Research groups
Research Theme
Tumour Microenvironment (Lead Principal Investigator)
Websites
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redOx⇌KCL
Collaborative interdisciplinary programme funded by the EPSRC
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RadNet seminar by Prof. Hammond
Watch on YouTube
Student Project:
Parallels between the biological response to viral infection and hypoxia
Regions of low oxygen or hypoxia occur in most solid tumours and predict for a poor patient outcome. Cancer cells adapt to hypoxic conditions and become resistant to therapy, therefore finding new strategies to target tumour hypoxia is essential to improve patient care. Recent transcriptomic studies of hypoxic tumours have identified an upregulation of viral restriction factors. These data lead us to hypothesise a common sensing pathway for cells to respond to the stress of hypoxia or viral infection. This project will begin with a detailed analysis of the available RNA sequencing data to identify genes involved in both the hypoxia and viral response. In parallel, we will focus on the E3 ubiquitin-ligase, TRIM5 which is a retroviral restriction factor and, a gene that we have recently found to be hypoxia-inducible. The project will elucidate the mechanism of TRIM5 induction in hypoxia and to determine if this is shared with the response to viral infection. The project opens collaborative opportunities between groups working in tumour microenvironment and virology.
Colleges
Ester Hammond
Professor of Molecular Cancer Biology
- Principal Investigator at the Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology
- Director of the Oxford-MRC Doctoral Training Partnership
Research Summary
I investigate how tumours survive in conditions which include low oxygen (hypoxia). The goal is to target the hypoxic parts of tumours to improve cancer therapy.
Biography
Ester completed her PhD at the School for Cancer Sciences, University of Birmingham then accepted a post as a postdoctoral fellow within the Molecular Oncology Group at the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine before moving to the USA to join the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University, first as a postdoctoral fellow then a research associate. She joined the Oxford Institute in 2007.
GROUP MEMBERS
Athanasios Patsalias, DPhil Student
Çağla Tosun, DPhil Student
Sophie Twigger, DPhil Student
Katja Worth, DPhil Student
Megan Jones, Undergraduate Biochem (part II)
Eduard Petrosyan, DPhil Student
Chumin Zhou, Postdoctoral Researcher
Lina Hacker, Postdoctoral Researcher
GROUP ALUMNI & NEXT DESTINATIONS
Sam Bader (2016-21), DPhil student - Scientist, Totus Medicines, USA
Charlotte Simpson (2020-2021) MRes student - PhD student, University of Cambridge, UK
Natalie Ng, (2016–21), DPhil student - Scientist, Oxford Biomedica, UK
Anna Mandel, (2018-20), MRes student - PhD student, University of Toronto, Canada
Ania Skwarska, (2019-20) Postdoctoral Researcher - Postdoctoral Researcher Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
Elizabeth Bowler, (2019 -20) Postdoctoral Researcher - Postdoctoral Researcher University of Bath
Ming-Shih Hwang, (2018-19), Postdoctoral Researcher - Postdoctoral Researcher, The Francis Crick Institute
Karen Sayal, (2018-19), Clinical Research Fellow – CRF, University of Oxford
Katarzyna Leszczynska, (2011 – 18), Postdoctoral Researcher, - Postdoctoral Researcher Nencki Institute, Warsaw, Poland
Alhasan Al-Habib (2017), MSc Student - PhD student, Cambridge University, UK
Karin Purshouse (2016-17), ACF - ACF, Oxford University Hospitals Trust, UK
Greg Dobrynin (2014-17), Postdoctoral Researcher - Senior Scientist, Immunocore Ltd, UK
Iosifina Foskolou (2012-16), DPhil Student - Postdoctoral Researcher, Cambridge University, UK
Liam O'Connor (2012-16), DPhil Student - Patent lawyer, UK
Cindy Korner (2010-15), MSc/DPhil Student - Postdoctoral Researcher, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Selva Anbalagan (2009-14), MSc/DPhil Student - Postdoctoral Researcher, ICR, London, UK
Monica Olcina (2009-14), MSc/DPhil Student - Postdoctoral Researcher, Stanford University, US
Isabel Pires (2007-12), Postdoctoral Researcher - Lecturer, University of Hull, UK
Recent publications
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Journal article
Rodriguez-Berriguete G. et al, (2023), Clinical Cancer Research
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Journal article
Wallabregue ALD. et al, (2023), Journal of the American Chemical Society
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Journal article
Koyasu S. et al, (2022), EMBO reports
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How the histological structure of some lung cancers shaped almost 70 years of radiobiology
Journal article
Worth K. et al, (2022), British Journal of Cancer
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Journal article
Sekirnik AR. et al, (2022), ACS Chemical Biology
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Journal article
Bolland HR. et al, (2022), Chem Commun (Camb)
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Journal article
Higgins GS. and Hammond EM., (2022), Br J Cancer, 126, 971 - 972
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Journal article
Celora GL. et al, (2022), J Theor Biol