Our research in Manchester
The Manchester Cancer Research Centre
In January 2006, the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research joined forces with the Christie Hospital NHS Trust and the University of Manchester to form the Manchester Cancer Research Centre.
The Centre is a unique partnership, which plans to double research activity in the city over the next few years. It will create outstanding facilities where doctors and scientists can work closely together, allowing scientific advances to be turned into benefits for people with cancer faster.
By 2015, the Centre aims to be one of the world’s leading cancer research institutes.
The Paterson Institute for Cancer Research
The Paterson Institute for Cancer Research is based at The Christie in Manchester. It is one of our five institutes, playing a key role in our world-class research. The Paterson employs over 200 researchers who are dedicated to helping fight cancer.
Under the leadership of Professor Nic Jones the Institute is home to 13 research teams with a wide range of research interests including:
- discovering the causes of drug resistance in people with bowel cancer
- identifying new drug targets for leukaemia so we can treat people with the disease more effectively
- studying the molecular processes that drive the growth and spread of cancer cells.
Find out more about our Cancer Research UK-funded work at the Paterson Institute.
Our Children's Cancer Trials Team co-ordinates groundbreaking trials in 21 centres across the UK and Ireland, including the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. These trials bring cutting-edge science from the lab to the bedside, making innovative new treatments available to children with cancer.
Below are some of the highlights of our research in Manchester, or you can find out more in our Manchester leaflet (pdf download).
Bowel cancer
Prof Caroline Dive
Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group
Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
Developing new cancer treatments
Professor Caroline Dive leads the Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group at the Cancer Research UK Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester. Her team carry out lab studies and early clinical research into new cancer drugs. Professor Dive also carries out important research into drug resistance in bowel cancer.
Children's cancers
Prof Jillian Birch
Cancer Research UK Paediatric and Familial Cancer Research Group
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester
Looking for the causes of childhood cancer
Professor Jillian Birch is Director of the Cancer Research UK Paediatric and Familial Cancer Research Group at the University of Manchester. Using valuable data from the Manchester Children's Tumour Registry, she is searching for common features among children, teenagers and young adults with cancer - including genetic and environmental factors - in order to identify possible causes.
Prof Vaskar Saha
Children's Cancer Group
The Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
Improving the treatment of childhood leukaemia
Professor Vaskar Saha is Head of the Children's Cancer Group at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester. His research focuses on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common form of leukaemia.
No specific cancer type
Prof Caroline Dive
Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group
Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
Developing new cancer treatments
Professor Caroline Dive leads the Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group at the Cancer Research UK Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester. Her team carry out lab studies and early clinical research into new cancer drugs. Professor Dive also carries out important research into drug resistance in bowel cancer.
Prof Iain Hagan
Cell Division Group
Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
Understanding how cells grow and divide
Professor Iain Hagan leads the Cell Division Group at our Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester. His research focuses on understanding how cells grow and divide and he has an outstanding track record in this field. Uncontrolled cell division lies at the heart of cancer development so Professor Hagan's work is critical for understanding what goes wrong in cancer cells.
Prof Tim Illidge
Targeted Therapy Group
Christie Hospital NHS Trust, University of Manchester, Manchester
Harnessing the immune system to treat cancer
Professor Tim Illidge is a Cancer Research UK Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. His research focuses on developing new cancer treatments with fewer side effects. He is particularly interested in the use of 'immunotherapies', treatments that harness the power of the body's own immune system to fight cancer.
Prof Nic Jones
Cell Regulation Group
Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
How do cells react to stress?
Professor Nic Jones is Director of the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester and became Cancer Research UK's Chief Scientist in February 2011. He leads the Cell Regulation Group who study how cells respond to sudden changes in their surroundings, known as 'environmental stress'. Professor Jones also directs the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, building on the world-class research already going on in the city.
Dr Karim Labib
Cell Cycle Group
Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
Understanding how cells divide
Dr Karim Labib works at our Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester. He and his team are studying how cells divide – copying their DNA (genetic instructions) and dividing it equally between two new ‘daughter’ cells. If the DNA is not copied and shared correctly, then cells may end up with the wrong amount. This can lead to cancer.
Ovarian cancer
Prof Gordon Jayson
Translational Angiogenesis Laboratory
Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester
New cancer treatments that block blood vessel growth
Gordon Jayson is Professor of Medical Oncology at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. His world-class research focuses on new cancer treatments that block blood vessel growth, starving tumours of essential nutrients and oxygen. Ultimately, his work is helping more women survive ovarian cancer.
Increase text
Decrease text
Print this page
