Cancer Genome Project
Cancer Genetics & Genomics
Cancer is caused by the genetic changes acquired by our cells as we go through life. We use cutting-edge DNA sequencing methods to identify these genetic changes, known as mutations, from human cancer samples. Our aim is to discover the genes that are frequently mutated in tumours, since these provide important insights into the biology of cancer. We also study the patterns of mutations we see in cancer cells. These patterns represent a record of the cancer’s life history, and can illustrate the damaging factors the genome has been exposed to as the cancer has evolved from a normal cell.
Our people
Group leads

Professor Sir Mike Stratton, FMedSci FRS
Senior Group Leader
Mike Stratton is a Senior Group Leader in the Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation Programme. His primary research interests have been in the genetics of cancer. His early research focused on inherited susceptibility. Mike mapped and identified the major high-risk breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 and subsequently a series of moderate-risk breast cancer and other cancer susceptibility genes.

Dr Peter Campbell
Head of Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, and Senior Group Leader
Peter Campbell's research programme focuses on the genetic changes our cells acquire as we go through life, and how these mutations are related to ageing, cancer and other disease processes.
Core team

Elizabeth Anderson
Scientific Manager

Dr Kathryn Beal
Senior Software Developer

Mr Shriram G Bhosle
Principal Software Developer

Dr Aikaterini Chatzipli
Postdoctoral Fellow

Calli Latimer
Project Coordinator

Emily Mitchell
PhD Student

Laura O'Neill
Scientific Manager

Rebecca Shepherd
Senior Bioinformatician
Previous team members

Dr Nicos Angelopoulos
Senior Staff Scientist

Graham Bignell
Senior Staff Scientist

Dr Simon Forbes
Head of COSMIC

Dr Anthony Fullam
Postdoctoral Fellow

Stephen J Gamble
Research Assistant

Dominik Glodzik
Postdoctoral Fellow

Angela Macharia
Project Manager

Dr Ultan McDermott
Honorary Faculty and Former Group Leader

Mr Stuart McLaren
Project Manager

Dr Tibor Nagy
Senior Bioinformatician

Stanley Ng
Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Serena Nik-Zainal
CRUK Advanced Clinician Scientist and Former Wellcome Sanger Institute Group Leader

Nikita Patel
Research Assistant

Mia Petljak
Former Postdoctoral Fellow at the Sanger Institute

Nicola D Roberts
Former PhD Student at the Sanger Institute

Lucy A Stebbings
Principal Bioinformatician
Related groups
Partners
We work with the following groups