Dr Sarah Aitken, one of our Group Leaders at the Unit, has received a prestigious Clinician Scientist Fellowship. The award, granted by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), provides £1.1 million in funding to support her lab’s research over a five-year period. CRUK Fellowships are highly sought-after prizes awarded biannually to exceptional early career scientists advancing the cancer research landscape.

Dr Aitken intends to use artificial intelligence to identify digital biomarkers – or characteristics – in histopathology images from those with liver cancer. These may be features that a pathologist cannot spot with the naked eye, but together with genomic information will enable progress by improving diagnosis and allowing more targeted treatment for patients.

Liver cancer is the eighth most common cause of cancer death in the UK, and less than 15% of patients are currently predicted to survive for five years or more. The number of cases has increased by 45% over the last decade and is predicted to rise even further due to changes in diet and lifestyle.

This pioneering research into a previously overlooked area holds tremendous potential for improving patient care. By understanding what is happening at the cellular and molecular levels, we will better understand how we might be able to diagnose and treat this disease.

“I am immensely grateful to Cancer Research UK for recognising the potential of my work which will apply genomic pathology approaches to a cancer of unmet need. I am thrilled to join the network of CRUK Fellows, which has already been hugely beneficial for my career. It is my hope that the work generated from this award will advance the field and have a positive impact on the way we understand liver cancer and its diagnosis,” said Dr Aitken.

Commenting on the achievement, Prof Anne Willis, Director of the MRC Toxicology Unit, said, “It is such wonderful news and shows what a privilege it is for us to have Sarah and her expertise at the Unit. This approach will allow her, her team and collaborators in Cambridge and Edinburgh to make key contributions to this area of research. I’m sure she will relish this opportunity to be able to further develop her research, group and networks.”

Dr Aitken joined the Unit in September 2021. Her research focuses on how DNA, cells, and tissues are damaged by the world around us, causing diseases including cancer. Further information on the Aitken lab’s research is available on their group webpage. The CRUK website contains a complete list of award recipients from this award cycle.