focused on synthesising and validating a molecular radiotherapy targeting neuroblastoma, which is a childhood cancer. Additionally, I am working on combination therapy projects combining CAR T-cell therapies with external beam radiotherapy in a variety of childhood cancers.
- [Dr Emilia Peleva](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/emilia-peleva/) - I am an NHS Dermatology registrar and Wellcome/HARP Clinical Research Fellow. MyPhD research focuses on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), a very common type of skin cancer, which can metastasize. Myresearch aims to understand the drivers of cSCC the progression in organ transplant recipients compared to immunocompetent individuals using digital pathology, AI/deep learning, and transcriptomics technologies.
- [Dr Ze Zhou](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ze-zhou/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Oliver M. Pearce](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-oliver-m-pearce/) - The focus of our research is the tumour microenvironment and we are particularly interested in understanding the composition and function of the tumour extracellular matrix in immunosuppression. Cancer types we focus on include ovarian and breast cancers.
- [Professor Francesca Ciccarelli](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-francesca-ciccarelli/) - Our group investigates cancer evolution, with a focus on understanding how genetic changes influence disease progression, response to therapy and development of resistance. We particularly concentrate on gastrointestinal cancers such as colorectal, stomach and oesophageal cancer.
- [Raul Jimenez](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/raul-jimenez/)
- [Sophie Busson-Whittle](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sophie-busson-whittle/)
- [Dr Paulius Mennea](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/paulius-mennea/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Nehir Nebioglu](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/nehir-nebioglu/)
- [Dr Foteini Kalampalika](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/foteini-kalampalika/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Elena Sasso](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/elena-sasso/)
- [Dr Tanya Soliman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-tanya-soliman/) - My research focuses on kinase biology and how kinase signalling pathways are hijacked in cancer. We combine computational biology with proteomics and cell biology to uncover novel ways to target these dysregulated networks.
- [Professor Prabhakar Rajan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-prabhakar-rajan/) - My research programme spans basic biology, translational research, clinical trials, and population health. In the laboratory, we are exploring how a fundamental genetic process called alternative splicing reshuffles genes to create new proteins that underpin prostate cancer initiation and progression. Clinically, we are investigating ways to reduce the side effects of current treatments for advanced testicular and early prostate cancers. On a population level, we are studying how healthcare disparities in cancer outcomes for different ethnic groups, and how cancer risk can be mitigated for these populations.
- [Eghosa Arovo Enohuman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/eghosa-arovo-enohuman/)
- [Dr Charlotte Ridler](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/charlotte-ridler/) - I'm the science communications lead here at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London. My work focuses on translating complex science into accessible stories for a range of public and academic audiences. I oversee the institute's digital platforms, media engagement, internal communications and strategic storytelling.
- [Dr Bela Wrench](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-bela-wrench/) - We are interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for relapses in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and progressing these insights into translational diagnostics and clinical trials.
- [Dr Benjamin Werner](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-benjamin-werner/) - My group combines mathematics, computer simulations and genomic information to study evolutionary processes. We aim to understand how a tumour's evolutionary history is reflected in its genome, how evolution can be quantified in individual tumours and how this information predicts future evolution.
- [Professor Yaohe Wang](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-yaohe-wang/) - We work on cancer prevention and immunotherapy using tumour-targeted replicating oncolytic viruses, in particular focusing on replicating adenovirus and vaccinia virus.
- [Professor Peter Szlosarek](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-peter-szlosarek/) - My main research interest is in exploring why ASS1 is aberrantly expressed in human cancers and how this knowledge may be exploited for anticancer therapy. I lead an active translational programme from bench to bedside of the arginine-depleting agent ADI-PEG20 in several hard-to-treat cancers.
- [Professor Jane Sosabowski](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-jane-sosabowski/) - My research focuses on the development of radiopharmaceuticals for imaging and therapy of cancer, and translating these to the clinic
- [Dr Kevin Rouault-Pierre](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-kevin-rouault-pierre/) - My main research interests are in haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemic initiating cells. I seek to understand how intrinsic and extrinsic signals are integrated by normal and malignant stem cells.
