Our research
Aims
- To understand the genetic and environmental factors that predispose to cancer development in children and young people.
- To describe the patterns of incidence of these cancers.
- To understand the personal, psychological and social challenges faced by young people with cancer.
- To identify genetic alterations characteristic of individual cancer types and to understand their biological roles.
- To investigate the utility of disease biomarkers.
- To shift treatment toward more targeted therapy.
Research groupings
The Centre has a number of research groupings lead by individual academics. These include:
Genetic epidemiology of childhood cancer
Research Leads: Professor Jill Birch and Dr Pam Thompson
Areas of research
- Genetic predisposition to rhabdomyocarcoma
- Genome wide associate study of hepatoblastoma
- Molecular epidemiology of Wilm's tumour
- P53-related early onset breast cancer
- Analysis of haplotypes and meiotic recombination rates in childhood ALL
- Investigating the role of PRDM9 in childhood leukaemia
- Identification of rare genetic variants altering susceptibility to childhood ALL
Mechanisms of drug resistance in childhood leukaemia and solid tumours
Research Leads: Professor Vaskar Saha and Dr Guy Makin
Areas of research
- Identifying novel mechanisms of drug resistance (including hypoxia)
- Better in vitro models of childhood cancer
- Cellular therapy for resistant solid tumours
- Investigating circulating tumour cells in sarcomas
DNA damage repair in Fanconi Anaemia
Research Lead: Dr Stefan Meyer
Areas of research
- Understanding EVI1 function in Fanconic anaemia and FA-associated AML
- Investigating the regulation of the DNA damage response in FA-derived AML cell lines
Genetics, biology and improved therapeutics for childhood brain tumours
Research Leads: Dr Martin McCabe and Dr John-Paul Kilday
Areas of research
- The role of isodicentric chromosome 17 in medulloblastoma
- Genetics of ependymoma
- Novel prognostic markers in ependymoma
- Novel therapeutic targets in ependymoma
Novel therapeutic approaches to childhood leukaemia and solid tumours
Research Leads: Professor Vaskar Saha, Dr Guy Makin and Dr Martin McCabe
Areas of research
- Improving collaboration in clinical trials
- Developing leukaemia treatment in resource poor countries
- Leading the European study for relapsed Ewing's sarcoma (reeCUR)
- Early phase clinical trials
Psychosocial consequences of treatment for cancer in children, teenagers and young adults
Research Leads: Dr Martin McCabe and Dr Guy Makin
Areas of research
- Psychological short and long term effects of treatment
- Psychological interventions to reduce treatment-related distress
