Douglas Easton

Professor Douglas Easton serves as Director of the Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology within the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge. He holds the position of Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and leads one of the world's foremost research groups in cancer genetics with an extraordinary publication record exceeding 219,000 citations and an h-index of 218.

His educational background includes:

• Mathematical and Statistics studies at the University of Cambridge
• PhD in Genetic Epidemiology at the University of London (1992)

Professor Easton's research program has revolutionized our understanding of genetic factors in cancer risk, particularly for breast and ovarian cancers. He established the Cancer Research UK Genetic Epidemiology Unit in 1995 and was awarded his professorship in 2003. His work spans the identification of cancer susceptibility genes (including BRCA1/2, ATM, CHEK2, PALB2), development of statistical methods for genetic epidemiology, and creation of risk prediction models like BOADICEA that are now used clinically worldwide. His research integrates population and family-based studies to characterize genetic variants associated with cancer risk.

His most recent publications through 2025 demonstrate continued leadership in adapting risk models for diverse populations, integrating polygenic risk scores into clinical practice, and addressing implementation challenges in personalized cancer prevention. The work shows increasing focus on practical application of risk models in healthcare settings and understanding of risk communication impacts.

Notable scientific achievements:

• Elected Fellow of the Royal Society (2022)
• CRUK Principal Research Fellow (2001-2011)
• Development of the widely used BOADICEA risk prediction model
• Leadership of major international consortia including BCAC, EMBRACE, EMBED, and BRIDGES

As an educator, Professor Easton has mentored numerous PhD students and lectured in the MPhil in Epidemiology program. His research is supported by substantial funding that enables coordination of large-scale international studies involving hundreds of institutions worldwide. He continues to actively shape the field of cancer genetic epidemiology through both methodological innovation and practical implementation of risk assessment tools.