- [Dr David Propper](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-david-propper/) - My focus is on detailed translational trials in pancreatic cancer, with a focus on targeting the tumour microenvironment. Our aim is to define what perturbations occur in tumours of patients receiving trial drugs.
- [Dr Barrie Peck](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-barrie-peck/) - My lab aims to understand the alterations in metabolism that take place in cancer and investigate whether extrinsic factors, such as diet, influence cancer metabolism and disease trajectory. We then want to uncover whether these dependencies can be exploited therapeutically.
- [Professor Stéphanie Kermorgant](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-stephanie-kermorgant/) - We study the role of growth factor receptor signalling and intracellular trafficking (movement inside cells) in tumour growth and metastasis in the view of improving cancer therapy.
- [Professor Louise Jones](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-louise-jones/) - My research in breast cancer focuses on the progression of in-situ to invasive disease with the aims of identifying 1) markers which can predict behaviour and 2) novel therapeutic targets.
- [Dr Miguel Ganuza](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-miguel-ganuza/) - Our goal is to identify mechanisms that support haematopoietic stem cell function and understand how the leukaemic stem cells “play” with these mechanisms to thrive.
- [Dr Rifca Le Dieu](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-rifca-le-dieu/) - I am the Module Lead for 3 undergraduate Biomedical Science Modules. I am also the Cancer Theme Lead for MBBS with direct responsibility for Year 2 Cancer Week. In addition, I supervise MSc project dissertations.
- [Dr Özgen Deniz](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-ozgen-deniz/) - Our research aims to understand the epigenetic regulation of transposable elements and how their dysregulation contributes to the generation and development of cancer. In particular, we investigate their roles as gene regulators and triggers of anti-tumour immunity in blood cancers.
- [Dr Jeff Davies](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-jeff-davies/) - My group works on developing novel approaches to improve efficacy and safety of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and adoptive immunotherapy as treatments for blood cancers. We focus on T-cell alloreactivity in the context of stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy.
- [Dr Katiuscia Bianchi](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-katiuscia-bianchi/) - The focus of our lab is to study how inflammation, via modulating cellular metabolism, affects different aspects of cancer biology. In particular, we are interested in understating how obesity-associated inflammation rewires cellular metabolism, increasing the risk of breast cancer in obese women.
- [Professor Tyson V. Sharp](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-tyson-sharp/) - My group's work focuses on the role of the tumour suppressor protein LIMD1 and its family members Ajuba and WTIP and how their deregulation in normal tissue contributes to the development of lung, renal and breast cancer.
- [Professor Thomas Powles](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-thomas-powles/) - My main research interests are in genital and urinary cancers, leading a spectrum of clinical studies from phase I to randomised phase III. The majority of the studies are translational phase II studies investigating novel targeted and immune therapies.
- [Professor Jessica Okosun](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-jessica-okosun/) - My research focuses on understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms that underlie the initiation and progression of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in order to define clinically-relevant biomarkers.
- [Professor John F. Marshall](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-john-f-marshall/) - I study the biology of tumour invasion with a particular focus on the roles of the adhesion molecules expressed on the cell surface that mediate this process. Our group concentrates on the study of integrins that are the principal family of adhesion molecules that mediate the interaction between cells and the extracellular matrix.
- [Professor Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-kairbaan-hodivala-dilke/) - Our research aims to improve the efficacy of standard of care immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy in human solid cancers by understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying tumour stromal contributions to tumour growth and therapy efficacy.
- [Professor John Gribben](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-john-gribben/) - My primary research interests include the immunotherapy of cancer (including stem cell transplantation), the identification of B-cell-tumour antigens; and the detection and treatment of minimal residual disease in leukaemia and lymphoma.
- [Professor Andrejs Braun](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/professor-andrejs-braun/) - My group is interested in epigenetic regulation of somatic mutagenesis in normal and malignant B cells. We aim to understand how alterations in the nuclear envelope influence B cell chromatin conformation, and what the epigenetic consequences of these alterations are.
