Newcastle University

• The molecular basis of childhood brain tumour development
• Molecular diagnostics for improved treatment individualisation in childhood brain tumour patients
• Development and pre-clinical assessment of novel therapies for paediatric tumours

Research roles

Lead, Paediatric Brain Tumour Research Group, NICR, Newcastle University.
Chair, Newcastle University Childhood Cancer Research Group.

Director, UK National reference centre for medulloblastoma molecular diagnostics and pathology review.
Member, UK National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Children's Cancer & Leukaemia Clinical Studies Group, New Agents subgroup.
Member, UK NCRI Children's Cancer & Leukaemia Clinical Studies Group, Brain Tumour subgroup.
 
Member, UK Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) Biological Studies Steering Committee.
Member, CCLG New Agents special interest group.
Member, CCLG CNS tumours special interest group.
Member, CCLG PNET group.

Chair, SIOP-Europe PNET Biology Group.
Member, International Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOP-Europe) Brain Tumour Group & PNET study group.
Member, Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer (ITCC): pan-European co-ordinating group for new drug development and clinical trials in paediatric oncology.

Member, Scientific & Medical Advisory Board, Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust.
Member, Grants Review & Monitoring Committee, Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust.
Member, Scientific Advisory Board, The Neuroblastoma Society.

Memberships

UK Children’s Cancer & Leukaemia Group (CCLG).
British Neuro-oncology Society (BNOS).
British Association for Cancer Research (BACR).
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

Funding

Action Medical Research
Ali's Dream
Cancer & Leukaemia in Children (CLIC)
Cancer Research UK (CR-UK)
Charlie's Challenge
Commission of the European Union
JGW Patterson Foundation (JGWP)
Katie Trust
Newcastle Healthcare Charity
North of England Children's Cancer Research (NECCR)
Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (SDBTT)
Sport Aiding Medical Research for Kids (SPARKS)

Undergraduate Teaching
Module leader, BMS3012 “Cancer Biology and Therapy”, 3rd year undergraduate module, BSc in Biomedical Sciences.
Lectures, BGM3024 "The Molecular Basis of Cancer", 3rd yr undergraduate module, BSc programmes.

Postgraduate Teaching
Post-graduate co-ordinator, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University.
On-line teaching module for MSc in Oncology and Paliative Care.

Postgraduate Supervision
PhD students
Clinical Fellows
MRes project students
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Integrated Academic Training Programme (Academic Foundation Programme students, Academic Clinical Lecturers)

