Biography
Professor Charles Coombes, Professor of Medical Oncology, Imperial College London. He is also Hon Consultant Medical Oncologist, Imperial College Healthcare Trust.From October 2010 Professor Coombes is Director of The Imperial CRUK Cancer Centre. He is also Chair of The Imperial Cancer Research (UK) Centre Steering Committee and Theme leader for Cancer, Imperial College London. He is engaged in developing novel methods for prediction of response to endocrine therapy in breast cancer and also carrying out research aimed at understanding the mechanisms of resistance to endocrine therapy and development of novel anti-cancer drugs. In his capacity as Head of Division of Cancer until 30 September 2012, he was responsible for the running of the division, as well as the recruitment and retention of staff. He is personally responsible for running the section of Cancer Cell Biology and has three CRUK Programme Grants and many other project and smaller grants. This department currently has more than 280 scientific staff. The department has doubled in size over the past three years and now has and I4 Professors and twenty sections. His laboratory is focusing on elucidating molecular signals controlling aberrant growth of breast cancer cells with specific focus on the oestrogen receptor and allied cell signalling pathways. He works with scientists engaged in molecular target identification and chemists whose remit is to target specific signalling abnormalities to develop novel therapies for breast cancer. He also runs a translational laboratory which focuses on detection of micrometastatic disease and application to the treatment of breast cancer. He is Chairman of the International Collaborative Cancer Group. This is a multinational trial centre which is based within Imperial College focussing on phase II and phase III studies in breast cancer.
Research Interest
molecular signals controlling aberrant growth of breast cancer cells with specific focus on the oestrogen receptor and allied cell signalling pathways
Biography
Dr. Mohamed Fathy Ragab is a consultant radiologist who has completed his graduation in Zagazig Univeristy, Egypt. He then conducted post-graduate studies in Tanta Univeristy, Egypt. He also completed his clinical fellowship in diagnostic radiology. Dr. Ragab completed his PET/CT training in Imperial College, London, UK in 2010. As a pioneer in Molecular Imaging and PET/CT scanning in Egypt, Dr. Ragab has joined many PET/CT unites of specialized oncology centers; including International Medical Center, Maadi Military Medical complex and Al-Galaa Military Medical Complex; in-addition to his working in Agouza hospital and PET/CT unit of TechnoScan Radiology centers’ chain. His name appears on many articles that were published in both National and International Journals. Currently, he is engaged in research studies about Role of PET/CT and Molecular Imaging in Management of Cancer Patients in collaboration with Banha University, Egypt.
Research Interest
PET/CT and Molecular Imaging in detection, staging and re-staging of Cancer, as well as therapy monitoring and prediction of therapeutic response in Cancer patients.
Biography
Dr Leandro Castellano is Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of Sussex in Brighton, and honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London (UK). He obtained a PhD in 2007 at the University “La Sapienzaâ€, Rome, working on the role of microRNAs in solid and liquid cancers. He then moved to Imperial College the same year where he identified for the first time that microRNAs can be regulated by oestrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha) in ER positive breast cancer which in turn, modulate ER-alpha itself. This regulative miRNA-mRNA network forms a negative feedback loop crucial for breast cancer progression. His research interest focuses on the role of short and long non-coding RNAs in the progression of breast, pancreatic and other solid cancers. He published several articles reporting finding on the role of non-coding RNAs in these diseases using high-throughput sequencing technologies for global discoveries.
Research Interest
Solid cancer, non-coding RNA, gene expression, biological networks in cancer
