Prof Tim Bishop

Professor Tim Bishop

Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory
St James's University Hospital
Leeds

Finding cancer genes

Professor Tim Bishop, head of the Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory in Leeds, is a leader in the field of cancer genetics. He is studying the genes involved in several types of cancer including melanoma skin cancer. 

His team is comparing the genetic make-up of people with cancer with that of healthy people, to see which genes are different in people with cancer. Through these pioneering studies, they hope to identify genes that increase the risk of melanoma skin cancer, as well as bowel and testicular cancers.

As cancer risk can be affected by lifestyle choices such as diet, the team's research focuses on how particular combinations of genes and lifestyle influence a person's overall cancer risk.

For instance, they have found that people who have particularly fair skin (which is determined by their genes) and who have intermittent high levels of sun exposure, appear to be at particularly increased risk of melanoma. Knowledge like this will help doctors to develop personalised cancer prevention advice.

Professor Bishop's research generates huge amounts of valuable data. His team is developing better statistical techniques for analysing this data. This will help them and others to pin down cancer genes faster and more accurately.

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