My research focuses on how mutations that alter the competitive fitness of normal stem cells give mutant stem cells the ability to spread through normal tissues.
Our current work uses deep sequencing, imaging, gene editing and single cell analysis to define how oncogenic mutations alter the behaviour of stem cells during aging and the earliest stages of cancer development in the skin and oesophagus.
These lab based studies complement my clinical work at Addenbrooke’s Hospital treating patients with non-melanoma skin cancer. We aim to apply our research to develop rational interventions to reduce cancer risk in patients at a high risk of getting cancer.
My timeline
Fellow of the Royal Society
Publication: Somatic mutations can protect against cancer
Publication: Mutant clones block early tumours
Publication: Mutations in normal oesophagus
Publication: Mutations in normal skin
Joined Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
Publication: Oesophageal stem cells
Programme Leader, MRC Cancer Unit
Publication: Basis of epidermal homeostasis
My publications
Early tumour (orange) surrounded by a mutant clone (green) in normal oesophagus. Such mutants eliminate many early tumours.
Clusters of cells derived from individual oespophageal progenitors induced to express green, yellow, blue or red fluorescent proteins. The number and location of cells in each cluster can be used to infer the fate of labelled cells and their daughters.
