Pioneering breast cancer research in Newcastle

Every day in Newcastle, world-class scientists, clinicians, and researchers are working together to transform how we detect, treat, and defeat breast cancer. Based in the heart of the North East, our mission is to turn laboratory discoveries into lifesaving treatments.

By combining the academic excellence of Newcastle University with the world-class clinical facilities of the Northern Centre for Breast Research at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, we are shaping the future of breast cancer care globally while directly improving lives locally.

Driving Innovation in Breast Imaging

Dr Simon Lowes | Director of the Northern Centre for Breast Research
As a Consultant Breast Radiologist and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University, Dr Lowes’ research focuses on optimizing advanced imaging across the entire cancer pathway. Recently named the prestigious Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) Roentgen Professor for 2026, he is a driving force behind establishing Newcastle and Gateshead as national leaders in breast screening and pre-clinical radiology research.
Dr Serena Virdi | NBIA Academic Fellow
Working under the supervision of Dr Lowes, Dr Virdi is a clinical academic fellow pursuing her MD with Newcastle University. Her vital research focuses on improving how we monitor patient response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (treatment given before surgery). By combining local clinical studies with national surveys, her work aims to establish standardised UK guidelines, ensuring every patient receives a highly consistent, tailored treatment plan.

Targeting the breast cancer 'sugar code' to treat cancer that has spread

A major focus of our laboratory science is stopping secondary breast cancer from spreading, particularly to the skeleton. When breast cancer migrates to the bones, it can cause severe pain and becomes far more complex to treat.

Dr Jennifer Munkley | Leader of the Cancer Glycobiology Research Group
As a Group Leader and Principal Investigator at Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Dr Munkley’s research focuses on pioneering the field of glycobiology to discover new treatments for cancer. Jennifer is a driving force behind decoding how altered sugar molecules (glycans) coat cancer cells, helping them hide from the immune system and spread to other sites in the body. She leads several translational research projects aimed at developing new 'sugar' targeting therapies for cancer that has spread to bone.
Dr Kirsty Hodgson | Research Fellow at Newcastle University
Breakthrough discoveries often come from looking across the wider landscape of oncology, and we are proud to work with Dr Kirsty Hodgson, who holds a CRIS Cancer–PCF Young Investigator Award for her innovative work investigating therapeutic targets to tackle metastatic prostate cancer.
Dr Nicoll Matthews | Research Associate at Newcastle University. As a Research Associate within the NTBCG, Nicoll leads research for our Breast Cancer Now and Prostate Cancer Research Bone Metastasis collaboration fund project. She is investigating new ways to target the tumour glyco-code to activate the immune system to treat breast and prostate cancer that has spread to bone.

Translating Discoveries into life-saving treatments

Building upon our work with cancer glycan biology, our latest postgraduate research projects focus on unlocking earlier detection methods and tackling healthcare disparities through highly targeted medicine.

Developing a New Blood Test to Diagnose Breast Cancer

Libby Blencoe (PhD Researcher) is developing a revolutionary, non-invasive glycosylation-based blood test to improve early breast cancer diagnosis. Current diagnostic pathways can be invasive and emotionally taxing for patients. By tracking specific, subtle molecular signals circulating in the blood, Libby's project aims to create a rapid, reliable screening tool to catch breast cancer early and improve long-term patient survival rates.

Targeting Glycans in Black Breast Cancer

Temi Thompson (PhD Researcher) is decoding how glycans change on cancer cells to engineer targeted treatments specifically for Black breast cancer patients. Black women are disproportionately affected by breast cancer, with greater diagnosis of aggressive and late-stage cancers, higher rates of hard-to-treat triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and increased mortality rates compared to other ethnic groups. The gap in breast cancer incidence and outcomes in Black women is complex and multifactorial and more research is needed to address this devastating racial disparity. Temi's research aims to exploit the tumour glyco-code to develop novel targeted therapies that will specifically benefit Black women with breast cancer

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