- [Dr Joel McCay](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/joel-mccay/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Dr Joash Dominic Joy](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-joash-joy/) - My research focuses on developing 3-dimensional multicellular human tumour models using cells derived from patient samples. These models are used to investigate factors that impede the activity of genetically modified immune cells within tumours and identify potential methods to imporve their activity to effectivetly kill cancer cells.
- [Dr Zhe Zhang](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/zhe-zhang/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Mingyu Ye](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-mingyu-ye/) - My research focuses on Vaccinia virus (VACV) as a candidate for oncolytic virotherapy, an extremely effective strategy that can simultaneously target multiple features of the suppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) in cancer and sensitize the tumours to other forms of immune or traditional therapeutics.
- [Dr Tamsin Wilcock](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-tamsin-wilcock/) - My research focuses on developing novel methodology for in-cell monitoring of direct downstream kinase phosphorylation and phospho-isoform substrate specificity. This work will contribute towards enhancing our understanding of cell cycle protein signalling and elucidating the role of the activation loop in substrate switching.
- [Dr Irina Titkova](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-irina-titkova/) - My research focuses on exploiting cell cycle vulnerabilities and signalling rewiring in tumour cells, to find new approaches to treat cancer.
- [Dr Graeme Thorn](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-graeme-thorn/) - My research focuses on the bioinformatic analyses of DNA methylation of circulating tumour DNA and the use of DNA methylation as a biomarker for breast cancer prognosis.
- [Dr Lydia Smith](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lydia-smith/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Jozafina Haj Shomaly](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/jozafina-haj-shomaly/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Sandra Romain](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sandra-romain/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Xiyuan Qi](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/xiyuan-qi/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Dmitry Prokopov](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dmitry-prokopov/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Eduardo Pernaut-Leza](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/eduardo-pernaut-leza/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Nathaniel Mon Père](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-nathaniel-mon-pere/) - I investigate mathematical properties of somatic evolution in the context of both cancerous and healthy tissue.
- [Dr Jorge Oscanoa](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-jorge-oscanoa/) - I am developing SNPnexus, a software dedicated to improving our understanding of the functional role of genetic variations to prioritise clinically relevant ones facilitating the promise of precision medicine.
- [Dr Andy Nolan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/andy-nolan/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Megha Meena](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-megha-meena/) - We use novel mass cytometry technology following allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in patients, to define the global landscape of immune-cell populations preceding development of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) and to identify a dominant immunoregulatory role for subsets of CD56hi NK cells in limiting alloreative T-cell expansion and aGvHD.
- [Dr Samantha Mason](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/samantha-mason/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Celia Martin-Otal](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/celia-martin-otal/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Guillem Fuertes Marin](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-guillem-fuertes-marin/) - My research is focused on studying the molecular mechanisms of integrin αvβ6-driven pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) progression and metastasis.
- [Dr Meng-Lay Lin](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-meng-lay-lin/) - My research interest focuses on risk stratification signatures for Barrett’s oesophagus progression to cancer using high throughput multiplexed imaging, bioinformatics, shallow whole genome sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics.
- [Dr Raul Sanchez Lanzas](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-raul-sanchez-lanzas/) - Our research is focused in defining the cellular interactome of haematopoietic stem cells and leukaemic stem cells inside their niches during adulthood, ageing and disease. We are also interested in the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive clonal selection and evolution in clonal haematopoiesis.
- [Dr Rosemary Lane](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/rosemary-lane/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Alice Coomer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-alice-coomer/) - My research aims to understand the mechanisms through which long noncoding RNAs can control genome stability in cancer.
- [Dr Christos Kakouratos](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/christos-kakouratos/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Sarah Johnson](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sarah-johnson/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Lou Salome Herman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-lou-salome-herman/) - My current research focuses on investigating B and T cell population differences in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) mouse models before and after Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitor treatments.
- [Dr Naoki Goto](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/naoki-goto/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Carina Edmondson](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/carina-edmondson/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Lisa Donker](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lisa-donker/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Claudia Davies](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/claudia-davies/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Marta Crespi-Sallan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-marta-crespi-sallan/) - My research is focused on describing the mechanisms underlying Lamin B1 nuclear disassembly in B-cell normal development and how a dis-regulated Lamin B1 removal pathway could lead to several haematological malignancies within the germinal centre in secondary lymph organs.
