Andrew Silver

Professor Andrew Silver serves as Professor of Cancer Genetics at the Centre for Genomics and Child Health within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London. He leads the Colorectal Cancer Genetics Group and acts as Deputy Lead for Genomics and Child Health, while also serving as Editor for Pathology Research & Practice and the International Journal of Experimental Pathology.

His academic foundation includes a First Class BSc in Applied Biology from Bath University (1980) and a PhD from the University of Reading (1984), followed by MRC post-doctoral appointments. Career milestones include heading the Tumour Biology and Genetics group at the National Radiation Protection Board (1990), leading Cancer Research UK’s Colorectal Cancer Unit at St Mark’s Hospital (2003), and establishing his research group at the Blizard Institute (2006).

Professor Silver's research pioneers the molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, with groundbreaking work on:

• Type 2 diabetes-epigenetic interactions in colorectal carcinogenesis
• Stenofibrosing disease mechanisms in Crohn's
• DUOX2-mediated oxidative stress in IBD-cancer progression
• Epigenetic therapies for intestinal fibrosis

His 2014-2017 publications reveal a cohesive research trajectory centered on molecular pathways linking inflammation, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis, with increasing emphasis on translational epigenetics and biomarker discovery for clinical applications.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath)

He actively mentors across academic levels: MBBS students through PBL sessions and mentoring, BSc Biomedical Genetics students as co-module lead for Human Genetic Disorders, and MSc/Intercalated BSc students through project supervision. His research team comprises Research Fellow Amy Lewis and Research Technician Giulio Berti, driving investigations into diabetes-cancer links and fibrosis therapeutics.

The Colorectal Cancer Genetics Group maintains specialized focus on APC gene mechanisms, familial polyposis syndromes, and microRNA-based biomarkers, with laboratory facilities centered on epigenetic profiling and fibrosis modeling in IBD.