Shay Melamed

Dr. Shay Melamed serves as a College Research Associate at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, holding the prestigious Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Fellowship. She conducts research at both the Gurdon Institute and Cambridge Stem Cell Institute under joint supervision of Prof. Benjamin Simons (Gurdon Institute) and Dr. Maria Alcolea (Cambridge Stem Cell Institute).

Her research specializes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanobiology of early epithelial tumours, investigating how ECM remodelling influences tumour cell behavior and microenvironment interactions during cancer initiation and early progression. This work bridges cancer biology, mechanotransduction, and tissue engineering to uncover fundamental mechanisms with potential therapeutic applications.

Her primary recognition includes:

• Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Fellowship

Dr. Melamed contributes to the interdisciplinary research ecosystem at Cambridge, collaborating across institutes to advance understanding of early tumour dynamics through innovative approaches in cellular mechanobiology and microenvironment analysis.