Research

Our laboratory-based research explores how alternative pre-mRNA splicing, a ubiquitous post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanism, underpins prostate cancer (PCa) phenotypes.  During alternative splicing, coding (exons) and non-coding (introns) regions of a single gene are shuffled to create different protein isoforms with different functions.  Alternative splicing is regulated by trans-acting RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), is tightly coupled to transcriptional programmes, and responsive to intracellular signalling cascades.

Many early prostate tumours can be managed by active surveillance, which aims to delay or defer treatment, thereby avoiding or deferring the treatment-related side effects.  We are investigating ways to increase the adoption of active surveillance using strategies to reduce disease progression or “drop out” from surveillance programmes.  We are also exploring new ways to manage advanced testicular cancers by employing minimally-invasive surgery to reduce or avoid chemotherapy-related side effects.

W​e are studying healthcare disparities in cancer risk and outcomes.  We are interested in the genetic determinants of prostate cancer risk amongst South Asians, and improving prostate cancer outcomes in the Black community through participatory action research.

Other Activities

• 2023 to date – Research Advisory Committee Member, Prostate Cancer UK
• 2021 to date – Deputy Programme Director, MSc in Laparoscopic Surgery & Surgical Skills, Barts Cancer Institute
• 2021 to date – Module Lead, CAN7028 Laparoscopic Skills, Barts Cancer Institute
• 2021 to date – Module Lead, CAN7026 Laparoscopic Skills Suturing Skills, Barts Cancer Institute
• 2019 to date – University College London Urology Clinical Academic Board

Major Funding

• 2024-2027 – NIHR/Health Education England Academic Clinical Fellowship, ‘Novel biomarker discovery approaches to immunotherapies,’ ~£200,000 (Role: PI)
• 2023-2026 – Prostate Cancer UK Research Innovation Award, “Understanding and exploiting the PTEN driven alternative splicing programme in hypoxic prostate tumours” ~£275,357 (Role: PI)
• 2023-2026 – NIHR/Health Education England Academic Clinical Fellowship, ‘Machine learning-led prostate cancer liquid biopsy biomarker panel discovery,’ ~£200,000 (Role: PI)
• 2021-2027 – Barts Charity Large Project Grant, THERATEST (THERApy de-escalation in TESTicular cancer), £143,000 (Role: PI)
• 2021-2024 – MRC DTP in Translational Immunology, Inflammation and Cancer, ‘Identification of splicing-driven putative neoantigens using proteomics informed by transcriptomics’, £80,000 (Role: PI)

Recent Publications

Protocol for a prospective study evaluating circulating tumour cells status to predict radical prostatectomy treatment failure in localised prostate cancer patients (C-ProMeta-1) Al-Hammouri T, Almeida-Magana R, Lawrence R et al. BMC Cancer 23(10) 581

Developing and centralising a nurse‐led local anaesthetic transperineal biopsy service during COVID Winters DA, Mehmi A, Odedra A et al. BJUI Compass (2023) 4(10) 715-721

Treatment de-escalation for stage II seminoma Wood GE, Chamberlain F, Tran B et al. Nature Reviews Urology (2023) 20(10) 502-512

The potential of using circulating tumour cells and their gene expression to predict docetaxel response in metastatic prostate cancer Davies CR, Guo T, Burke E et al. Frontiers in Oncology 12(10) 1060864

Understanding and managing the cardiovascular risks of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer Atalar K, Rajan P Nature Reviews Urology (2023) 20(10) 3-4

FOXA1 regulates alternative splicing in prostate cancer Del Giudice M, Foster JG, Peirone S et al. Cell Reports (2022) 40(10) 111404

Feasibility of aspirin and/or vitamin D3 for men with prostate cancer on active surveillance with Prolaris® testing Dinneen E, Shaw GL, Kealy R et al. BJUI Compass (2022) 3(10) 458-465

ADXBladder molecular urine testing to risk stratify and prioritise management of suspected and known bladder cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic Santiapillai J, Foster L, Allchorne P et al. Journal of Clinical Urology (10) 205141582210866

Management of stage II seminoma: a contemporary UK perspective Alifrangis C, Nicol DL, Shamash J et al. Scottish Medical Journal (2022) 67(10) 126-128

171 Developing & Centralising a Nurse-Led Local Anaesthetic (La) Transperineal (Tp) Biopsy Service During Covid: A Success Story Winters D, Mehmi A, Odedra A et al. British Journal of Surgery (2022) 109(10) znac039.102

Team

• Miss Antara Labiba (MRC DTP-funded with Professor Conrad Bessant)

Postdoctoral research fellows

• Dr Federica Mossa (PCUK-funded with Professor Cleo Bishop  & Tyson Sharp)
• Dr Wasim Hamad

Academic Clinical Fellows (NIHR/HEE-funded)

• Dr Stephanie D’Costa (with Dr Sara Paparini)
• Dr Pinky Kotecha (with Professor Alastair Lamb)

Clinical Research Fellows (NHS-funded)

• Mr Muhammad Haider

• Miss Antara Labiba (with Professor Conrad Bessant)

Clinical Research Fellows

• Mr Muhammad Haider

• Dr Pinky Kotecha

• Mr Ben Lamb
• Mr James Dilley

• Mr Kerem Atalar
• Dr Nasreen Aziz

Biography

Key qualifications