Professor Claude Chelala
Deputy Centre Lead: Cancer Biomarkers & Biotherapeutics
Overview
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.
Team
Dr Jobie Budd
Data Science Lead
Dr Desmond Choy
Bioinformatician
Dr Javier Cuadrado Corz
Data Scientist
Dr Emanuela Gadaleta
Bioinformatician
Sameena Iqbal
QA Manager (PharosAI)
Dr Lewis James
Junior Bioinformatician
Ashitha Joby
PhD Student
Dr Trupti Kolvekar
Tissue Bank Data Scientist / Manager
Cecilia Morel
PhD Student
Dr Jorge Oscanoa
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Keiran Palmer
Clinical Research Fellow
Dr Helen Ross-Adams
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Graeme Thorn
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Abu Dayem Ullah
Senior Health Data Science Specialist
Sonal Varsani
Quality Assurance Manager
Dr Qianqian Zhu
Postdoctoral Researcher
Research
Early work on functional genomics and genetics: I made significant contributions to the field of statistical genetics by identifying and functionally characterising genetic variants associated with both rare and common diseases. My work helped demonstrate that mutations in GLIS3 cause a rare syndrome characterised by neonatal diabetes and congenital hypothyroidism. I also contributed to studies on Type 1 diabetes and the role of the PTPN22 gene in diverse population
Transition to translational bioinformatics and cancer research: After moving to the Barts Cancer Institute, I established my own research group and the BCI core bioinformatics service providing bioinformatics expertise in analysing the transcriptional and mutational landscapes of various cancers.
Clinical utility of field cancerisation and breast cancer risk in diverse populations: My later work has focused on elucidating the clinical and prognostic potential of morphologically normal breast tissue, a phenomenon known as field cancerisation. I led the most extensive characterisation of these tissues, identifying distinct molecular subtypes with clinical promise, particularly for young breast cancer patients. My research dissected the molecular effects of genetic ancestry in women of African and South Asian descent with breast cancer highlighting critical disparities. Further work is revealing distinct genetic architectures underlying cancer risk in South Asian populations in the UK, emphasising the critical need for tailored risk models and screening strategies.
Biobanking and Precision Medicine: Working with clinical colleagues, I established and lead national biobanking health informatics infrastructures for breast (Breast Cancer Now Biobank) and pancreatic cancer (Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Tissue bank). These biobanks, which have collected over 190,000 specimens from more than 15,000 patients across the UK, serve as a foundational ecosystem for linking clinical data with molecular findings to advance personalised medicine. The Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Tissue bank has recently become the first in England to receive ISO 20387:2018 accreditation, an international standard that recognises excellence in biobanking. My team has used these resources to conduct large-scale population studies using linked electronic health records and/or molecular data.
Innovative translational bioinformatics for precision medicine: I am the creator and lead of SNPnexus (www.snp-nexus.org), a widely used bioinformatics web server for the functional annotation of human genetic variation. This powerful platform addresses the challenge of data analysis in genomics and has a constantly growing, international user community. Its ongoing development and clinical deployment are key to facilitating the promise of precision medicine, as demonstrated by our collaborative projects with institutions and industry partners.
Tracking clonal evolution in pancreatic cancer using sequential non invasive liquid biopsies. We use next-generation sequencing of matched germline, tumour and serial circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) samples to explore the clonal evolution of pancreatic cancer, and isolate markers of disease progression, treatment response and acquired resistance.
Key Publications
The clinical and molecular landscape of breast cancer in women of African and South Asian ancestry, Nat Commun(2025), 16: 4237. PMID: 40394000
Longitudinal profiling of circulating tumour DNA for tracking tumour dynamics in pancreatic cancer. BMC Cancer (2022) 22(1):369. PMID: 35392854
COVID-19 in patients with hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases: a single-centre cross-sectional study in East London. BMJ Open (2021) 11(4):e045077. PMID: 33875444
Characterization of four subtypes in morphologically normal tissue excised proximal and distal to breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer (2020). 6:38. PMID: 32885042
SNPnexus: a web server for functional annotation of human genome sequence variation (2020 update). Nucleic Acids Res (2020) 48(W1):W185-W192. PMID: 32496546
See recent publicationsMajor Funding
- 2021-26 – EU Integrative Medicine Initiative: Optimal treatment for patients with solid tumours in Europe through Artificial intelligence, Co-I (PI for QMUL), £21M £400K/QMUL
- 2021-29 – Barts Charity: Precision Medicine – Unlocking the longitudinal Electronic Health Record phenotype from multi-dimensional data, Co-PI, £5.7M
- 2015-27 – Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund: Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Tissue bank, Co-PI, £2.4M
- 2024-29 – Breast Cancer Now: Breast Cancer Now Tissue bank, Co-PI , £4.5M
- 2018-27 – Chanel Parfums Beauté: Skin aging Platform, PI, £1.2M
Other Activities
- Co-Lead, Barts Life Sciences Precision Medicine Programme (QMUL)
- Chair, FMD Data Strategy and Capability Committee (DSCC) (QMUL)
- Barts Life Sciences (Barts Health NHS Trust, QMUL) Precision Medicine Programme Board
- AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research International Scientific Committee
- Cancer Research UK Early Detection and Diagnosis Committee
Biography
In 2002, I was awarded a PhD in Computational Biology/Radiation Biology from Paris-Sud University/Curie Institute and a degree in Structural Bioinformatics from Paris Descartes University. My first post-doctoral experience at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) involved the development of novel tools to gather information for automated analysis of genome maps and distribution study of the disease-related genes.
In 2004, I joined the Pasteur Institute in Paris to work on large-scale analysis of genetic variation, integration with clinical data and the association with type 1 diabetes. I worked on developing tools to transfer, integrate and analyse the genetic, genomic and proteomic data. My later studies have centred on cancer research.
In 2006, I joined Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) driven by a high motivation to translate my work from a substantial basic/computational research platform into a translational/patient setting. I currently co-lead the Barts Life Sciences Precision Medicine programme, aiming to link the longitudinal Electronic Health Record phenotype to multi-modal data. I lead the Health Informatics and Bioinformatics for two national biobanks, harnessing longitudinal clinical, molecular and imaging data. Our SNPnexus software project aims to improve our understanding of the functional role of sequence variations to prioritise clinically relevant ones. My research in breast cancer aims to improve our understanding of ancestry-associated differences and the prognostic utility of field cancerisation. My work on pancreatic cancer tracks tumour dynamics using liquid biopsy in unresectable patients to inform care.
Related 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.
Publications 7 August 2026
Driving Discoveries for Tomorrow’s 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.
Video 4 February 2026
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.
General News 19 August 2025
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.
General News 20 May 2025
Queen Mary’s 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.
General News 11 February 2025
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.
General News 16 December 2024
Coming together to tackle pancreatic cancer – The London Pancreas Workshop
Experts in the field converged to discuss the latest advances in pancreatic cancer
Conferences 29 June 2023
PCRF’s 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.
General News 26 August 2022
OPTIMA: Improving treatment for cancer patients 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.
General News 12 October 2021
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.
General News 12 May 2021
SNPnexus 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.
General News 8 February 2021
Biological clues in tissues surrounding breast tumours
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.
General News 9 September 2020