Sam Behjati

Sam Behjati is a Clinical Professor of Paediatric Oncology at the University of Cambridge and a Group Leader & Wellcome Senior Research Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. He serves as an Honorary Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital and leads research at the intersection of Cellular Genetics and Cancer programs. His work focuses on understanding the developmental origins of childhood cancers through innovative genomic approaches.

Dr. Behjati's research interests center on unraveling the identity and origin of cancer cells, with particular emphasis on childhood cancers. His team combines cutting-edge single cell transcriptomics with cancer genomics to understand normal human development and how developmental processes relate to disease. They investigate the precise cellular origins of tumors, matching transcriptomic profiles of diseased cells with normal tissues, and identifying clinically relevant features of disease transcriptomes. This work has significant implications for understanding the developmental nature of childhood cancers and improving diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Analysis of Dr. Behjati's recent publications reveals a strong focus on childhood cancers, particularly Wilms tumor, with extensive work on single-cell transcriptomics, somatic mutation analysis, and developmental origins of cancer. His research spans multiple disciplines including cancer genomics, developmental biology, and pediatric oncology, with consistent contributions to understanding the molecular basis of childhood tumors.

• Royal Society Crick Medal and Lecture
• Foulkes Foundation Academy of Medical Sciences Medal
• Pezcoller Foundation-EACR Rising Star Award
• EMBO Young Investigator
• Liddy Shriver Early Research Award | Connective Tissue Oncology Society
• Dr Simon Newell Early Career Investigator of the Year (Sparks) award
• Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists
• Wellcome Intermediate Clinical Fellowship
• Robert J. Arceci Innovation Award | St. Baldrick's Foundation
• Donald Paterson Prize | Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

Dr. Behjati leads the Behjati Group at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, which is part of both the Cellular Genomics and Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation programmes. His team applies single-cell techniques to understand normal human development and its relationship to disease, with a particular focus on childhood cancers. The group collaborates extensively with external partners including Wellcome, St Baldrick's Foundation, and the Little Princess Trust, and contributes to major initiatives like the Human Cell Atlas.