The principal aim of our research is to improve the survival rate of children with Brain tumours whilst reducing the toxicity and late effects of treatment through improved understanding of tumour biology.
We hope to achieve this goal by:
- Conducting extensive genomic analyses of Children’s Brain tumours to identify cancer causing genetic abnormalities.
- Developing model systems in order to better understand; where Children’s Brain tumour come from, how they develop resistance to treatment and study what effect the abnormal genes driving cancer have in normal cells.
- Identifying novel markers for predicting treatment response and determining prognosis
- Translating knowledge of tumour biology into effective new cures for brain tumours through pre-clinical and early clinical trials of molecular targeted therapies.
What we are working on now
We are making best use of the huge amount of data we have now generated from our in depth studies of Children’s Brain Tumours. We are also developing model systems of childhood brain tumours in order to better understand where they come from and understand how they become drug resistant, and how to improve our treatments.
Some Great News
New Childhood Brain Cancer Genes Identified
Scientists have isolated three important genes involved in the development of a type of childhood brain cancer - reveals a study published in the British Journal of Cancer*
Researchers from the Children's Brain Tumour Research Centre at the University of Nottingham, on behalf of the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG)**, have found three genes associated with specific characteristics of ependymoma - the third most common form of childhood brain cancer.
Background
In a forward looking multidisciplinary research programme linking basic science to patient centered care We have projects running in our laboratory using cutting edge genetic techniques to provide comprehensive assessment of tumour biology, studies using cell lines to optimise of drug selection and CNS targeting.
We are also investigating the application of novel imaging, clinical trials of novel therapies, classification of specific brain injury syndromes and techniques for their limitation as well as the development and application of methods for measuring health outcomes during and after treatment as experienced by children and young people.
The Research Team
Professor Richard Grundy, Professor of Paediatric Neuro-Oncology and Cancer Biology
Dr Beth Coyle | CBTRC Lecturer
Dr. Hazel Rogers | Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Ruman Rahman | Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Dr. John-Paul Kilday | James Tudor Clinical Research Fellow
Dr Stuart Smith | Clinical Research Fellow
Dr. Lisa Storer | Senior Experimental Officer
Biswaroop Mitra | Research Technician
Suzanne Miller | PhD Student
Jennifer Barrow | PhD Student
Jane Levesley | PhD Student
Wiyada Punjaruk | PhD Student
Eleni Orphanidou | PhD Student
Helen Skinner | Technician