• Menghi F, Jacques TS, Barenco M, Schwalbe EC, Clifford SC, Hubank M, Ham J. Genome-Wide Analysis of Alternative Splicing in Medulloblastoma Identifies Splicing Patterns Characteristic of Normal Cerebellar Development. Cancer Research 2011, 71(6), 2045-2055.
• Ellison DW, Dalton J, Kocak M, Nicholson SL, Fraga C, Neale G, Kenney AM, Brat DJ, Perry A, Yong WH, Taylor RE, Bailey S, Clifford SC, Gilbertson RJ. Medulloblastoma: clinicopathological correlates of SHH, WNT, and non-SHH/WNT molecular subgroups. Acta Neuropathologica 2011, 121(3), 381-396.
• Schwalbe EC, Lindsey JC, Straughton D, Hogg TL, Cole M, Megahed H, Ryan SL, Lusher ME, Taylor MD, Gilbertson RJ, Ellison DW, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Rapid Diagnosis of Medulloblastoma Molecular Subgroups. Clinical Cancer Research 2011, 17(7), 1883-1894.
• Lindsey JC, Hill RM, Megahed H, Lusher ME, Schwalbe EC, Cole M, Hogg TL, Gilbertson RJ, Ellison DW, Bailey S, Clifford SC. TP53 Mutations in Favorable-Risk Wnt/Wingless-Subtype Medulloblastomas. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2011, 29(12), E344-E346.
• Daniel RA, Rozanska AL, Mulligan EA, Drew Y, Thomas HD, Castelbuono DJ, Hostomsky Z, Plummer ER, Tweddle DA, Boddy AV, Clifford SC, Curtin NJ. Central nervous system penetration and enhancement of temozolomide activity in childhood medulloblastoma models by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor AG-014699. British Journal of Cancer 2010,103 10 1588-1596.
• Ellison DW, Kocak M, Dalton J, Megahed H, Lusher ME, Ryan SL, Zhao W, Nicholson SL, Taylor RE, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Definition of Disease-Risk Stratification Groups in Childhood Medulloblastoma Using Combined Clinical, Pathologic, and Molecular Variables. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2010, (epub ahead of print).
• Northcott PA, Korshunov A, Witt H, Hielscher T, Eberhart CG, Mack S, Bouffet E, Clifford SC, Hawkins CE, French P, Rutka JT, Pfister S, Taylor MD. Medulloblastoma Comprises Four Distinct Molecular Variants. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2010, (epub ahead of print).
• Gibson P, Tong YA, Robinson G, Thompson MC, Currle DS, Eden C, Kranenburg TA, Hogg T, Poppleton H, Martin J, Finkelstein D, Pounds S, Weiss A, Patay Z, Scoggins M, Ogg R, Pei YX, Yang ZJ, Brun S, Lee Y, Zindy F, Lindsey JC, Taketo MM, Boop FA, Sanford RA, Gajjar A, Clifford SC, Roussel MF, McKinnon PJ, Gutmann DH, Ellison DW, Wechsler-Reya R, Gilbertson RJ. Subtypes of medulloblastoma have distinct developmental origins. Nature 2010,468 7327 1095-1099.
• Lu Y, Ryan SL, Elliott DJ, Bignell GR, Futreal PA, Ellison DW, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Amplification and overexpression of Hsa-miR-3ob, Hsa-miR-30d and KHDRBS3 at 8q24.22-q24.23 in medulloblastoma. PLoS ONE 2009, 4(7), e6159.
• Clifford SC, O'Toole KT, Ellison DW. Chromosome 1q gain is not associated with a poor outcome in childhood medulloblastoma: requirements for the validation of potential prognostic biomarkers. Cell Cycle 2009. ,8 5 787-787.
• Hayden JT, Fruhwald MC, Hasselblatt M, Ellison DW, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Frequent IDH1 mutations in supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (sPNET) of adults but not children. Cell Cycle 2009. ,8 11 1806-1807.
• Daniel RA, Rozanska AL, Thomas HD, Mulligan EA, Drew Y, Castelbuono DJ, Hostomsky Z, Plummer ER, Boddy AV, Tweddle DA, Curtin NJ, Clifford SC. Inhibition of Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 Enhances Temozolomide and Topotecan Activity against Childhood Neuroblastoma. Clinical Cancer Research 2009, 15(4), 1241-1249.
