Tom Bird

Professor Tom Bird is a Reader at the University of Edinburgh and Group Leader of the Liver Cancer, Disease and Regeneration group at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute (formerly The Beatson Institute). He also serves as an Honorary Consultant Hepatologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Scottish Liver Transplant Unit. His research bridges clinical practice with fundamental science to address critical challenges in liver cancer treatment and regeneration.

Education:

• 2015: Certificate of completion of training: Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• 2012: Specialty Certificate, Gastroenterology, Royal College of Physicians
• 2011: PhD, Liver Regeneration by Hepatic Progenitor Cells, University of Edinburgh
• 2005: MRCP, Medicine, Royal College of Physicians
• 2003: MA, Physiological Sciences, Oxford University
• 2002: BM BCh, Medicine, Oxford University
• 1999: BA (1st Class), Physiological Sciences, Oxford University

Professor Bird's research focuses on understanding liver regeneration mechanisms and cellular senescence in liver disease. His team has pioneered genetically engineered models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that mimic human disease progression, enabling identification of novel therapeutic pathways. They investigate how hepatocytes enter senescence in response to injury and how this state can be targeted in early cancer formation. Recent work explores precision medicine approaches for liver cancer treatment based on tumor characteristics.

Analysis of Prof. Bird's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on precision oncology for liver cancer, with significant work on cellular senescence mechanisms, genetically engineered models of HCC, and the development of targeted therapies. His research increasingly integrates multi-omics approaches and advanced imaging techniques to understand liver regeneration and tumor microenvironment dynamics, with several findings directly impacting clinical trial design.

Scientific Awards:

• UEG Rising Star award, 2019
• Francis Avery Jones Medal Winner, 2019
• Andy Burroughs Young Investigator Award, 2015
• British Society of Gastroenterology: Young Gastroenterologist of the Year, 2015
• Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellowship, 2015

Prof. Bird leads a robust research program with multiple funding sources including Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK. He has supervised numerous students and postdoctoral researchers, with many pursuing academic careers. His laboratory team includes Principal Scientific Officers, Research Scientists, and PhD students working collaboratively on various aspects of liver cancer biology. He serves as Conference and Education lead for HCC-UK and participates in multiple steering committees.

The Bird Lab at CRUK Scotland Institute comprises a multidisciplinary team including Principal Scientific Officer Stephanie May, several Research Scientists (Fiona Chalmers, Anastasia Georgakopoulou, Megan Quince, George Skalka, Toshi Suzuki, Kyi Lai Yin Swe, Danis Thomas), and PhD student Clara Mullen. The lab utilizes genetically engineered mouse models, molecular biology techniques, and bioinformatics to investigate liver cancer mechanisms and potential therapies.