Lab on the Move

In 2009 the Institute for Women's Health was identified by an international committee as the UK's flagship Institute for research into women's health; with modern facilities for investigating cancer biomarkers, access to a wide range of cancer-relevant expertise and an infrastructure that supports large clinical cancer trials like the Diet & Lifestyle Study.

Honorary Senior Lecturer in Surgery at UCL, Dr Anthony Leathem, retired from his post in October 2009 but continues to be actively involved with the research team. His successor Louiza Velentzis has a background in biochemistry research, a first class degree from King's College, London, and has run the Diet & Lifestyle Study for over five years. Louiza now supervises the research team and welcomes newest members, Hannah Lomax-Browne and Babak Afrough, who are post-doctoral researchers.

Supported by data from the charity's own Diet & Lifestyle study, the research team will be working collaboratively to show how external influences on DNA may affect the development of cancer. Fresh fundraising will hopefully support the creation of a new immunology group dedicated to this important area of research.