Major cancer stem cell appointment

Cardiff’s pioneering European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute (ECSCRI) is to be greatly strengthened with the arrival of Matt Smalley.

Smalley will lead a team researching breast cancer when he joins ECSCRI in the Institute in the New Year.

ECSRI’s focus is on cancer stem cells, a small population of tumour cells believe to be responsible for the formation, growth and spread of cancers. Smalley, presently at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at the Institute Cancer Research London, is one of the leading figures in the study of cancer stem cells and breast cancer.

Smalley said: "My interest is in how normal stem cells become cancer stem cells. Essentially, I want to understand how their control is disrupted during tumour formation to become breast cancer cells and this can lead to different forms of breast cancer. At the Institute, I will be looking at cells’ difference both between tumours and within tumours."

Smalley will lead his team as a senior lecturer, working first at the School of Biosciences and then in ECSCRI’s new home in the Hadyn Ellis Building, which is currently under construction.

Smalley said he had heard about ECSCRI’s by word of mouth, from Professor Trevor Dale in the School of Biosciences.

He said: "I did my postdoc with Trevor in London from 1997-2002. I’ve remained good friends with him and he happened to mention the post. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with some leading figures at Cardiff, in particular Alan Clarke, Trevor Dale and Richard Clarkson. There is a diversity of potential collaborators which will enable me to broaden what I’m doing.

"I’m hoping to bring a couple of colleagues with me and build a team from there. I’m really looking forward to it - it’s very exciting that the University has set up this Institute to focus on this particular aspect of cancer science."

ECSCRI Director Professor Alan Clarke said: "It is a major achievement for our Institute to have attracted someone like Matt Smalley. He is a recognised world figure in the application of cancer stem cell theory to breast cancer. We are very much looking forward to working with him and to seeing exciting new discoveries."

Related Links

The European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute