Professor Fran Balkwill
OBE FMedSci FRS | Director of Research (BCI) | Deputy Centre Lead
Professor of Cancer Biology
Founder and Director of Centre of the Cell
Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Fellow of the Royal Society
Overview
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.
Team
Rachel Bryan-Ravenscroft
PhD Student
Dr Joash Dominic Joy
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Panoraia Kotantaki
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Beatrice Malacrida
Postdoctoral Researcher
Research
I am Professor of Cancer Biology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, where I am Deputy Centre Lead for the Centre for Tumour Microenvironment. I study the links between cancer and inflammation and research ways of translating this to clinical trial.
My key research areas of interest are:
- The tumour microenvironment with an especial focus on innate immune reactions
- Development of novel multi-cellular models of the tumour microenvironment
- Ovarian cancer with a focus on high grade serous and clear cell subtypes
- Public engagement with biomedical science and science policy
Key Publications
3D pentaculture model unveils malignant cell-driven macrophage polarization in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Nat Commun (2026)17(1):2451. PMID: 41881987
Matrix structure and microenvironment dynamics correlate with chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer. iScience (2026)29(3):114858. PMID: 41994332
Rethinking ovarian cancer III: the past decade and future directions. Nat Rev Cancer (2026). PMID: 41975230
Immunotherapy that improves response to chemotherapy in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Nat Commun (2024) 15(1):10144. PMID: 39578450.
Human 3D ovarian cancer models reveal malignant cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence CAR T cell activity. Cancer Res (2024) Aug 1;84(15):2432-2449 PMID: 38819641.
See recent publicationsMajor Funding
- 2022-2027- UKRI grant, REMODEL, remodelling cancer microenvironments, £2,154,257
- 2018-2023- Cancer Research UK, Targeting the innate immune system in high grade serous ovarian cancer, £1,924,190.43
- 2017-2019- Cancer Research UK, Targeting the peritoneal tumour microenvironment of high grade serous ovarian cancer, £1,652,914.00
Other Activities
- Director of Centre of the Cell
- Chair, AIRC Southern Italian Scholars grants committee
- Deputy Chair, CRUK Clinical Research Committee
- Chair, Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition Committee
- Member, Royal Society Public Engagement Committee
- Member, Royal Society Leverhulme Committee
- Member, Royal Society Sectional Committee 10 member
- Chair, Breast Cancer Now Scientific Advisory Committee
Biography
In 2006, I was made a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, being elected a member of its Council later in the same year. I am a frequent plenary and keynote speaker at international meetings, such as Gordon and Keystone conferences and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
I am also actively involved in communication of science to non-specialist audiences, especially young people. I have written thirteen science books for children on cell and molecular biology, with titles such as Enjoy Your Cells and The Egg and Sperm Race.
I am the Director of the Centre of the Cell, a biomedical science centre for children, educational website, and widening participation and outreach project in Whitechapel. The website was launched in March 2007 and the physical Centre opened in September 2009. As of July 2017 there have been over 171,000 participants in Centre of the Cell activities (www.centreofthecell.org).
I am a non-parliamentary board member of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, POST and a Trustee of Bloodwise. I was awarded an OBE in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. In 2015 I was made a Doctor of Science honoris causa by the University of Bristol and in 2017 was awarded the Cancer Research UK Inspiring Leadership in Research Engagement Prize.
Related 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.
Publications 25 March 2026
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.
General News 7 March 2025
Video: 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.
General News 29 August 2024
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.
General News 16 May 2024
Video: 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.
General News 6 July 2023
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.”
General News 4 November 2022
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.
Engagement 25 October 2021
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.
Engagement 17 June 2021
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.
General News 15 June 2021
Impact of chemotherapy on immune cells in the TME
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.
General News 10 April 2021
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.
Engagement 8 April 2021
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
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.
General News 26 March 2020
Mouse models of ovarian cancer
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.
General News 27 January 2020