Dr Amit Roshan
Group Leader
Clinical Senior Lecturer
Honorary Consultant Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, Addenbrooke's Hospital
Centre for Cancer Cell & Molecular Biology
Overview
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. Three broad areas of interest are:
1. Methods to detect ctDNA using small amounts of whole blood in Dried Blood Spots: This encompasses patient self-collection at home and return by regular mail with aims to remove barriers to participation in hard-to-reach populations and frequent at-home sampling.
2. ctDNA detection in minimal residual disease: Tumour-informed approaches to high sensitivity detection of ctDNA in low tumour burden settings (neoadjuvant, and post treatment).
3. Improving prognostication in localised melanoma [Clinical Academic team]: Using large population incidence datasets to improve cancer prognostication in early-stage melanoma (NHS England & Cambridge Melanoma Database).
Key Publications
- The confounding effects of skin colour in photoacoustic imaging. Nat Commun (2026). Online ahead of print. PMID: 42310010
- Cell-free DNA size deconvolution resolves nucleosomal origins and reveals tumor-associated fragmentomic alterations. Nat Commun (2026). Online ahead of print. PMID: 42103785
- Human keratinocytes have two interconvertible modes of proliferation. Nat Cell Biol (2016). 18(2):145-156. PMID: 26641719
- High mutational burden and pervasive positive selection of somatic mutations in normal human skin. Science (2015). 348(6237):880-886. PMID: 25999502
- A single progenitor population switches behavior to maintain and repair esophageal epithelium. Science (2012). 337(6098):1091-1093. PMID: 22821983
Major Funding
Current
- 2023-28 EU Horizon / Innovate UK Guarantee Grant, PANcreatic CAncer Initial Detection via liquid biopsy (PANCAID) Consortium (€655K of €10.49M)
- 2024-26 Rosetrees Multi-disciplinary Award, £288K (Co-PI with Prof S Teichmann, Cambridge)
- 2026-27 Cancer Research Horizons Translation Fund Grant, £256K (co-PI with Prof N Rosenfeld, QMUL)
Selected Previous
- 2018-25 Royal College of Surgeons / CRUK Clinician Scientist Fellowship, £1.35M
- 2011-14 CRUK / Cambridge Cancer Centre Clinical Research Fellowship, £259K
Other Activities
- Associate Editor, British Journal of Cancer Reports (Genetics, Genomics & Molecular Diagnostics)
- AACR Clinical and Translational Career Research Grants Committee (Scientific Review Committee member)
- National Panel of Examiners, FRCS (Plastic Surgery), The Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations, UK
- Surgical Specialty Lead for Plastic Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of England, UK
Biography
I am a surgical oncologist with a focus on translating liquid biopsies for clinical application. I went to medical school at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India, and did my doctoral work in cancer genomics and stem cell biology at the University of Cambridge and was awarded the Hunterian Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons (2018) for work arising from this.
I specialized as a melanoma surgical oncologist with a clinical interest in minimal residual disease. I have been Royal College of Surgeons Research Fellow at the MRC Cancer Unit, Poche Fellow at the Melanoma Institute of Australia, and CRUK Clinician Scientist Fellow at CRUK Cambridge Institute.
I am actively involved in clinical trials research, as investigator on several melanoma trials including MELMART-II (Stage II), PREMIUM (Stage III), and PERCEIVE (Stage IV). In addition, I have led on whole genome sequencing methods for ctDNA in non-melanoma trials across multiple cancer types and disease stages.
Clinically, I lead the surgical oncology melanoma services for the Cambridge melanoma multi-disciplinary team. This includes treating complex melanoma patients across the East of England, supporting clinical academic training.
My funding has come from Cancer Research UK, the Rosetrees Trust, Medical Research Council and UK Research & Innovation.