Who is on the Scientific Advisory Panel?

Dr Yann Jamin BSc (Hons), PhD

Children with Cancer UK Research Fellow, The Institute of Cancer Research, London Dr Yann Jamin is an expert in molecular and functional imaging applied to cancer.  Dr Yann Jamin is a junior group leader at the ICR since 2014 and his research focus on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). His research used advanced mouse models of neuroblastoma and computer-aided digital pathology to calibrate non-invasive MRI-based functional and molecular imaging scans to reveal and maps regional variations in active disease and to monitor and predict how neuroblastoma respond to therapy. Collaborating with the Royal Marsden Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital, he aims to translate these scans into practical solutions to enhance the clinical management of children with neuroblastoma. His goals are to improve radiological diagnosis and response assessment while both shedding new lights on the biology of the disease and accelerating the development of more effective and safer therapies for children with cancer In May 2014 he was awarded a Children with Cancer UK Research Fellowship to help him to take forward these ambitions. Dr Yann Jamin joined our Scientific Advisory Panel in April 2016.

Dr Christina Halsey

Senior Clinical Lecturer, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow Dr Christina Halsey is a paediatric Haematologist who combines clinical and academic work. Her research centres on the biology and treatment of leukaemias that have spread to involve the central nervous system (CNS). Current projects include investigating the adaptation of leukaemic cells to CNS and bone marrow microenvironments and identifying metabolic vulnerabilities that can be exploited therapeutically. A second major interest of Dr Christina Halsey’s group is in mechanisms and therapeutic strategies that might reduce neurotoxicity associated with CNS-directed treatment in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. This is linked to development of better biomarkers for CNS leukaemia and identifying children at risk of neurotoxicity who are suitable for targeted interventions. Dr Christina Halsey’s research is combined with clinical work at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, where she cares for children with a wide range of blood disorders and cancer. She also play a major role in several international consortia working to improve outcomes for children with cancer and is leading several clinical studies exploring ways to improve CNS-directed therapy and reduce neurotoxicity of therapy.

Prof. Rod Skinner

Consultant in Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Haematology/Oncology, Great North Children’s Hospital Professor of Childhood Cancer, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Prof. Rod Skinner has been a Consultant in Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology / BMT at the Great North Children’s Hospital, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne since 1996, and is an Honorary Professor of Childhood Cancer, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer. He qualified in Birmingham in 1983 and was awarded a PhD by Newcastle University in 1995 for his research into chemotherapy-induced nephrotoxicity in children with cancer. Although recently semi-retired, he continues clinical practice in long-term follow-up (LTFU) as clinical lead. His research interests include late adverse effects of childhood cancer treatment and LTFU of childhood cancer survivors. He has played a leading role in the development of evidence-based, internationally-harmonised LTFU surveillance guidelines. He is a member of the UK Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, and current chair of the Late Effects Group. He was one of the three instigators and founding members in 2008 of PanCare (Pan-European Network for Care of Survivors after Childhood and Adolescent Cancer).

Dr Lynley Marshall, MB BCh DCH MRCPCH PhD

  Consultant in Paediatric & Adolescent Oncology Drug Development, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust; Honorary Faculty/Senior Lecturer, The Institute of Cancer Research, London Dr Lynley Marshall is a consultant paediatric oncologist and Paediatric Clinical Research Lead at The Royal Marsden Hospital, London. She heads the Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology Drug Development Team, focusing on early phase clinical trials of experimental therapeutics for high-risk, poor-prognosis malignancies (solid and CNS tumours). She undertook her PhD at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in the field of novel targeted therapeutics for paediatric high-grade glioma. She is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Division of Clinical Studies at The ICR. She currently chairs the UK’s NCRI Children’s Group Novel Agents Subgroup and is Clinical Trials Theme Co-Lead for the UK’s Paediatric Experimental Cancer Medicines Centre (ECMC) Network. She is a member of the Clinical Trials Committee of the Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer (ITCC) European early phase clinical trials consortium, and of the Executive Committee of the SIOPE-ITCC ACCELERATE multi-stakeholder platform.

Dr Matthew Murray

University Reader and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Oncologist Dr Matthew Murray works at both the Department of Pathology, Cambridge University and Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom. He has a research interest in the clinical and molecular aspects of children’s tumours, in particular germ cell tumours (GCTs), and was the first to demonstrate the potential utility of specific circulating microRNAs for diagnosis, disease-monitoring and detection of relapse in this disease. He has attracted >£4M of grant funding to date as a Principal and Co-Investigator. He has demonstrated leadership in GCT biology at national and international levels through his involvement in:

• MaGIC: Malignant GCT International Collaborative’ a UK-US led initiative developing international trials of extracranial GCTs in children, adolescents & young adults, including embedded biological aims. Dr Murray is the current Biology Co-Lead and Executive Committee Member.
• International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP-Europe) Brain Tumour Group – GCT Subgroup.
• National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Clinical Studies Group, GCT Subgroup.
• National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) TYA and Germ Cell Cancer Clinical Studies Group.
• 100,000 Genomes Project (GeCIP) Testis Cancer Domain Co-Lead.

Professor Sue Burchill

Professor of childhood and adolescent cancer research, University of Leeds, Leeds Professor Sue Burchill graduated with a BSc in Pharmacology (1982) and PhD in Medicine (1986) from the Sunderland School of Pharmacy and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne respectively, before pursuing a translational research career. After post-doctoral research in the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and The University of Arizona Cancer Centre, USA she moved to Leeds, England in 1992 to establish the Children’s Cancer Research Group at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, where she remains the scientific director. Sue has made major contributions to medical research in the field of cancer in children and young people, her leadership in multi-disciplinary collaborative groups includes shaping international strategies for the evaluation of new targeted treatments to improve outcomes. Her own research is focussed on strategies to detect and eradicate metastatic drug resistant disease that is responsible for progression and relapse in neuroblastoma and bone cancers that affect young people.