Monday 8 November 2010
Professor Jorge Reis-Filho, a team leader at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research, is one of two recipients of the inaugural Cancer Research UK Future Leaders in Cancer Research Prize.
The prize, awarded yesterday at the NCRI Cancer Conference in Liverpool, recognises early career researchers who are already showing the potential to become world class leaders in their field.
Professor Reis-Filho’s work aims to understand the molecular characteristics of different types of breast cancer and identify new targets for drugs that could treat women with particular types of the disease.
Professor Reis-Filho said: “Understanding the molecular complexity of breast cancers is fundamental for the promise of individualised therapies to be realised. The use of methods to classify breast cancers at the molecular level need to be standardised and thoroughly validated before being used in clinical practice, but it opens up many exciting opportunities.”
Among other discoveries, his research has shown that the current methods of molecular classification of breast cancers are not reliable enough to classify individual tumour samples into molecular subtypes, and has led to the identification of the genes FGFR1, PPM1D and FGFR2 as potential therapeutic targets for subgroups of breast cancer patients.
The Cancer Research UK Prizes are three new prestigious awards that recognise world leading cancer researchers and the scientists of tomorrow.
The Future Leaders in Cancer Research Prize winners were selected by an international panel of cancer experts who were looking for researchers who are already demonstrating the potential to make future key discoveries to transform our understanding and treatment of the disease.
Professor Reis-Filho is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, the youngest ever Fellow to become a member based on his published research.
Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Professor Reis-Filho’s work has already made a great impact in understanding the molecular differences between the various types of breast cancer and has shown how further work is needed before this classification can be widely used to help determine which treatments to use for these different types. This award recognises the contribution he has already made to our understanding of cancer and will undoubtedly go on to make in the future.”
-ENDS-
For media enquiries please contact Simon Shears in the NCRI press office on 0151 239 6042, 020 3469 8054 or, out of hours, the duty press officer on 07050 264 059.
Notes to editors:
The other recipient of the Future Leaders Prize is Dr Peter Campbell at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge.
About the NCRI Cancer Conference
The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference is the UK’s major forum for showcasing the best British and international cancer research. The Conference offers unique opportunities for networking and sharing knowledge by bringing together world leading experts from all cancer research disciplines. The sixth annual NCRI Cancer Conference is taking place from the 7-10 November 2010 at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool. For more information visit www.ncri.org.uk/ncriconference
About the NCRI
The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) was established in April 2001. It is a UK-wide partnership between the government, charity and industry which promotes co-operation in cancer research among the 21 member organisations for the benefit of patients, the public and the scientific community. For more information visit www.ncri.org.uk
NCRI members are: the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI); Association for International Cancer Research; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; Breakthrough Breast Cancer; Breast Cancer Campaign; Cancer Research UK; CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA, Department of Health; Economic and Social Research Council; Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research; Macmillan Cancer Support; Marie Curie Cancer Care; Medical Research Council; Northern Ireland Health and Social Care (Research & Development Office); Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation; Scottish Government Health Directorates (Chief Scientist Office); Tenovus; Welsh Assembly Government (Wales Office of Research and Development for Health & Social Care); The Wellcome Trust; and Yorkshire Cancer Research.
About Cancer Research UK
• Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
• The charity’s groundbreaking work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives. This work is funded entirely by the public.
• Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival rates double in the last forty years.
• Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.
• Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer.
For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7121 6699 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org