- [Dr Francesco Camera](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/francesco-camera/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Jonathan Burden](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-jonathan-burden/) - My research integrates cellular experimental models with spatial OMICs to define how centrosome amplification in breast cancer drives angiogenesis and remodels the tumour microenvironment.
- [Dr Marti Brucoli](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/marti-brucoli/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Katia Bouchekioua-Bouzaghou](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/katia-bouchekioua-bouzaghou/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr James Boncan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/james-boncan/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Madeleine Benguigui](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/madeleine-benguigui/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Max Beesley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-max-beesley/) - My research focuses on improving our understanding of why only certain prostate cancer clones within a patient (intratumoural) undergo metastasis. I apply next-generation spatial transcriptomics to investigate clonal evolution, identify key driver mutations and better understand clonal interaction within the tumour microenvironment (TME).
- [Dr Katie Baird](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/katie-baird/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Wendy Tran](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/wendy-tran/) - My research focuses on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), where I use bioinformatic and computational approaches to study tumor progression and identify molecular pathways that differentiate high-risk from low-risk lesions. I am investigating the key transcriptomic changes that occur during the transition from actinic keratosis to invasive and metastatic cSCC, with the goal of improving risk stratification. I also work as a bioinformatician in the Cancer Research UK Barts Centre Bioinformatics Core Facility, supporting institute-wide research through collaborative data analysis.
- [Vajiha Naveed](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/vajiha-naveed/) - Technical Staff
- [Sakunthala Kudahetti](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sakunthala-kudahetti/) - Technical Staff
- [Vanessa Choi](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/vanessa-choi/) - Technical Staff
- [Sonal Varsani](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sonal-varsani/) - Operations
- [Dr Oscar Maiques](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-oscar-maiques/) - Our research focuses on the principles of spatial biology, integrating digital pathology, multi-omic data, and various imaging modalities to explore tissue architecture and the tumour microenvironment.
- [Dr Roberto Bellelli](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-roberto-bellelli/) - My lab aims to understand the basic mechanisms controlling DNA replication in mammalian cells and how disruption of this process leads to genomic instability and cancer.
- [Dr Alessandro Agnarelli](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-alessandro-agnarelli/) - My research focuses on investigating the roles of DNA Polymerase Epsilon (Pol ε) in the maintenance of genome stability. In particular, I study the genetic and biochemical mechanisms that regulate Pol ε-dependent leading strand DNA synthesis in human cells.
- [Dr Jennifer Young](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/jennifer-young/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Lauryn Buckley-Benbow](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-lauryn-buckley-benbow/) - My research investigates the mechanisms of sensitisation to PARP and ATR inhibitors and how dysfunction of normal DNA replication leads to genome instability and cancer.
- [Dr Grainne Mc Andrew](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/grainne-mcandrew/) - We aim to improve early cancer detection using liquid biopsy, with a current focus on breast, ovarian and lung cancers. We have collected longitudinal blood samples from people at high risk of developing these cancers, and are developing a range of techniques to detect circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) to detect cancer at an earlier stage and improve prognosis.
- [Bernhard Finke](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/bernhard-finke/) - My research focuses on improving prediction of metastatic risk in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. To achieve this I am developing and applying machine learning methods for multimodal fusion of transcriptomic and pathological imaging data.
- [Dr Jesca Boot](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/jesca-boot/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Dr Shoshana Burke](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/shoshana-burke/) - Clinical Research Fellow
- [Matthew Young](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/matthew-young/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Arantxa Carrasco Leon](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-arantxa-carrasco-leon/) - My research project aims to identify germline mutations in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and to understand their contribution in the development of these haematological diseases, using in vitro and ex vivo models. This study will lead to a step forward in the diagnosis and treatment of this group of life-threatening diseases.
- [Abigail Hateley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/abigail-hateley/) - My PhD project aims to modify the impact of chemotherapeutics and inflammation on clonal selection in Clonal Haematopoiesis.
- [Ian Scott](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ian-scott/) - My project aims to understand and exploit aberrant lipid metabolism in triple-negative breast cancer.
