Biography

I am Emeritus Professor of Histopathology at the Barts Cancer Institute. 

My research interests include clonal evolution in colorectal adenomas and inflammation-associated cancer, the nature of Barrett’s glands, and the design of methods to explore neutral drift in stem cell divisions in normal human tissues.

My work included designing methods for the analysis of stem cell biology in human tissues with the aim of understanding the role of stem cells in the maintenance of normal tissue architecture and the progression to malignancy.

We championed the use of mutations in mitochondrial and genomic DNA as clonal markers, and combined these with the analysis of methylation patterns in non-expressed genes to give a time dimension to the clonal expansion of stem cells in normal and malignant tissues.

Thus we have been able to show the location of the stem cell niche in a number of tissues, including the prostate, gastrointestinal and liver epithelia, and to explore clonal expansion of mutant clones in Barrett’s oesophagus, gastric intestinal metaplasia and colorectal adenomas.

We were also been able to follow the development of pre-tumour clones in the colon during pre-neoplastic evolution in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Career

• 2012-2018: Professor of Histopathology, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
• 1988-2011: Group Leader, Histopathology Unit, Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, UK
• 2001-2011: Warden, Barts and the London, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London UK
• 2001-2011: Professor of Investigative Science, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London UK; Honorary Consultant Histopathologist, Barts and the London NHS Trust; UK Visiting Chairs at University College London and University of Oxford
• 1997-2000: Deputy Principal and Vice-Principal for Research, Imperial College School of Medicine, UK
• 1996-1997: Dean, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, UK
• 1988-1996: Director of Clinical Research, ICRF, UK
• 1980-1996: Professor of Histopathology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, UK; Director of Histopathology, Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's SHA, UK; Honorary Consultant Histopathologist, Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's SHA, UK
• 1997-1979: Nuffield Reader in Pathology, University of Oxford, UK; Honorary Consultant Pathologist, Oxford University Hospital Group, UK; Fellow, Green College, UK
• 1975-1976: Senior Lecturer in Pathology, University of Newcastle-upon Tyne, UK; Honorary Consultant Pathologist, Newcastle University Hospitals Group, UK
• 1971-1975: Lecturer in Pathology, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
• 1985: DSc, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• 1979: MA, University of Oxford
• 1975: PhD University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• 1973: MD, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• 1965: MB BS, Durham University