Staff Profile
Current position
Dec 2018-current: Research Associate in the Leukaemia Research Cytogenetics Group, Newcastle University
PI: Professor Christine Harrison
Themes
Primary: Applied Cancer Therapeutics and Outcomes
Secondary: Precision Medicine, Genomics and Informatics
Tertiary: Chromosome Biology and the Cell Cycle
Qualifications
PhD, Molecular Paediatric Oncology, 2018, Newcastle University
MRes, Medical Genetics (Distinction), 2014, Newcastle University
BSc (Hons) Human Genetics (First class), 2013, Newcastle University
Honours and awards
- November 2022: Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia group and the Little Princess Trust Project Grant. Two year duration (£188,962.00). In collaboration with Professor Christine Harrison. Project title: “Novel drug treatments through repurposing of FDA-approved drugs for improved treatment of high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia”.
- December 2018: British Association for Cancer Research Travel Grant (£1000). To fund attendance of the American Society for Hematology Annual Meeting 2018.
- December 2018: Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences Travel Grant (£724.33). To fund attendance of the American Society for Hematology Annual Meeting 2018.
- September 2018: Newcastle Hospitals Charity Research Grant. One year duration (£49,260). In collaboration with Professor Christine Harrison. Project title: “Functional assessment of chromosome 21 candidate genes in precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL)”.
- March 2017: Newcastle University Post Graduate Cancer Conference. Best 3-minute thesis (£50 award).
Memberships
British Association for Cancer Research
European Association for Cancer Research
Manuscript Peer Review
LeukemiaMy research focuses on two types of paediatric cancer: B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
B-ALL
B-ALL is one of the most common paediatric cancers. Despite excellent cure rates of around 90%, fatality after B-ALL relapse is one of the leading causes of death in children, and long-term health issues are common due to toxic chemotherapy treatment.
The presence of somatic cytogenetic abnormalities is a hallmark of B-ALL, and the detection of such abnormalities permits the classification and risk stratification of patients. Whole or partial gain of chromosome 21 is the most common cytogenetic abnormality, observed in approximately 30% of all B-ALL patients, affecting multiple cytogenetic subgroups. The prevalence of whole or partial gains of chromosome 21 suggests that genes located on chromosome 21 may have an important role in leukaemogenesis and disease maintenance.
AML
AML is relatively rare in children in comparison to B-ALL, and as such, has not been researched as extensively, resulting in much lower survival rates (~50%) and a high risk of relapse amongst many cytogenetic subgroups. Children with AML have historically been treated using adult treatment protocols within the UK. Utilising genomic and transcriptomic data from patients enrolled in the UK’s first international paediatric AML trial, MyeChild01, I aim to identify gene fusions, mutations and analyse transcriptional profiles to better characterise and understand paediatric AML, with a view to improving patient treatment through enhanced risk stratification and the identification of novel therapeutic targets.
Student supervision
2 BSc students (2019-current)
1 MSci student (2020-current)
Teaching
BGM1004: Genetics. Seminar host (2020-current)
- Sinclair PB, Ryan S, Bashton M, Hollern S, Hanna R, Case M, Schwalbe EC, Schwab CJ, Cranston RE, Young BD, Irving JAE, Vora AJ, Moorman AV, Harrison CJ. SH2B3 inactivation through CN-LOH-12q is uniquely associated with B-cell precursor ALL with iAMP21 or other chromosome 21 gain. Leukemia 2019, 33, 1881-1894.
- Cranston RE, Sinclair PB, Bashton M, Selby MP, Harrison CJ. A Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen Implicates MYC Dysregulation in TCF3-PBX1 B-ALL. In: 60th ASH Annual Meeting. 2018, San Diego, CA, USA: American Society of Hematology.
- Finetti MA, Selby MP, Pons AD, Wong JP, Bashton M, Cranston RE, Barker J, Crosier S, Smith A, Ramli RA, Grabovska Y, Bailey S, Huang PH, Clifford SC, Williamson D. Integrated pathway analysis of malignant rhabdoid tumour identifies key SMARCB1-pathways and therapeutic opportunities. In: 28 EORTC – NCI – AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics. 2016, Munich, Germany: Elsevier.
- Selby MP, Finetti MA, Bashton M, Cranston RE, Del-Carpio-Pons A, Bailey S, Clifford SC, Williamson D. Investigating the biology of atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors by whole genome CRISPR/CAS9 screening. In: 17th International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO). 2016, Liverpool: Oxford University Press.
- Schwab CJ, Murdy D, Butler E, Enshaei A, Winterman E, Cranston RE, Ryan S, Barretta E, Hawking Z, Murray J, Antony G, Vora A, Moorman AV, Harrison CJ. Genetic characterisation of childhood B-other-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in UK patients by fluorescence in situ hybridisation and Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification. British Journal of Haematology 2022, 196(3), 753-763.