معرفی
Professor Owen Sansom is Director of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow, where he leads the Colorectal Cancer and Wnt Signalling research group. His work focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying colorectal cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis using state-of-the-art preclinical models.
His educational background includes a PhD from the University of Edinburgh (2002), MRes in Biology from the University of Manchester (1997), and BSc in Genetics (First Class Honours) from the University of Nottingham (1996). Prior to his current role as Director (since 2017), he served as Deputy Director of the CRUK Beatson Institute (2011-2017) and has been a Group Leader at the institute since 2005.
Professor Sansom's research interests center on colorectal cancer biology, particularly Wnt signaling pathways, cancer stem cells, and therapeutic resistance mechanisms. His lab utilizes genetically engineered mouse models to investigate how key driver mutations contribute to cancer development and response to therapy. He is particularly interested in developing stage- and subtype-specific targeted therapies for colorectal cancer patients.
His recent publications reveal significant trends in colorectal cancer research, with strong emphasis on cellular plasticity, tumor heterogeneity, metabolic reprogramming, and the tumor microenvironment. His work spans molecular mechanisms, preclinical models, and translational applications, with particular focus on WNT-dependent colorectal cancer, therapeutic vulnerabilities, and metastasis mechanisms.
- Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (2017)
- CRUK Future Leaders in Cancer Research Prize (2012)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2012)
- BACR/AstraZeneca Young Scientist Frank Rose Award (2007)
Professor Sansom actively mentors numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in his lab, supervising projects related to colorectal cancer biology, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. His research is supported by multiple funding sources including Cancer Research UK, industry partnerships with Novartis, and participation in major cancer consortia such as ACRCelerate, CRUK Grand Challenge Rosetta, and CRUK Grand Challenge SpecifiCancer.
His lab operates as part of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, where they utilize advanced preclinical models, organoid culture systems, and multi-omics approaches to investigate colorectal cancer biology. The team includes bioinformaticians, postdoctoral scientists, clinical research fellows, and graduate students working collaboratively on various aspects of colorectal cancer research.
