Professor Ketan Patel appointed Chief Scientist at Cancer Research UK
Professor Patel (KJ) will provide scientific leadership for the charity’s activities and ambitions, and he joins at an important time following the launch of the organisation’s new long-term strategy earlier this year that puts discovery science at the heart of its work. This includes a key focus on making discoveries that unlock new and better ways to beat cancer, and translating scientific discoveries into interventions that benefit everyone.
Alongside his new role at Cancer Research UK, KJ will continue working as Director of the MRC Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine and the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at the University of Oxford.
Professor Patel commented:
'I’m proud to be joining an organisation that is so close to my heart and can’t wait to get started. Cancer Research UK has supported research that I’ve done throughout my career, as well as some of the scientific breakthroughs that I’ve made in my lab, and I’ve always been impressed by the incredibly talented people that work at the organisation.
'Cancer Research UK has been at the forefront of key discoveries that have saved lives over the past 120 years and our industry’s understanding of cancer has improved greatly over the past decade alone. Cancer remains one of the world’s greatest health challenges, but with new technologies, global networks, and new ways of thinking about cancer, I’m optimistic about what we can achieve in the future.'
Professor Patel is a Supernumerary Fellow of St John’s and is Fellow for Ethnic Minorities.