What did you do before starting your DPhil?
Before embarking on my DPhil, I studied as a medical student at the University of Oxford. It was during my undergraduate degree that I was first introduced to research, working on a phase I clinical trial for a novel plague vaccine. Although intercalating a DPhil within my medical training is the road less travelled, it is also an invaluable step towards my aspiration of becoming an academic clinician, where I hope to incorporate clinical insights to deliver meaningful research for patients.
Why did you want to work in Cancer Research?
During my medical studies, I became particularly fascinated by both cancer biology and immunology, making immuno-oncology a natural research focus for me. Coinciding with a time my family was affected by cancer, as so many are, these scientific and personal influences continue to motivate my commitment to cancer research.
What attracted you to the DPhil in Cancer Science with Oxford Cancer?
The DPhil in Cancer Science programme stood out for its ease of integration with clinical training, generous funding, and supportive structure, enabling me to fully pursue my research ambitions. Oxford Cancer also fosters a highly collaborative environment I am fortunate to be a part of. For example, in the recent Onco-Innovation Sandpit initiative, I worked within my cohort to develop a research proposal targeting ‘dark genome’ cancer signals for immune recognition, winning £10,000 in pump-prime funding.
Tell us a little about your DPhil Project
My DPhil project investigates the interplay between the immune system and tumour evolution in ovarian cancer. A key focus is ascites, a pathological fluid accumulating in the abdomen in advanced disease - unfortunately when most patients present. My research therefore involves deeply phenotyping the ascites cellular compartment alongside that of tumour tissue, and how these are shaped by treatment. In parallel, my project also examines the antigens presented by tumour cells within these respective environments i.e. those targets visible to and recognised by the immune system. By integrating these approaches, my work aims to reveal how immune pressures across these sites influence tumour cell evolution, immune evasion, and persistence.
I am based within the Centre for Immuno-Oncology, a rapidly growing department where we emphasise sharing of knowledge through weekly seminars, collaboration, and both a supportive and social environment.
What do you think are the potential implications of this work for patients?
Persisting as the deadliest gynaecological malignancy yet equipped with limited treatment options, there is a pressing need to better understand the tumour-immune microenvironments characterising ovarian cancer. By dissecting how immune factors relate to and influence progression, relapse, and responses to therapy, my work has the potential to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers, as well as actionable tumour antigens to inform the development of next-generation immunotherapeutics.
Find out more about the DPhil in Cancer Science on our study pages.