• McCabe MG, Ichimura K, Pearson DM, Liu L, Clifford SC, Ellison DW, Collins VP. Novel mechanisms of gene disruption at the medulloblastoma isodicentric 17p11 breakpoint. Genes, Chromosomes & Cancer 2009, 48(2), 121-131.
• Pizer BL, Clifford SC. The potential impact of tumour biology on improved clinical practice for medulloblastoma: progress towards biologically driven clinical trials. British Journal of Neurosurgery 2009, 23(4), 364-375.
• Anderton JA, Lindsey JC, Lusher ME, Gilbertson RJ, Bailey S, Ellison DW, Clifford SC. Global analysis of the medulloblastoma epigenome identifies disease-subgroup-specific inactivation of COL1A2. Neuro-oncology 2008, 10(6), 981-994.
• Kool M, Koster J, Bunt J, Hasselt N, Lakeman A, van Sluis P, Troost D, Schouten-van Meeteren N, Caron H, Cloos J, Mršić A, Ylstra B, Grajkowska W, Hartmann W, Pietsch T, Ellison DW, Clifford SC, Versteeg R. Integrated genomics identifies five medulloblastoma subtypes with distinct genetic profiles, pathway signatures and clinicopathological features. PLoS ONE 2008, 3(8), e3088.
• Pizer B, Clifford SC. Medulloblastoma: new insights into biology and treatment. Archives of Disease in Childhood - Education and Practice 2008, 93(5), 137-44.
• Lindsey JC, Lusher ME, Anderton J, Gilbertson RJ, Ellison DW, Clifford SC. Epigenetic deregulation of multiple S100 gene family members by differential hypomethylation and hypermethylation events in medulloblastoma. British Journal of Cancer 2007, 97(2), 267-274.
• McManamy CS, Pears J, Weston C, Hanzely Z, Ironside J, Taylor R, Grundy R, Clifford SC, Ellison DW. Nodule formation and desmoplasia in medulloblastomas - Defining the nodular/desmoplastic variant and its biological behavior. Brain Pathology 2007, 17(2), 151-164.
• Onilude OE, Lusher ME, Lindsey JC, Pearson ADJ, Ellison DW, Clifford SC. APC and CTNNB1 mutations are rare in sporadic ependymomas. Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics 2006, 168(2), 158-161.
• Langdon JA, Lamont JM, Scott DK, Dyer S, Prebble E, Bown NP, Grundy RG, Ellison DW, Clifford SC. Combined genome-wide allelotyping and copy number analysis identify frequent genetic losses without copy number reduction in medulloblastoma. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer 2006, 45(1), 47-60.
• Lindsey, J. C., Lusher, M. E., Strathdee, G. R., Brown, R., Gilbertson, R. J., Bailey, S., Ellison, D. W., Clifford, S. C. Epigenetic inactivation of MCJ (DNAJD1) in malignant paediatric brain tumours. International Journal of Cancer 2006, 118(2), 346-352.
• Dharmaraj P, Ball S, Johnstone H, Bailey S, Clifford SC, Hale J, Cheetham T. Hypercalcaemia in relapsed medulloblastoma 8 years post-diagnosis; evidence to support PTHrP production by medulloblastoma cells. Hormone Research 2006, 66(6), 268-272.
• Scott D, Straughton D, Cole M, Bailey S, Ellison DW, Clifford SC. Identification and analysis of tumor suppressor loci at chromosome 10q23.3-10q25.3 in medulloblastoma. Cell Cycle 2006, 5(20), 2381-2389.
• Gilbertson R, Langdon J, Hollander A, Hernan R, Hogg T, Gajjar A, Fuller C, Clifford SC. Mutational analysis of PDGFR-RAS/MAPK pathway activation in childhood medulloblastoma. European Journal of Cancer 2006, 42(5), 646-649.
• Clifford SC, Lusher ME, Lindsey JC, Langdon JA, Gilbertson RJ, Straughton D, Ellison DW. Wnt/Wingless pathway activation and chromosome 6 loss characterize a distinct molecular sub-group of medulloblastomas associated with a favorable prognosis. Cell Cycle 2006, 5(22), 2666-2670.
• Ellison DW, Onilude OE, Lindsey JC, Lusher ME, Weston CL, Taylor RE, Pearson ADJ, Clifford SC. β-catenin status predicts a favorable outcome in childhood medulloblastoma: the United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group Brain Tumour Committee. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2005, 23(31), 7951-7957.
