Discovery Themes: Immunotherapy, Tumour Microenvironment, Clinical Trials, New Medicines, Blood-Brain Barrier & Clinical Data

In the Brain Cancer Research Laboratory, we are driven to transform the treatment of brain cancer. Co-led by experts in cancer biology, neuro-oncology and computational sciences, our team harnesses cutting-edge spatial and single-cell technologies to decode tumour complexity and uncover mechanisms of treatment resistance.

We develop advanced molecular diagnostics, build powerful experimental models as well as designing, running and analysing innovative clinical trials. By tightly integrating these approaches, we translate fundamental discoveries into real-world advances for people living with brain cancer. Our work is inherently collaborative, bringing together biologists, clinicians, bioinformaticians, data scientists and community partners to ensure our research is rigorous, clinically relevant and centred on patient impact.

Our research is organised around six tightly interdependent pillars, spanning discovery science, data, and clinical translation, that together enable a continuous loop from patients to models and data, and back to patient care.

Tripartite leadership model
Jim, Sarah and Saskia, who lead the Brain Cancer Research Laboratory, believe that the strongest science comes from bringing together multiple perspectives, disciplines and ways of thinking. We embrace the idea that complex challenges in brain cancer are best tackled by teams with diverse expertise rather than a single viewpoint.

Our lab is dynamic, multidisciplinary and entrepreneurial, uniting biologists, clinicians, computational scientists and technologists in a highly collaborative environment. We are deeply committed to training the next generation of scientists, exposing them to cutting-edge technologies, translational research and real clinical challenges. By fostering openness, curiosity and innovation, we empower our team to work across boundaries and deliver research with real-world impact.

Our Team
The Brain Cancer Research Laboratory brings together a diverse team of scientists, clinical staff and technical experts united by a shared goal: to solve the complex challenges of brain cancer through collaboration. Our team spans cancer biology, neuro-oncology, neuroscience, genomics, bioinformatics, data science and technology development.

We work as an integrated unit rather than in silos, ensuring that clinical insight informs experimental design and that discovery science remains grounded in patient impact. Students and early-career researchers are exposed to all aspects of the lab, equipping them with the skills, the mindset, and the adaptability needed to tackle the problems of the future.

Clinical Trials
We deliver innovative translational brain cancer clinical trials, including peri-operative studies and trials involving longitudinal patient registries. By embedding molecular profiling and real-world clinical data, we ensure trials are tightly linked to biological insight and directly inform future patient care.

Diagnostics
We develop and apply next-generation diagnostic technologies, with a strong focus on  rapid, information-rich tumour profiling. Our goal is to translate emerging platforms into clinically actionable diagnostics that improve tumour classification and treatment decision-making.

Multimodal Data & Artificial Intelligence
Our lab generates and analyses data spanning imaging, genomics, spatial and clinical modalities. We integrate these datasets into secure research environments that make data openly accessible, interoperable and suitable for advanced analytics and artificial intelligence-driven discovery.

Bioinformatic Tool Development
We develop specialised bioinformatic tools with a strong emphasis on spatial and multi-modal data integration. Our software is open, reproducible and designed to support rigorous analysis of complex datasets across discovery research and clinical translation.

Drug Treatment & Screens
We perform systematic drug screening in patient-derived and preclinical models, integrating drug response with genomic and molecular profiling. This approach enables identification of effective therapies, rational drug combinations and biomarkers that guide precision treatment strategies.

Tumour Evolution & Plasticity
We investigate how brain tumours evolve over time, focusing on cellular plasticity and mechanisms of treatment resistance. By studying tumour dynamics across therapy and disease progression, we aim to uncover vulnerabilities that enable more durable and effective treatments.