Infection & Microbiome
Globally, infection is one of the leading causes of cancer, especially in the developing world where it is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths. Developing novel approaches which enable researchers to pinpoint the mechanisms by which viruses and bacteria are involved in the establishment, growth and spread of cancer is the subject of intense study in Oxford. This research is critical in informing vaccination and public health policy for better understood pathogens (e.g. HPV and cervical cancer). In addition, improving the understanding of interactions between digestive tract commensal bacteria (microbiome) and tumours is likely to have significant implications for how we prevent, detect and treat a range of cancers.