vCardDr Gareth Veal

Dr Gareth Veal
University Research Fellow

  • Email: g.j.veal@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: 0191 246 4332
  • Fax: 0191 246 4301
  • Address: Northern Institute for Cancer Research
    Paul O'Gorman Building
    Medical School
    Framlington Place
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE2 4HH

Research Interests

My main area of research involves the design and coordination of clinical pharmacology studies involving children with cancer. These studies are associated with a wide range of approaches to cancer treatment including the development of novel agents, the optimisation of established therapeutics, the administration of high dose chemotherapy regimens and the treatment of infant patients. Studies are carried out at a national level, in collaboration with the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), involving patients at centres throughout the UK. Over 250 patients have been recruited to studies over the past 5 years and several thousand clinical samples analysed. In addition to these clinical studies, I am involved in laboratory-based molecular and pharmacological research projects relating to mechanism of anticancer drug action.

Other Expertise

Other research interests/expertise include the following :-

- drug combination studies
- drug monitoring
- pharmacogenetic studies
- clinical welfare of children involved in research studies
- P450 gene delivery/prodrug activation in cancer

Current Work

My current research is associated with the work of the Pharmacology Group of the Northern Institute for Cancer Research (NICR). This research involves both clinical pharmacology studies and translational laboratory-based research in the area of paediatric oncology. Ongoing studies are designed to learn more about the key factors which influence the efficacy of currently used and newly-developed drugs or drug formulations for the treatment of children with cancer. For anticancer drugs such as carboplatin, research carried out in the NICR and by other groups has led to approaches to individualised dosing which have now been implemented in standard clinical practic. However, for the vast majority of anticancer drugs used in paediatric oncology, limited clinical pharmacology data is available to dose patients based on any meaningful scientific rationale and there is much work that can be done to optimise treatment. A number of paediatric clinical pharmacology studies are currently open to the recruitment of patients in the UK and Europe, involving the following anticancer drugs:-

- 13-cis-retinoic acid
- actinomycin D
- busulphan
- carboplatin
- cyclophosphamide
- etoposide
- melphalan
- vincristine

In the area of retinoid research, in addition to clinical studies involving 13-cis-retinoic acid, the following laboratory-based projects are currently ongoing :-

- 13-cis-retinoic acid pharmacogenetics
- optimisation of the efficacy of retinoic acid in neuroblastoma
- mechanisms of drug interaction/synergy with novel retinoids

Selected Publications

Future Research

Future research will incorporate translational clinical pharmacology and pharmacogenetic studies, increasingly involving international collaborations in order to allow the running of studies large enough to provide statistically meaningful data in a realistic time-frame. Currently the number of patients eligible to participate in clinical pharmacology studies in paediatric oncology is a serious limitation to their design and successful completion. International studies involving the drugs actinomycin D and 13-cis-retinoic acid in children with cancer will be a major focus. A key area in which laboratory-based projects will be developed is the potential for drug combinations with retinoid drugs in neuroblastoma.

Esteem Indicators

Reviewer for the following journals :-

- Clinical Cancer Research
- British Journal of Cancer
- Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics
- Cancer Letters
- Pediatric Blood and Cancer

Funding

£330,000 - European Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) grant to G.J.Veal and A.V.Boddy. Pharmacokinetics and safety of an oral liquid formulation on cyclophosphamide in children with cancer. (June 2009 - May 2011)

£220,000 - Cancer Research UK Discovery Committee grant to C.Simons, J.L.Armstrong, G.J.Veal and C.P.F.Redfern. Project Grant - Development of CYP26 inhibitors as Cancer Therapeutics. (July 2008 - June 2010)

£100,000 - Cancer Research UK grant to G.J.Veal, A.V.Boddy, C.D.A.Brown. PhD Studentship – Investigating the clinical significance of pharmacogenetic factors affecting actinomycin D metabolism and drug transport in children with cancer. (October 2008 – September 2012)

£162,000 - CRUK grant to G.J.Veal, C.P.F.Redfern, J.L.Armstrong.
Project Grant – Drug combinations in neuroblastoma therapy: mechanisms of synergy and retinoid interactions. (December 2005 – November 2008)

£125,000 - Research Councils UK grant to G.J.Veal. Academic Fellowship in disease and patient-oriented medical research. (March 2005 – February 2010)

£400,000 - Cancer Research UK grant to A.V.Boddy, G.J.Veal, A.D.J.Pearson, D.R.Newell. UKCCSG / NICR - Pharmacology studies in paediatric oncology. (January 2005 – December 2009)

£100,000 - Cancer Research UK grant to A.V.Boddy, A.Daly, G.J.Veal.
PhD Studentship - Pharmacogenetics of retinoic acid metabolism in neuroblastoma patients. (October 2004 – September 2007)

£124,665 - SPARKS grant to A.V.Boddy, G.J.Veal, C.P.F.Redfern and A.D.J.Pearson. Project grant - modulation of 13-cis retinoic acid activity in neuroblastoma. (December 2002 – November 2005)

Roles and Responsibilities

Coordination of national paediatric clinical pharmacology studies (Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group - CCLG)
Supervision of undergraduate, MRes and PhD student projects
Teaching (BSc Pharmacology; MRes Medical and Molecular Biosciences)
Carcinogen and Chemical Safety Officer - Northern Institute for Cancer Research

Qualifications

BSc Pharmacology (Hons), University of Liverpool

Ph.D. (Clinical Pharmacology), University of Liverpool

Previous Positions

2005 to present - Academic Fellow, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

2001 to 2005 - Senior Research Associate, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

1998 to 2001 - Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cancer Research Unit, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

1996 to 1998 - Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Experimental Medicine and Haematology/Oncology, Harvard Medical School.

Memberships

Member of the following organisations :-

- British Association for Cancer Research (BACR)
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
- SIOP European Neuroblastoma Group (Pharmacology Subcommittee Chair)
- Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG)
- CCLG Pharmacology Working Group
- CCLG Chemotherapy Standardisation Working Group

Honours and Awards

Awards/achievements :-

AACR-Merck Scholar-in-Training Award ($1,400) – received at the 100th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, Denver (April, 2009)

AACR-GlaxoSmithKline Outstanding Clinical Scholar Award ($4,000) – received at the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, Orlando (April, 2004)

BACR Exchange Fellowship (£1,500) – received to support research carried out in laboratory of Dr. David Waxman, Boston University, USA (June – August, 2004)

Selected participant / European Fellowship awarded to attend the Amsterdam School of Paediatric Oncology (ASPO) Masterclass Conference, Amsterdam, Holland (November, 2001)

European Fellowship awarded to attend and present data at the European School of Oncology meeting ‘Paediatric Oncology methods in drug development’, Rome, Italy (November, 2000)

Undergraduate Teaching

BSc (Hons) Pharmacology Stage 3
PED 306: Carcinogenesis and anticancer drugs

Postgraduate Teaching

MRes in Medical and Molecular Biosciences
CLB8020: Cancer Studies