- [Ashitha Joby](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ashitha-joby/) - My research focuses on the identification of risk factors and contributions of associated pathways to breast cancer incidence among Black and South Asian women in the UK.
- [Dr Ankit Patel](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-ankit-patel/) - My research aims to define the immune landscape and identify immune determinants that predict progression from actinic keratosis, a common precancerous lesion, to invasive and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). I apply single cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics and machine learning approaches to dissect cellular heterogeneity and uncover diagnostic and prognostic markers that stratify high-risk patients. Identifying these markers is critical for early detection, risk assessment, and timely intervention, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients with aggressive and metastatic disease.
- [Erman Sun](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/erman-sun/)
- [Lynette Graver](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lynette-graver/) - During aging, functions of haematopoietic stem cells and their progeny are altered, increasing the risk of haematological malignancy. This is associated with epigenetic alterations, of which the functional consequences are not yet fully understood. My project aims to use epigenetic editing tools to induce age-associated epigenetic changes, and interrogate the consequences of this in the blood system.
- [Dr Kunal Shah](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-kunal-shah/) - My research looks at how the microRNA pathway functions in lung cancer and also how immunotherapy is affected by the loss of LIMD1
- [Dr Nadeem Shaikh](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-nadeem-shaikh/) - We are using a variety of molecular and cytological techniques to study the mechanisms underlying chromosomal instability (CIN) in high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) that allow these highly adaptable tumours to become drug resistant.
- [Rachel Lambert](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/rachel-lambert/) - I use Drosophila melanogaster to investigate and target EGFR mutations in Glioblastoma.
- [Sayali Dinesh Shinde](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sayali-dinesh-shinde/) - My research investigates how mechanical cues, such as collagen fibre alignment, act as physical drivers of cancer progression and local invasion. I am also characterizing the molecular sensors and various actomyosin contractility mechanisms that govern cell plasticity, allowing cells to adapt their migration and further drive their invasive behaviour.
- [Dr Donatella Talotta](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/donatella-talotta/) - My research centers on aggressive lymphomas, with a current focus on primary CNS lymphoma, and is driven by a strong interest in advancing liquid biopsy technologies. I specialize in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) genotyping to identify and track lymphoma-specific alterations in biological fluids (e.g. plasma, cerebrospinal fluid), enabling minimally invasive disease monitoring and real-time assessment of treatment response and minimal residual disease. By integrating ctDNA analysis with (tumour-informed) or without (tumour-agnostic) tumour tissue genotyping, my work aims to refine molecular characterization, deepen our understanding of disease biology, and bring precision medicine approaches closer to routine clinical practice.
- [Hissa Al-Thani](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/hissa-al-thani/) - My work sits within a broader programme that defines how B-cell activation reshapes metabolism and how these metabolic states are mirrored in low- and high-grade B-cell lymphomas. Specifically, I study immunometabolic regulation in primary B cells, focusing on methionine/one-carbon metabolism as a metabolic–epigenetic axis that may influence GC function and lymphoma-relevant biology.
- [Annie Dinky Gallagher](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/annie-gallagher/) - My PhD project focuses on a cell line model of chemotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer, investigating the potential mechanisms underlying this drug resistance development. My particular focus is on the potential contribution to resistance of chromosomal instability (CIN), which enables large-scale genomic changes in cancer cells and may enable them to more rapidly adapt to and overcome the effects of chemotherapy treatment.
- [Dr Elien Heylen](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-elien-heylen/) - My research is focused on the tumour microenvironment of breast cancer with a particular focus on metabolic crosstalk between pericytes and its surrounding environment. Using breast cancer biopsies (from an ethnically diverse patient cohort), pre-clinical and in vitro models, I aim to reveal key metabolic vulnerabilities in the breast tumour microenvironment to ultimately improve personalized treatment.
- [Dr Lucas Baumard](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-lucas-baumard/) - In my research I am: 1) Investigating the effect of chemotherapy on the ability of T cells to kill cancer and 2) Investigating expression and mutability of ADC targets on cancers
- [Shukri Xalane](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/shukri-xalane/) - My research focuses on using Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) and computational spatial analysis to characterise the tumour microenvironment in pancreatic cancers and neoplasms. I integrate single-cell phenotyping, spatial modelling, and digital pathology to identify tissue-architecture features and biomarkers linked to disease progression.
