Ian Majewski

My research group is investigating why there is large variation in how cancer patients respond to anti-cancer therapy.

Our major focus is on leukaemia, a cancer of the blood system. We are defining genetic mutations that contribute to the development of leukaemia, and studying how these mutations influence a patient’s response to therapy. This may indicate better ways to personalise leukaemia therapies, by matching patients with the best treatment for their individual disease.

I think that genomics has the potential to revolutionise our approach to cancer therapy and I’m committed to translating my research into better outcomes for cancer patients.

Research interest

My research focuses on identifying the key mutational events that shape the biology of cancer, and understanding how the disease changes in response to therapy.

When we think about evolution we tend to consider selection acting at the level of the organism, but in cancer these selective pressures operate at the level of individual cells. The cancer landscape is both complex and dynamic.

We’re particularly interested in new therapeutic approaches to treating chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia. Ultimately my goal is to develop new, more effective cancer therapies. This is a complex problem and requires a multidisciplinary approach that spans genetics, cell biology, drug development and translation research.