Dr Beatriz Salvador
Group Leader
Overview
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.
Research
Our research focuses on understanding how pancreatic cancer begins, using models that more closely mimic sporadic disease initiation and the interactions between normal and mutant cells throughout early disease development. We are particularly interested in the cellular heterogeneity within pancreatic premalignant lesions, with a focus on epithelial cell populations and how they communicate with their surrounding microenvironment to either promote or suppress cancer initiation.
By uncovering the signals and interactions that occur before a tumour has fully developed, we aim to identify early markers of high-risk lesions and develop strategies to delay or even prevent cancer progression.
To address these questions, we use a range of cutting-edge approaches, including single-cell and spatial multi-omics combined with advanced computational analysis, as well as lineage tracing to follow the fate and behaviour of specific cell populations over time. We complement these approaches with immunostaining and confocal imaging, 3D organoid systems and co-culture models to study interactions between different cell types, and genetically engineered mouse models to investigate these processes in vivo.
Key Publications
- KRASG12D Cells Override Homeostatic Cell Elimination Mechanisms in Adult Pancreas Via Wnt5a and Cell Dormancy. Gastroenterology (2025). 169(5):983-999. PMID: 40204099
- AdNULL-A20 based precision VDEPT is able to selectively deliver in-tumour chemotherapy in αvβ6-positive Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Br J Cancer (2024). 131(10):1694-1706. PMID: 39369056
- A Preclinical and Phase Ib Study of Palbociclib plus Nab-Paclitaxel in Patients with Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas. Cancer Res Commun (2022). 2(11):1326-1333. PMID: 36970055
- EPHA2-dependent outcompetition of KRASG12D mutant cells by wild-type neighbors in the adult pancreas. Curr Biol (2021). 31(12):2550-2560. PMID: 33891893
- CDK4/6 inhibitors impair recovery from cytotoxic chemotherapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Cancer Cell (2020). 37(3):340-353. PMID: 32109375
Major Funding
2026–2032 – CRUK Career Development Fellowship, ‘Investigating the role of KRas wild-type epithelial cells in pancreatic cancer initiation and progression.’ ~£1.6M
Other Activities
- Early Career Researcher (ECR) Council member at the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
- Cancer Committee member at the Society of Spanish Researchers in UK (SRUK)
Biography
I studied Biology at the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, in Madrid, Spain, followed by an MSc in Clinical Research in Oncology at the Universidad San Pablo CEU, in Madrid, Spain, which provided me with a strong foundation in translational cancer research.
I completed my PhD at the Spanish National Cancer Research Institute (CNIO) through the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where I investigated the therapeutic potential of combining CDK4/6 inhibitors with chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. My doctoral work focused on improving treatment strategies for this highly aggressive disease.
I then joined the laboratory of Catherine Hogan at Cardiff University, where my research explored how oncogenic KRAS-mutant cells evade normal tissue homeostasis mechanisms and persist within the pancreas to initiate tumour development. During this time, I became particularly interested in the earliest stages of pancreatic cancer and the cellular dynamics that drive tumour initiation.
In 2022, I was awarded a Pancreatic Cancer UK Career Foundation Fellowship, leading research aimed at identifying the cells of origin in pancreatic cancer, with a particular focus on pre-neoplastic lesions and the role of distinct cellular populations in disease progression.
In 2026, I started my independent research group at Barts Cancer Institute as a Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellow. My group focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive pancreatic cancer initiation, with the ultimate goal of identifying new strategies for early detection, prevention, and treatment.