- [Luke Bossons](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/luke-bossons/) - I am investigating the receptor tyrosine kinase, c-Met, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). My research focuses on characterising the MET exon 14 mutant, a known driver within NSCLC and investigating its downstream signalling and trafficking.
- [Callum Zak Emin](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/callum-zak-emin/) - My project focuses on developing a new treatment for Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma, which predominantly affect young people. The first step of treatment is causing DNA damage and cell stress through radiolabelled antibodies targeting Ganglioside GD2 on the cancer cells. The next step will use gamma-delta T cells kill the cancer cells through detection of cell stress.
- [Pietro Andrei](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/pietro-andrei/) - PhD student in computational cancer biology. My PhD project aims at clarifying the spatial determinants of tumour and immune cell behaviour in colorectal cancer using spatial omics technologies..
- [Poppy Bradley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/poppy-bradley/) - My research focusses on understanding the signalling crosstalk between the cannabinoid 2 receptor and the HER2 receptor tyrosine kinase in breast tumours. I specifically consider the consequences of this on g-protein coupling downstream of CB2R using biosensor assays. My PhD is in partnership with Roche, helping to develop high-throughput screening approaches for small molecule lead discovery.n the cannabinoid 2 receptor and the HER2 receptor tyrosine kinase in breast tumours. I specifically consider the consequences of this on g-protein coupling downstream of CB2R using biosensor assays. My PhD is in partnership with Roche, to help develop high-throughput screening approaches for drug discovery
- [Dr Magnus Haughey](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/magnus-haughey/) - My research lies at the intersection of mathematics and biology, incorporating computer simulations, statistics, large-scale data analysis and image processing to study the evolution of cancer, and in particular the impact of early cancer evolution on tumourigenesis, the development of intratumour heterogeneity, and treatment response. My current research focusses on deciphering the role of extrachromosomal DNA in driving cancer progression, oncogene amplification and treatment resistance.
- [Ludovica Tarantola](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ludovica-tarantola/) - My PhD project focus on how a specific protein of the ECM (POSTN) modulate macrophages behavior in chemotherapy resistance in TNBC. Similarly, I am interested in studying the influence of glycans in the ECM on macrophages and T cells in the TME.
- [Dr Amanda Jimenez-Pompa](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-amanda-jimenez-pompa/) - My research focuses on uncovering and modelling the mechanisms driving clonal haematopoiesis, and on exploring niche-based therapeutic strategies to prevent it, given its emerging links to leukaemia and cardiovascular disease.
- [Julia Foucault](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/julia-foucault/) - PhD Student
- [Alex Jordan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/alexander-jordan/) - PhD Student
- [Dr Louisa Chard Dunmall](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/dr-louisa-chard/) - Our research focuses on the use of modified, replicating oncolytic Vaccinia viruses and adenoviruses armed with immune-modulatory genes such as cytokines to create a self-propagating treatment for tumours that results in long-term immunological memory to the tumour cells.
