Professor Thomas Powles
Co-Centre Lead: Experimental Cancer Medicine
Professor of Genitourinary Oncology
Director, Barts Cancer Centre at St. Bartholomew's Hospital
Lead for Solid Tumour Research
Overview
My main research interests are in genital and urinary cancers, and I lead a spectrum of clinical studies from phase I to randomised phase III. The majority of the studies are translational phase II studies investigating novel targeted and immune therapies.
Team
Dr Francesca Jackson-Spence
Clinical Research Fellow
Dr Sara Coca Membribes
Clinical Research Fellow
Dr Elizabeth Nally
Clinical Research Fellow
Research
Prof. Powles has had a major role in the development of biomarkers and new drug strategies in urology cancers. This includes multiple EMA and FDA approvals. Notably, front line immune/targeted therapy combinations in RCC, immune checkpoint inhibitions alone or in combination in bladder cancer and antibody drug conjugates in urothelial cancer. His biomarker work has resulted in a greater understanding of resistance to immune therapy (TGFb), personalised therapy in bladder cancer (PD-L1, CD8) and renal cancer (MET) and the development of circulating biomarkers (ctDNA).
His current work focuses on early bladder and kidney cancer with novel adjuvant/neoadjuvant therapies and the identification of patients at risk of relapse after surgery.
Key Publications
Overall Survival with Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Renal-Cell Carcinoma. N Engl J Med (2024) 390(15):1359-1371. PMID: 38631003
Enfortumab Vedotin and Pembrolizumab in Untreated Advanced Urothelial Cancer. N Engl J Med (2024) 390(10):875-888. PMID: 38446675
Adjuvant Pembrolizumab after Nephrectomy in Renal-Cell Carcinoma. N Engl J Med (2021) 385(8):683-694. PMID: 34407342
Enfortumab Vedotin in Previously Treated Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma. N Engl J Med (2021) 384(12):1125-1135. PMID: 33577729
Avelumab Maintenance Therapy for Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma. N Engl J Med (2020) 383(13):1218-1230 PMID: 32945632
See recent publicationsMajor Funding
- Co-Lead, Barts Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
- Co-Lead, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre
Biography
Professor Thomas Powles is the Chair of Barts Cancer Centre, London, one of the UK’s largest Cancer Centres. He leads the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and Biomedical Research Cancer Grants at Barts Health and Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
He has led 23 randomised cancer trials, including studies that resulted in multiple EMA and FDA approvals. He has also led clinical and high-impact translational science projects, leading to over 20 articles in New England journal of Medicine, Nature and Nature Medicine.
He has an H-index of over 100 and has given plenary presentations at all the major cancer meetings. He co-leads the Uromigos podcast, which has 400,000 listens, and European Guidelines for GU cancer. He is editor-in-chief of the Annals of Oncology Journal.
In 2023 he was selected a Nature’s 10 global scientist and in 2024 TIME magazine’s 100 Healthcare List.
Related News
NHS changes guidelines for bladder cancer patients following new clinical trial results
Thousands of people with advanced bladder cancer across the UK can now receive three rather than six chemotherapy cycles after research led by Professor Thomas Powles and team leads to a change to NHS treatment guidelines. For patients, this means fewer toxic side effects and a better quality of life during treatment.
Update 12 February 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
Blood test helps guide immunotherapy for bladder cancer
A new clinical trial led by Professor Thomas Powles at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has shown that a blood test to detect tumour DNA could help doctors decide which patients with bladder cancer are most likely to benefit from further treatment after surgery. The new approach improved survival in those identified as high-risk while safely sparing low-risk patients from unnecessary side effects.
Conferences 22 October 2025
Breakthrough life-extending treatment for advanced bladder cancer available on NHS
The new combination treatment offers hope to thousands of people living with advanced urothelial cancer. The clinical trials, led by Professor Tom Powles, showed that overall survival rates were almost twice as long with this new treatment compared to the current standard treatment.
General News 21 August 2025
Groundbreaking trials reveal improved survival for two hard-to-treat cancers
Prof Tom Powles and Prof Peter Schmid announced practice-changing results at ESMO 2024
Conferences 16 September 2024
International Clinical Trials Day – how Barts clinical trials are changing cancer care
To mark International Clinical Trials Day 2024, we’re spotlighting some of our clinical trial work and how it is helping to transform the lives of people with cancer.
General News 20 May 2024
Thomas Powles named in TIME’s list of the 100 most influential people in global health this year
Professor Powles has been recognised for his transformative clinical work delivering a life-extending treatment for severe bladder cancer.
General News 2 May 2024
Immunotherapy drug improves survival for people with kidney cancer in landmark clinical trial
Professor Tom Powles and team reveal first successful adjuvant therapy for kidney cancer in 50 years.
Conferences 19 April 2024
Professor Thomas Powles selected as one of Nature’s top ten people who shaped science in 2023
Professor Powles has been recognised for his transformative clinical work delivering a life-extending treatment for severe bladder cancer.
General News 15 December 2023
New drug combination doubles survival for people with bladder cancer
Clinical trial results from BCI and Barts NHS trust provide new hope for people with bladder cancer.
Conferences 25 October 2023
New class of drug reduces risk of death in bladder cancer
A new type of drug that helps target chemotherapy directly to cancer cells has been found to significantly increase survival of patients with the most common form of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led in the UK by Professor Tom Powles from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.
Conferences 15 February 2021
Research highlighted in ASCO annual report on progress against cancer
Research led by Professors Peter Schmid and Thomas Powles from Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has been selected by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for inclusion in the Clinical Cancer Advances 2021, the Society’s annual review of progress against cancer. The notable studies, which investigated the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer and advanced bladder cancer, are featured as two of many remarkable milestones in clinical cancer research and care.
General News 2 February 2021
Immunotherapy for advanced bladder cancer
An immunotherapy drug called ‘avelumab’ has been shown to significantly improve survival in patients with the most common type of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led by Professor Tom Powles.
General News 18 September 2020