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Our research in Glasgow

Beatson Institute (artist's impression)Glasgow is home to the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, one of our five institutes. The Beatson is directed by Professor Karen Vousden.

A £15 million expansion of the Beatson Institute opened in January 2008, jointly funded by Cancer Research UK, the University of Glasgow and generous contributions from other organisations. It provides state-of-the-art facilities for around 240 of the country’s best scientists and doctors under one roof.

Research teams at the Beatson Institute are investigating how cancer cells grow, spread and survive to find better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease. Find out more about our research at the Beatson Institute.

We fund the clinical trials work of the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) at the Yorkhill hospital in Glasgow. The group co-ordinates the care of virtually all the UK’s children with cancer, ensuring they receive the most up-to-date treatments. Glasgow is also home to one of our clinical trials units based at Gartnavel Hospital.

Below are some of the highlights of our research in Glasgow.

All cancer types

Prof Jim Cassidy Prof Jim Cassidy

Experimental and Gene Therapeutics Group

Beatson Laboratories, Glasgow

Developing new ways to treat cancer

Jim Cassidy is Professor of Medical Oncology at the Beatson Laboratories in Glasgow. He is working on new gene therapy approaches for cancer treatment. Professor Cassidy is testing several of these new cancer treatments in early-phase clinical trials.

Dr Eyal Gottlieb Dr Eyal Gottlieb

Apoptosis and Tumour Metabolism Group

Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow

Understanding the 'power stations' in cancer cells

Because cancer cells grow faster than normal cells, they have a high demand for energy and oxygen. Dr Eyal Gottlieb, who leads a research group at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, is investigating the energy production 'machinery' in cancer cells, and developing ways to target it in order to treat cancer.

Prof Gavin Halbert Prof Gavin Halbert

Cancer Research UK Formulation Unit

University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Turning lab discoveries into cancer drugs

Professor Gavin Halbert heads up Cancer Research UK's cutting-edge Strathclyde Formulation Unit in Glasgow. At this facility, the scientists package up promising new candidate drugs into safe forms that patients can take as tablets, capsules or injections. 

Prof Nicol Keith Prof Nicol Keith

Telomerase Therapeutics

Beatson Laboratories, Glasgow

Developing new anti-cancer therapies

Professor Nicol Keith is based at the Beatson Laboratories in Glasgow. He and his team are investigating how cancer cells become immortal and are using this information to develop new anticancer treatments. In particular, Professor Keith is investigating ways to target telomerase, an "immortality gene" that is switched on in eight out of ten cancers.

 

Bowel cancer

Dr Owen Sansom Dr Owen Sansom

Wnt Signalling and Colorectal Cancer Group

Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow

Understanding the molecular mistakes in bowel cancer

Dr Owen Sansom heads a research group at our Beatson Institute for Cancer Research. He and his team are investigating the molecular changes that happen in bowel cells that ultimately lead to bowel cancer. Finding out more about how it develops will help scientists to find new ways to prevent and treat the disease.

 

Pancreatic cancer

Prof Jeff Evans Prof Jeff Evans

Centre for Oncology and Applied Pharmacology

Beatson Institute for Cancer Research    , Glasgow

Stopping pancreatic cancer from spreading

Professor Jeff Evans is based at Cancer Research UK's Beatson Institute in Glasgow, where he is Professor of Translational Cancer Research. He is investigating drugs that could stop pancreatic cancer from spreading, a major problem in this disease.