• Ismail A, Lamont JM, Tweddle DA, Pearson ADJ, Clifford SC, Ellison DW. A 7-year-old boy with midline cerebellar mass. Brain Pathology 2005, 15(3), 261-261.
• Lindsey JC, Anderton JA, Lusher ME, Clifford SC. Epigenetic events in medulloblastoma development. Neurosurgical Focus 2005, 19(5), E10.
• Hamilton D, Lusher M, Lindsey J, Ellison D, Clifford SC. Epigenetic inactivation of the RASSF1A tumour suppressor gene in ependymoma. Cancer Letters 2005, 227(1), 75-81.
• Uziel T, Zindy F, Xie SQ, Lee Y, Forget A, Magdaleno S, Rehg JE, Calabrese CR, Solecki D, Eberhart CG, Sherr SE, Plimmer S, Clifford SC, Hatten ME, McKinnon PJ, Gilbertson RJ, Curran T, Sherr CJ, Roussel MF. The tumor suppressors Ink4c and p53 collaborate independently with Patched to suppress medulloblastoma formation. Genes and Development 2005, 19(22), 2656-2667.
• Lamont JM, McManamy CS, Pearson ADJ, Clifford SC, Ellison DW. Combined histopathological and molecular cytogenetic stratification of medulloblastoma patients. Clinical Cancer Research 2004, 10(16), 5482-5493.
• Lindsey JC, Lusher ME, Anderton J, Bailey S, Gilbertson R, Pearson ADJ, Ellison DW, Clifford SC. Identification of tumour-specific epigenetic events in medulloblastoma development by hypermethylation profiling. Carcinogenesis 2004, 25(5), 661-668.
• Ellison D, Lamont I, McManamy C, Pearson A, Clifford S. The clinical utility of stratifying medulloblastomas (MBs) by a combination of detailed histopathologic evaluation and molecular cytogenetic analysis. In: 80th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neuropathologists. 2004, Cleveland, Ohio: Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology: American Assocation of Neuropathologists.
• Frank AJ, Hernan R, Hollander A, Lindsey JC, Lusher ME, Fuller CE, Clifford SC, Gilbertson RJ. The TP53-ARF tumor suppressor pathway is frequently disrupted in large/cell anaplastic medulloblastoma. Molecular Brain Research 2004, 121(1-2), 137-140.
• McManamy CS, Lamont JM, Taylor RE, Cole M, Pearson ADJ, Clifford SC, Ellison DW. Morphophenotypic variation predicts clinical behavior in childhood non-desmoplastic medulloblastomas. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology 2003, 62(6), 627-632.
• Gilbertson RJ, Clifford SC. PDGFRB is overexpressed in metastatic medulloblastoma. Nature Genetics 2003. , 35(3), 197-198.
• Ellison DW, Clifford SC, Gajjar A, Gilbertson RJ. What's new in neuro-oncology? Recent advances in medulloblastoma. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology 2003. , 7(2), 53-66.
• Lusher ME, Lindsey JC, Latif F, Pearson ADJ, Ellison DW, Clifford SC. Biallelic epigenetic inactivation of the RASSF1A tumor suppressor gene in medulloblastoma development. Cancer Research 2002, 62(20), 5906-5911.
• Zatyka M, da Silva NF, Clifford SC, Morris MR, Wiesener MS, Eckardt KU, Houlston RS, Richards FM, Latif F, Maher ER. Identification of cyclin D1 and other novel targets for the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene by expression array analysis and investigation of cyclin D1 genotype as a modifier in von Hippel-Lindau disease. Cancer Research 2002, 62(13), 3803-3811.
• Parry L, Maynard JH, Patel A, Clifford SC, Morrissey C, Maher ER, Cheadle JP, Sampson JR. Analysis of the TSC1 and TSC2 genes in sporadic renal cell carcinomas. British Journal of Cancer 2001, 85(8), 1226-1230.
• Clifford SC, Cockman ME, Smallwood AC, Mole DR, Woodward ER, Maxwell PH, Ratcliffe PJ, Maher ER. Contrasting effects on HIF-1alpha regulation by disease-causing pVHL mutations correlate with patterns of tumourigenesis in von Hippel-Lindau disease. Human Molecular Genetics 2001, 10(10), 1029-1038.
