Professor Louise Jones

BSC, MB. ChB, PhD, FRCPath
Professor of Breast Pathology
Group Leader
Research Focus

My research in breast cancer focuses on the progression of in situ to invasive disease with the aims of identifying 1) markers which can predict behaviour and 2) novel therapeutic targets.

Key Publications

Germline BRCA mutation and outcome in young-onset breast cancer (POSH): a prospective cohort study. Lancet Oncol (2018) 19(2):169-180. PMID: 29337092

The 100 000 Genomes Project: bringing whole genome sequencing to the NHS. BMJ (2018). PMID: 29691228

Loss of MMP-8 in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)-associated myoepithelial cells contributes to tumour promotion through altered adhesive and proteolytic function. Breast Cancer Res (2017) 19(1). PMID: 28330493

Altered microenvironment promotes progression of preinvasive breast cancer: myoepithelial expression of αvβ6 integrin in DCIS identifies high-risk patients and predicts recurrence. Clin Cancer Res (2014) 20(2) 344-357. PMID: 24150233

Major Funding
  • 2019-2024- Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank and Specialist Cell Bank, £3.8M 
  • 2018-2021- Pathological Society Of Great Britain And Ireland, An integrated genomic analysis of DCIS heterogeneity to identify signatures of progression, £285,052.62
  • 2016-2019- Breast Cancer Now, Defining Biomarkers to Predict Response to Tamoxifen in the Preventive Setting, £276,007
  • 2015-2018- Breast Cancer Now, Programme Grant (LJ PI), Breast Cancer Now Breast Tissue Bank and Establishment of Metastatic Tissue Bank, £1.56M
Other Activities

 

Research

The focus of my research is breast cancer and in particular the factors involved in the progression of in situ to invasive disease with the aims of identifying 1) markers which can predict behaviour, and 2) novel therapeutic targets. Current research involves development of in vitro models of Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and their use to investigate the influence of the microenvironment on tumour cell behaviour, focusing on the functional significance of altered myoepithelial and fibroblast phenotype in DCIS.

We have strong links with The Breast Unit at Barts Cancer Centre.

In parallel with our work on the microenvironment, we are investigating the molecular diversity of in situ and invasive breast cancer in different populations (e.g. different ethnic groups, high risk patients) and its therapeutic implications.

I am also the Course Director for the MSc Cancer & Molecular Pathology and Genomics Course.

Other Activities
  • Editor-in-Chief, the Journal of Pathology
  • Pathology Lead for North, East & West London Genomic Laboratory Hub
  • Lead for Molecular Pathology for Genomics England
  • Lead for Breast Cancer Now National Breast Tissue Bank
  • Member of International Cancer Genome Consortium Breast Working Group
  • Lead Pathologist & member of steering committee on the POSH (Prospective study of Outcome in Sporadic versus Hereditary breast cancer) national trial
  • Lead Pathologist on IBIS-II, UK-DCIS, FHO1 breast clinical trials
  • Associate Editor Journal of Pathology
  • Honorary Member Royal College of Radiologists Breast Group
  • Member of British Breast Group
Major Funding
  • 2019-2024- Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank and Specialist Cell Bank, £3.8M 
  • 2019-2022- Rosetrees Trust PhD Studentship, £70,500 
  • 2018-2021- Pathological Society Of Great Britain And Ireland, An integrated genomic analysis of DCIS heterogeneity to identify signatures of progression, £285,052.62
  • 2016-2019- Breast Cancer Now, Breast Cancer Now, Project Grant (LJ PI), Defining Biomarkers to Predict Response to Tamoxifen in the Preventive Setting (Co-Investigators J Cuzick, S Duffy, P Schmid), £276,007
  • 2015-2018- Breast Cancer Now, Programme Grant (LJ PI), Breast Cancer Now Breast Tissue Bank and Establishment of Metastatic Tissue Bank, £1.56M
  • 2015-2018- Medical Research Council, Clinical Research Fellowship, Defining Mechanisms of Hormone Therapy Breast Cancer Risk Reduction and Biomarkers of Response, £222,804
Recent Publications

TGFβ-mediated MMP13 secretion drives myoepithelial cell dependent breast cancer progression Gibson SV, Tomas Bort E, Rodríguez-Fernández L et al. npj Breast Cancer (2023) 9(7)

Multiscale deep learning framework captures systemic immune features in lymph nodes predictive of triple negative breast cancer outcome in large-scale studies Verghese G, Li M, Liu F et al. Journal of Pathology (2023) 260(7) 376-389

Recent Advances in Pathology: the 2023 Annual Review Issue of The Journal of Pathology Jones JL, Poulsom R, Coates PJ Journal of Pathology (2023) 260(7) 495-497

The Future of Precision Oncology Rulten SL, Grose RP, Gatz SA et al. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023) 24(7)

Everybody needs good neighbours: the progressive DCIS microenvironment Gibson SV, Roozitalab RM, Allen MD et al. Trends in Cancer (2023) 9(7) 326-338

Increased TIM-3 expression in tumor-associated macrophages predicts a poorer prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective cohort study Zhang C, Xu L, Ma Y et al. Journal of Thoracic Disease (2023) 15(7) 1433-1444

Characterization of the Immune Microenvironment in Inflammatory Breast Cancer Using Multiplex Immunofluorescence Badr NM, McMurray JL, Danial I et al. Pathobiology (2023) 90(7) 31-43

Mechanostimulation of breast myoepithelial cells induces functional changes associated with DCIS progression to invasion Hayward MK, Allen MD, Gomm JJ et al. npj Breast Cancer (2022) 8(7)

A biobank perspective on use of tissue samples donated by trial participants Speirs V, Cox A, Chelala C et al. The Lancet Oncology (2022) 23(7) e205

Detection of involved margins in breast specimens with X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography Massimi L, Suaris T, Hagen CK et al. Scientific Reports (2021) 11(7)

For additional publications, please click here
Team

Postdoctoral Researchers in this group
Dr Michael Allen

PhD Students
Ms Ohud Alsalmi, Mr Sarantos Kaptanis, Ms Niki Prekete, Dr Fred John Nnaemeka Obiajulu

Clinical Research Fellows
Dr Natalie Allen, Dr Kathryn Hawkesford, Dr Philip Elliott

Biography

I joined Barts Cancer Institute in April 2004. I trained in Medicine at Leicester University and specialised in Breast Pathology, undertaking a PhD at the Breast Cancer Research Unit in Leicester analysing the tumour-suppressor role of breast myoepithelial cells.