Cambridge researchers awarded £700k as charity launches £70 million strategy to beat blood cancer
South East
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have been awarded two research fellowships as Blood Cancer UK launches a bold new strategy to invest £70 million in life-saving research over the next five years.
Blood cancer researchers, Dr William Hamilton and Dr Nisha Narayan have each been award a total of £350K through the charity’s Early Career Advancement Fellowship programme.
Dr Hamilton’s research will focus on people at risk of severe infections following CAR-T cell therapy, whilst Dr Narayan’s research is about understanding why some patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) see their cancer return.
CAR T-cell therapy is a new type of blood cancer treatment that uses the immune system to kill cancer cells. In some cases, it has cured people where all other treatments have failed. It works by taking some T-cells (blood cells that help to protect you from infection and disease) out of your blood, genetically modifying them in a lab so they are much better at finding and killing cancer cells and then putting them back into your blood to fight the cancer.
In the project Dr Hamilton will follow 100 patients who have received CAR-T cell therapy to treat lymphoma, mapping how changes to the microorganisms in their gut and respiratory tract influence infection risk. His goal is to find better ways to prevent, detect, and treat infections in a way that’s more tailored to each person’s needs.
Dr Will Hamilton
Meanwhile, Dr Narayan is hoping to drive a breakthrough in AML treatment using cellular barcoding to monitor individual leukaemia stem cells.
Blood cancer is the UK’s third largest cancer killer and survival from acute myeloid leukaemia is shockingly low. But Dr Narayan’s work to identify which cells survive treatment and cause relapse, will help guide the design of smarter therapies that she hopes will stop AML from returning.
Dr Nisha Narayan
Dr Nisha Narayan, University of Cambridge said:
“It’s truly a privilege to be awarded the Blood Cancer UK Early Career Advancement Fellowship. The award will help me perform critical research seeking to understand and combat treatment resistance to emerging therapies in patients with AML. This research will allow us to design better and less toxic treatment strategies for patients with AML, prevent disease relapse and achieve durable remission. It is exciting to undertake this research in collaboration with Blood Cancer UK, whose fantastic commitment to improving outcomes for patients affected by blood cancer I very much share.”
The announcement comes as Blood Cancer UK reveals its new research strategy, which sets out an ambitious plan to accelerate progress through investment in prevention, early detection, and better treatments. The charity’s goal is clear: to ensure that no one dies from their blood cancer or its treatment.
Dr Richard Francis, Deputy Director of Research at Blood Cancer UK said:
“The University of Cambridge is a hub of blood cancer research. These fellowships reflect our commitment to supporting the next generation of scientific leaders. Our goal is simple but urgent; no one should die from their blood cancer or its treatment. We’ve backed 468 researchers so far and by giving early career researchers like Dr Hamilton and Dr Narayan the support and freedom to lead bold, patient-focused projects, we’re investing in the people that will help us beat blood cancer sooner.”