- [Dr Renato Baleeiro](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/renato-baleeiro/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Nancy Alnassar](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/nancy-alnassar/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Bertina Dragunaite](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/bertina-dragunaite/) - PhD Student
- [Ashley Campbell](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ashley-campbell/) - PhD Student
- [Caitlin Leo](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/caitlin-leo/) - PhD Student
- [Bryce Drylie](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/bryce-drylie/) - PhD Student
- [Constance Maurer](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/constance-maurer/) - PhD Student
- [Christina Karampera](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/christina-karampera/) - PhD Student
- [Firda Maruf](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/firda-maruf/) - PhD Student
- [Faika Laz Banti](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/faika-laz-banti/) - PhD Student
- [Emily Golding](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/emily-golding/) - PhD Student
- [Hannah Burgess](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/hannah-burgess/) - PhD Student
- [Joy Efiannayi](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/joy-efiannayi/) - PhD Student
- [Jovanna Maharaj](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/jovanna-maharaj/) - PhD Student
- [Joana Andrade](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/joana-andrade/) - PhD Student
- [Luke Higgins](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/luke-higgins/) - PhD Student
- [Lucy Pickard](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lucy-pickard/) - PhD Student
- [Lili Dimitrova](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lili-dimitrova/) - PhD Student
- [Lauren Rigby](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lauren-rigby/) - PhD Student
- [Lauren Harrison Oakes](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lauren-harrison-oakes/) - PhD Student
- [Kevin Augustsson](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/kevin-augustsson/) - PhD Student
- [Marta Magdalena Lubowiecki](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/marta-magdalena-lubowiecki/) - PhD Student
- [Marcos Burger Ramos](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/marcos-burger-ramos/) - PhD Student
- [Oliver Yuan](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/oliver-yuan/) - PhD Student
- [Shenay Mehmed](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/shenay-mehmed/) - PhD Student
- [Thomas Savy](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/thomas-savy/) - PhD Student
- [Sophie Skingsley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sophie-skingsley/) - PhD Student
- [Shruti Patel](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/shruti-patel/) - PhD Student
- [Vinuja Premakumar](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/vinuja-premakumar/) - PhD Student
- [Zhen Gao](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/zhen-gao/) - PhD Student
- [Yunjing He](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/yunjing-he/) - PhD Student
- [Dr Ying Liu](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/ying-liu/) - Technical staff
- [Yuliia Kravchuk](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/yuliia-kravchuk/) - Technical Staff
- [Sarah McCarley](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/sarah-mccarley/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Michael Austin](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/michael-austin/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Neil McCafferty](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/neil-mccafferty/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Parnia Babaei](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/parnia-babaei/) - Technical staff
- [Dr Rachel Barrow-McGee](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/rachel-barrow-mcgee/) - Technical Staff
- [Rehana Rahman](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/rehana-rahman/) - Technical Staff
- [Rosamond Nuamah](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/rosamond-nuamah/) - Technical Staff
- [Katie Thornton](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/katie-thornton/) - Technical Staff
- [Kaylee O'Brien Perry](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/kaylee-obrien-perry/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Lewis James](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/lewis-james/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Louise Barber](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/louise-barber/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Marija Maric](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/marija-maric/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Dr Gabriela D'Amico Lago](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/gabriela-damico-lago/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Isabel Nichols](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/isabel-nichols/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Javier Cuadrado Corz](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/javier-cuadrado-corz/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Joanne Sewell](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/joanne-sewell/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Jobie Budd](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/jobie-budd/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Julie Holdsworth](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/julie-holdsworth/) - Technical Staff
- [Catherine McMaster-Christie](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/catherine-mcmaster-christie/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Edwina Burke](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/edwina-burke/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Emanuela Gadaleta](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/emanuela-gadaleta/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Evelyn Kurotova](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/evelyn-kurotova/) - Technical Staff
- [Aakanksha Choudhary](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/aakanksha-choudhary/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Akash Saha](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/akash-saha/) - Technical Staff
- [Dr Amelia Acha](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/amelia-acha/) - Postdoctoral Researcher
- [Bruce Williams](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/bruce-williams/) - Technical Staff
- [Professor Bijendra Patel](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/team/profile/mr-bijendra-patel/) - I am a leading expert in establishing higher education degrees for acquiring operative surgical skills by simulation. I pioneered the Masters course in Surgical Skills and Sciences at Barts Cancer Institute and have set up a "Virtual Reality Surgical Simulation Centre" for training surgeons.

## Events

- [This is a Demo Event 3](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/event/this-is-a-demo-event-3/) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam eu mauris vel tortor blandit venenatis ut et mi. Phasellus gravida ultrices justo, non auctor libero consequat in. Donec tempus hendrerit pretium.
- [This is a Demo Event 2](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/event/this-is-a-demo-event-2/) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam eu mauris vel tortor blandit venenatis ut et mi. Phasellus gravida ultrices justo, non auctor libero consequat in. Donec tempus hendrerit pretium. Vivamus sodales bibendum mattis.
- [This is a Demo Event](https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/event/this-is-a-demo-event/) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.