Jon Strefford

Jon Strefford is a Professor of Cancer Genomics and Head of School within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. He is also an Honorary NHS Clinical Scientist, combining academic leadership with translational research focused on genomic and epigenetic defects in B-cell malignancies. His career includes postgraduate training in clinical cytogenetics, a PhD in Cancer Genetics from the University of Wales, Swansea, and postdoctoral work at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He held a Lectureship at Queen Mary University of London before moving to Southampton. In 2008, he was awarded a Personal Fellowship from Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research to advance his research.

Education: PhD in Cancer Genetics and Genetic Toxicology (University of Wales, Swansea); Clinical cytogenetics training at NHS; Postdoctoral work with Professor Bryan Young (Cancer Research UK Medical Oncology Laboratory).

Research Interests:

• Genomic and epigenomic analysis of mature B-cell tumours, particularly CLL and SMZL
• Development of biomarkers for precision medicine
• Molecular mechanisms driving CLL and SMZL progression
• Impact of B-cell receptor signaling and microenvironment on tumour survival
• Role of Fc gamma receptors in antibody therapy efficacy

Articles Trends: Recent work emphasizes genomic complexity in CLL prognosis, Fc gamma receptor biology's role in immunotherapy, and epigenetic biomarkers in SMZL. Collaborations include international clinical trials and genomic studies.

Scientific Awards:

• Personal Fellowship from Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research (2008)

Advising & Grants: Supervised 9 PhD students, including Lara Buermann, Carolina Jaramillo, and Jade Forster. Secured over £25M in grants from Cancer Research UK, Blood Cancer UK, and industry partners. Active in biomarker discovery and clinical trial collaborations.

Labs & Teams: Leading research within the Centre for Cancer Immunology and collaborating with the Bioinformatics and Genomics Institute and Institute of Developmental Sciences. Key collaborators include Professors Mark Cragg, Graham Packham, and Francesco Forconi.