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Staff Profile

Professor Neil Rajan

Professor of Dermatogenetics and Honorary Consultant Dermatologist

Background

Neil Rajan M.D. PhD, is a Professor of Dermatogenetics, and is a principal investigator and honorary consultant dermatologist. He started his lab group with funding from the Wellcome Trust and the MRC and is passionate about translational research in rare genetic skin disease. He is a proponent of mainstreaming genetic testing, with the aim of reducing the “diagnostic odyssey” of patients living with genetic skin disease.

Patient partnership is central to his work. He works with groups including Lynch Syndrome UK, the Ichthyosis Support Group, DEBRA UK, PC Project to amplify the patient voice in research priority setting.  He works with patients with inherited tumour syndromes to jointly advance understanding of how we can improve early detection cancer predisposition using skin tumours that arise in these conditions.  

He has >110 peer reviewed publications in the Lancet Oncology, British Journal of Dermatology, Nature Communications, Nature and Science. His basic science research programme is coupled with the delivery of early phase clinical trials in rare disease, an exemplar of which is the TRAC study in CYLD cutaneous syndrome, where he was chief investigator. He is part of the LifeArc centre for Acceleration of Rare Disease Trials (ARDT), that aims to accelerate clinical trials and improve access to new therapies for people living with rare disease.

 

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Linkedin: Neil Rajan




 


Research

The following research profile was curated by Gemini v2.5 Pro:


Professor Neil Rajan is dedicated to understanding the molecular basis of rare inherited skin diseases (genodermatoses). His work integrates molecular genetics, cell biology, large-scale epidemiology, and clinical trials to improve diagnostics and develop novel therapies for patients with skin cancer and genetic skin conditions.


Translational Research in CYLD Cutaneous Syndrome (CCS)


A primary focus of his group's research is CYLD Cutaneous Syndrome (CCS), a rare genetic disorder where patients develop multiple skin tumours. His group in partnership with other scientists have made seminal contributions to understanding this disease.

  • Discovering Therapeutic Targets: Early work from his lab used transcriptomic profiling to identify dysregulated TRK signalling as a candidate vulnerability in CCS tumours, establishing it as a promising therapeutic target (Oncogene, 2011).
  • Bench-to-Bedside Clinical Trials: This discovery was directly translated into a clinical study through the TRAC trial, the first-ever placebo-controlled, targeted clinical trial for CCS, which Professor Rajan designed and led (JAMA Dermatology, 2018).
  • Mapping the Genomic Landscape: In a landmark study published in Nature Communications (2019), his team with Prof. Nik-Zainal's delineated the genetic landscape of CCS tumours. They discovered recurrent mutations in epigenetic modifiers like DNMT3A and identified treatable AKT1 mutations.
  • Understanding Disease Mechanisms: His research has also clarified the diverse mechanisms of genetic mosaicism in CCS and its importance for genetic counselling (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2019). Furthermore, his collaborative work revealed a novel role for the CYLD gene in neurological diseases, including frontotemporal dementia (Brain, 2020), demonstrating the broader relevance of this research beyond dermatology.


Large-Scale Genomics and Developmental Skin Biology


Professor Rajan is an active contributor to major international consortia that are transforming our understanding of human biology and rare diseases.

  • The 100,000 Genomes Project: As part of this flagship project, he contributed to the discovery of new gene associations for rare diseases, with findings published in Nature (2025).
  • The Human Cell Atlas: He has contributed to the mapping the cellular landscape of human skin in several pioneering projects led by Prof. Haniffa. His contribution to a Science paper (2021) involved curating over 600 genetic skin disorders to allow for the interpretation of normal skin cell gene expression in the context of human genetic disease. He also contributed towards the creation of a prenatal skin atlas that revealed the role of the immune system in skin development (Nature, 2024).


Skin Cancer Epidemiology and Lynch Syndrome Detection


His work also addresses critical gaps in cancer screening and prevention, particularly for inherited cancer syndromes, using national cancer registry data in England.

  • Improving Lynch Syndrome Detection: His group has led major epidemiological studies on sebaceous carcinoma, a skin cancer strongly associated with Lynch syndrome. This inherited condition significantly increases the risk of various internal cancers.
  • Highlighting Health Inequity and Driving Policy Change: Research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2023) and highlighted in The Lancet Oncology (2024) used national data from England to reveal significant inequities and missed opportunities in testing for Lynch syndrome among patients with sebaceous carcinoma. These findings have been instrumental in prompting a national stakeholder meeting and proposing a change in UK policy towards universal screening of all sebaceous carcinomas, aiming to improve cancer prevention for at-risk families.


Teaching

The following research profile was curated by Gemini v2.5 Pro:


Mentorship and Academic Development


Professor Rajan is committed to nurturing talent at all career stages, from medical students to specialist trainees.

  • Medical Student Supervision: He actively supports Newcastle and NUMed (Malaysia) medical students, acting as a personal tutor and guiding them in securing small research grants and academic foundation posts (AFPs). A recent student mentee not only secured a competitive AFP post but has also won two national presentation prizes and a grant from the British Skin Foundation within their first year. This trainee has gone on to secure an ACF post.
  • Doctoral Training: He has a proven track record of successfully supervising PhD, MD, and Masters students researching inherited skin tumour syndromes. His former students have progressed to successful careers in skin research and the life sciences industry.
  • Clinical Trainee Development: Professor Rajan has mentored numerous dermatology specialist trainees, guiding them through research projects that have resulted in multiple first-author publications and national awards. Several of his former trainees are now consultant colleagues in Newcastle, a testament to his impactful mentorship. He also fosters cross-specialty collaboration, having supported oncology and pathology trainees in developing their academic portfolios.


Developing Key Teaching Resources


Professor Rajan is a key contributor to cornerstone medical textbooks, shaping the education of students and doctors worldwide.

  • He authored the chapter on Human Genetics for the 10th edition of Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine, a core text for medical students globally.
  • He has also contributed two specialist chapters on skin genetics to the definitive dermatology reference, Rook's Textbook of Dermatology.

Through these contributions, his expertise informs and standardizes high-level education in genetics and dermatology for a global audience.



National and International Leadership in Medical Education


Professor Rajan is a leader in developing and delivering high-level training in genetic skin disease. A key initiative is the development of dermatology resources for the "Genomics Education Programme". He has also led the course, which he has led the Genomics for Dermatology Programme course (2016-2022), that attracts a global audience of clinicians and scientists.

He is a a doctoral examiner for UK academic institutions, including King’s College London, University College London, the University of Manchester and the University of Southampton, where he is invited to assess PhD candidates in rare skin genetics and cancer genetics.

 

Publications