About
Dr Robert A Watson is a Lecturer at the University of Oxford, affiliated with the Department of Oncology and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (MRC WIMM). He is funded by the NIHR and the CRIS Cancer Foundation, and holds a clinical role as a Specialist Registrar in Medical Oncology at OUH NHS Foundation Trust. Watson is also a Fellow and Director of Graduate Entry Medicine at Worcester College, organizing teaching for accelerated medicine students.
Education:
- BA(Hons)
- BM BCh
- PGDip
- DPhil (Wellcome Trust-funded)
- MRCP(UK)
Research Interests center on immuno-oncology, focusing on T cell biology, immune repertoires, and molecular mechanisms of immune checkpoint blockade. His work employs single-cell transcriptomics and translational approaches to improve cancer immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines and experimental medicine. He collaborates with Prof. Ben Fairfax and Oxford Cancer teams.
Scientific Awards & Grants
- McElwain Prize (2023)
- CRUK pre-doctoral bursary
- Wellcome Trust Doctoral Fellowship
- NIHR funding for current post
- CRIS Cancer Foundation funding
Watson contributed to the UK Government's UK-CTAP during the pandemic, evaluating therapeutics for public trials. He is also involved in healthcare policy research and volunteer medical work in low-resource settings.