• Clifford SC, Astuti D, Hooper L, Maxwell PH, Ratcliffe PJ, Maher ER. The pVHL-associated SCF ubiquitin ligase complex: molecular genetic analysis of elongin B and C, Rbx1 and HIF-1alpha in renal cell carcinoma. Oncogene 2001, 20(36), 5067-5074.
• Clifford SC, Maher ER. Von Hippel-Lindau disease: clinical and molecular perspectives. Advances in Cancer Research 2001, 82, 85-105.
• Woodward ER, Buchberger A, Clifford SC, Hurst LD, Affara NA, Maher ER. Comparative sequence analysis of the VHL tumor suppressor gene. Genomics 2000, 65(3), 253-265.
• Woodward ER, Clifford SC, Astuti D, Affara NA, Maher ER. Familial clear cell renal cell carcinoma (FCRC): clinical features and mutation analysis of the VHL, MET, and CUL2 candidate genes. Journal of Medical Genetics 2000, 37(5), 348-53.
• Cockman ME, Masson N, Mole DR, Jaakkola P, Chang GW, Clifford SC, Maher ER, Pugh CW, Ratcliffe PJ, Maxwell PH. Hypoxia inducible factor-α binding and ubiquitylation by the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2000, 275(33), 25733-25741.
• Duerr EM, Gimm O, Neuberg DS, Kum JB, Clifford SC, Toledo SP, Maher ER, Dahia PL, Eng C. Differences in allelic distribution of two polymorphisms in the VHL-associated gene CUL2 in pheochromocytoma patients without somatic CUL2 mutations. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 1999, 84(9), 3207-3211.
• Clifford SC, Walsh S, Hewson K, Green EK, Brinke A, Green PM, Gianelli F, Eng C, Maher ER. Genomic organization and chromosomal localization of the human CUL2 gene and the role of von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor-binding protein (CUL2 and VBP1) mutation and loss in renal-cell carcinoma development. Genes Chromosomes, & Cancer 1999, 26(1), 20-28.
• Maxwell PH, Wiesener MS, Chang GW, Clifford SC, Vaux EC, Cockman ME, Wykoff CC, Pugh CW, Maher ER, Ratcliffe PJ. The tumour suppressor protein VHL targets hypoxia-inducible factors for oxygen-dependent proteolysis. Nature 1999, 399(6733), 271-275.
• Gilbertson RJ, Clifford SC, MacMeekin W, Wright C, Perry RH, Kelly P, Pearson ADJ, Lunec J. Expression of the ErbB-neuregulin signaling network during human cerebellar development: Implications for the biology of medulloblastoma. Cancer Research 1998, 58(17), 3932-3941.
• Clifford SC, Czapla K, Richards FM, O'Donoghue DJ, Maher ER. Hepatocyte growth factor-stimulated renal tubular mitogenesis: effects on expression of c-myc, c-fos, c-met, VEGF and the VHL tumour-suppressor and related genes. British Journal of Cancer 1998, 77(9), 1420-1428.
• Clifford SC, Prowse AH, Affara NA, Buys CH, Maher ER. Inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor gene and allelic losses at chromosome arm 3p in primary renal cell carcinoma: evidence for a VHL-independent pathway in clear cell renal tumourigenesis. Genes, Chromosomes & Cancer 1998, 22(3), 200-209.
• Clifford SC, Neal DE, Lunec J. Alterations in expression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) gene in high-grade transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. British Journal of Cancer 1996, 73(5), 659-666.
• Clifford SC, Neal DE, Lunec J. High level expression of the multidrug resistance (MDR1) gene in the normal bladder urothelium: A potential involvement in protection against carcinogens?. Carcinogenesis 1996, 17(3), 601-604.
• Clifford SC, Thomas DJ, Neal DE, Lunec J. Increased MDR1 gene transcript levels in high-grade carcinoma of the bladder determined by quantitative PCR-based assay. British Journal of Cancer 1994, 69(4), 680-686.
• Thomas DJ, Birch PJ, Vickers J, Robinson M, Clifford SC, Hall A, Neal DE. Glutathione-S-transferase π expression in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. British Journal of Urology 1993, 72(5 part 2), 740-743.
