Metabolism

Tumour Microenvironment

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

I lead a computational lab and a systems biology lab funded by the European Research Council and Cancer Research UK.

We develop and apply computational and mathematical modelling, and AI/machine learning approaches to the analysis of multi-omics and functional data from bulk and single-cell clinical and biological samples, to understand cancer as a complex system.

Some of our main projects are:

• Machine learning methods for large clinical cohorts and biobanks to derive integrated multi-omics classifiers
• Gene network reconstruction using bulk samples and single cells sequencing data to study transcriptional regulation and cell-cell communication
• Integration of functional (CRISPR, phenotypic) and omics (DNA, RNA) assays to infer gene function
  
• Derivation of omics 'signatures' to infer phenotype and disease outcome in clinical and biological samples
• Development of Agent Based Modelling approaches to model disease-host interactions in complex diseases

After a Masters Degree in Theoretical Physics from the University of Turin, I completed a PhD in Physics and Mathematical Modelling at the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London. I undertook postdoctoral research in anaysis of imaging data at the ICR, and then joined the Statistics Group at the Gray Cancer Institute and the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, London, to work on biomarker research studies. Following this, I joined the Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, first as a postdoctoral research fellow in systems biology, and then as Principal Investigator and Head of the Computational Biology and Integrative Genomics Lab.

In addition to my research work, I teach post-graduate courses, including the new MSc in Precision Cancer Medicine, where I lead the Omics module, and the MSc in Radiation Biology, where I teach Statistics and Computational methods applied to Omics. I also teach at national and international Masters Courses and Advanced Schools, including Statistics and Bioinformatics in the MSc courses at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and at the Advanced Courses at the Wellcome Genome Campus, University of Cambridge, UK.

I serve on several national and international committees, including funding agencies Horizon2020, the European Research Council, the Medical Research Council, the UK Research Institute and Cancer Research UK. And I am member of governative evaluation panels, including service as member of the Biological Science Panel and Interdisciplinary Advisor for the REF-2021.

I authored over 130 publications, several in high impact journals (Google Scholar, ORCID), and and I am recipient of a Cancer Research UK Programme and European Research Council Programme Award.

Group Members