Research

I am Professor of Cancer Biology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, where I lead the Centre for Cancer and Inflammation and the Cytokine and Cancer group within that Centre. 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

Other Activities

• Director of Centre of the Cell
• Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), Non-Parliamentary Board Member
• Bloodwise Trustee

Major Funding

• 2018-2023- Cancer Research UK, Targeting the innate immune system in high-grade serous ovarian cancer, £2,000,000 (approx.)
• 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
• 2016-2019- Wellcome Trust, The effects of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy on myleoid cells in high-grade serous ovarian cancer metastases, £313,427.00
• 2013-2018- Commission of the European Community, CANBUILD-Building a Human Tumour Microenvironment, £1,763,279.00
• 2013-2017- Medimmune Ltd, Establish PD response of combinations of chemotherapeutic agents and anti-PD-L1 antibodies, £299,870.00
• 2013-2016- Cancer Research UK, Targeting the peritoneal tumour microenvironment of high grade serous ovarian cancer, £1,583,024.00
• 2012-2015- Gilead Sciences Ltd, Testing therapeutic potential of Gilead compound GS-9820, £250,610.00
• 2012-2016- Commission of the European Community, Tumor Infiltrating Myeloid Cell Compartment  (TIMCC), £430,060.00

Recent Publications

Cancer associated fibroblast FAK regulates malignant cell metabolism. Demircioglu F, Wang J, Candido J et al. Nature Communications (2020) 11(1) 1290-1290
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32157087

Mouse Ovarian Cancer Models Recapitulate the Human Tumor Microenvironment and Patient Response to Treatment Maniati E, Berlato C, Gopinathan G et al. Cell Reports (2020) 30(7) 525-540.e7

Chemokines modulate the tumour microenvironment in pituitary neuroendocrine tumours Marques P, Barry S, Carlsen E et al. Acta neuropathologica communications (2019) 7(7) 172

Critical questions in ovarian cancer research and treatment: Report of an American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference Bast RC, Matulonis UA, Sood AK et al. Cancer (2019) 125(1) 1963-1972

Discrepancies in the tumor microenvironment of spontaneous and orthotopic murine models of pancreatic cancer uncover a new immunostimulatory phenotype for B cells Spear S, Candido JB, McDermott JR et al. Frontiers in Immunology (2019) 10(1)

Pituitary tumour fibroblast-derived cytokines influence tumour aggressiveness Marques P, Barry S, Carlsen E et al. Endocrine-Related Cancer (2019) 26(7) 853-865

Mets and NETs: The Awakening Force Sanz-Moreno V, Balkwill FR Immunity (2018) 49(1) 798-800

CSF1R⁺ Macrophages Sustain Pancreatic Tumor Growth through T Cell Suppression and Maintenance of Key Gene Programs that Define the Squamous Subtype Candido JB, Morton JP, Bailey P et al. Cell Reports (2018) 23(7) 1448-1460

Cytokines Malik STA, Balkwill FR (2018) (7) 247-261

Deconstruction of a metastatic tumor microenvironment reveals a common matrix response in human cancers. Pearce OMT, Delaine-Smith R, Maniati E et al. Cancer Discov (2017) (1)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29196464

Team

Group Leaders in the Centre
Dr Daniela Loessner, Dr Oliver Pearce, Professor Victoria Sanz-Moreno

Postdoctoral Researchers in this group
Dr Eleni Maniati, Dr Ganga Gopinathan, Dr Robin Delaine-Smith, Dr Chiara Berlato, Dr Florian Laforêts

Clinical Research Fellows
Dr Owen Heath

PhD Students
Priyankaa Goordyal, Joash Joy, Laura Lecker

Research Technician
Sam Nichols

BSU Technician
Colin Pegrum

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.