• Korshunov A, Remke M, Kool M, Hielscher T, Northcott PA, Williamson D, Pfaff E, Witt H, Jones DT, Ryzhova M, Cho YJ, Wittmann A, Benner A, Weiss WA, vonDeimling A, Scheurlen W, Kulozik AE, Clifford SC, Collins PV, Westermann F, Taylor MD, Lichter P, Pfister SM. Biological and clinical heterogeneity of MYCN-amplified medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathologica 2012, 123(4), 515-527.
• Korshunov A, Remke M, Kool M, Hielscher T, Northcott PA, Williamson D, Pfaff E, Witt H, Jones DTW, Ryzhova M, Cho YJ, Wittmann A, Benner A, Weiss WA, von Deimling A, Scheurlen W, Kulozik AE, Clifford SC, Collins VP, Westermann F, Taylor MD, Lichter P, Pfister SM. Biological and clinical heterogeneity of MYCN-amplified medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathologica 2012, 123(4), 515-527.
• Clifford SC. Cancer Genetics: Evolution after tumour spread. Nature 2012, 482(7386), 481-482.
• Kool M, Korshunov A, Remke M, Jones DTW, Schlanstein M, Northcott PA, Cho YJ, Koster J, Schouten-van Meeteren A, van Vuurden D, Clifford SC, Pietsch T, von Bueren AO, Rutkowski S, McCabe M, Collins VP, Backlund ML, Haberler C, Bourdeaut F, Delattre O, Doz F, Ellison DW, Gilbertson RJ, Pomeroy SL, Taylor MD, Lichter P, Pfister SM. Molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma: an international meta-analysis of transcriptome, genetic aberrations, and clinical data of WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 medulloblastomas. Acta Neuropathologica 2012, 123(4), 473-484.
• Taylor MD, Northcott PA, Korshunov A, Remke M, Cho YJ, Clifford SC, Eberhart CG, Parsons DW, Rutkowski S, Gajjar A, Ellison DW, Lichter P, Gilbertson RJ, Pomeroy SL, Kool M, Pfister SM. Molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma: the current consensus. Acta Neuropathologica 2012, 123(4), 465-472.
• Ryan SL, Schwalbe EC, Cole M, Lu Y, Lusher ME, Megahed H, O'Toole K, Nicholson SL, Bognar L, Garami M, Hauser P, Korshunov A, Pfister SM, Williamson D, Taylor RE, Ellison DW, Bailey S, Clifford SC. MYC family amplification and clinical risk-factors interact to predict an extremely poor prognosis in childhood medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathologica 2012, 123(4), 501-513.
• Rogers HA, Kilday JP, Mayne C, Ward J, Adamowicz-Brice M, Schwalbe EC, Clifford SC, Coyle B, Grundy RG. Supratentorial and spinal pediatric ependymomas display a hypermethylated phenotype which includes the loss of tumor suppressor genes involved in the control of cell growth and death. Acta Neuropathologica 2012, 123(5), 711-725.
• Miller S, Rogers HA, Lyon P, Rand V, Adamowicz-Brice M, Clifford SC, Hayden JT, Dyer S, Pfister S, Korshunov A, Brundler MA, Lowe J, Coyle B, Grundy RG. Genome-wide molecular characterization of central nervous system primitive neuroectodermal tumor and pineoblastoma. Neuro-Oncology 2011, 13(8), 866-879.
• Jeyapalan JN, Noor DAM, Lee SH, Tan CL, Appleby VA, Kilday JP, Palmer RD, Schwalbe EC, Clifford SC, Walker DA, Murray MJ, Coleman N, Nicholson JC, Scotting PJ. Methylator phenotype of malignant germ cell tumours in children identifies strong candidates for chemotherapy resistance. British Journal of Cancer 2011, 105(4), 575-585.
• Levesley J, Lusher ME, Lindsey JC, Clifford SC, Grundy R, Coyle B. RASSF1A and the BH3-only mimetic ABT-737 promote apoptosis in pediatric medulloblastoma cell lines. Neuro-Oncology 2011, 13(12), 1265-1276.
• Clifford SC, Arndt SK, Popp M, Jones HG. Mucilages and polysaccharides in Ziziphus species (Rhamnaceae): localization, composition and physiological roles during drought-stress. Journal of Experimental Botany 2002, 53(366), 131-138.