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Cancer research UK has awarded Dr Stephen Royle from the University of Liverpool a prestigious Senior Cancer Research Fellowship** as part of a series of grants given to new investigators to help them on their way towards becoming tomorrow’s research leaders.
The award is part of a £11 million investment by the charity that will fund seven of the UK’s brightest minds in establishing or developing their own independent research groups, attempting to find answers to some of the most fundamental problems in cancer.
Human cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes containing our genes – the instructions that tell cells what to do. Dr Royle and his colleagues are studying how cells make sure that each daughter cell receives one copy of each pair of chromosomes when they divide. Faults in this process can lead to cancer, because cells end up with the wrong number of genes.
Dr Royle’s work will focus on spindles – little machines that cells build for themselves each time they divide. As the cell splits into two, the spindle helps ensure that both cells receive the correct number of chromosomes, so they’re crucial for successful cell division.
The Royle lab is studying the tiny fibres that make up part of the spindle. They’ve already developed sophisticated ways to study these fibres in minute detail and find out what they’re made of, and how they work. This research will help answer questions about how cancer develops, and could also pave the way for new ways of treating patients.
Dr Royle said: “This Fellowship means a great deal to the research my lab is doing. We work on the mechanisms of cell division and how it goes awry in cancer. I will be free from administration and teaching responsibilities to allow me to focus 100 per cent on this important scientific problem for six years. My group have made good progress to date and we look forward to more exciting discoveries in the future.”
Dr David Scott, Cancer Research UK’s director of science funding, said: “With the promise of new targeted treatments on the horizon and progress in immunotherapy now picking up pace, it’s an incredibly exciting time to be involved in cancer research. Investing in the next generation of cancer researchers is crucial if we are to continue the tremendous progress in beating cancer. We’re delighted to be supporting these seven researchers in forging their careers in this important field.”
