Brain cancer remains one of the most challenging areas in oncology, demanding innovative approaches and collaborative research to improve patient outcomes. At Cardiff, our research teams are committed to transforming the landscape of brain cancer treatment by exploring the complexities of the tumour microenvironment and pioneering new therapeutic strategies. The following mission and strategy statements outline our vision and the collaborative framework driving our efforts to make meaningful advances in brain cancer research and care.
Mission statement
Our vision is to advance understanding of the brain tumour microenvironment and translating that knowledge to develop new and more effective brain cancer treatments that improve outcomes for patients.
Cardiff’s brain cancer research groups focus on understanding how brain cancer cells resist conventional therapies, how they interact with astrocytes and immune cells in the tumour microenvironment, and on developing novel imaging approaches to investigate the brain tumour microenvironment in patients. We develop new approaches to predicting how patient tumours respond to conventional therapies, treating brain cancers through advanced virotherapies, enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapies, and delivering therapeutics to the brain.
Strategy statement
We will deliver our vision through our interdisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians, and professionals who are closely collaborating to advance understanding of therapeutic targets in the brain tumour microenvironment and to develop new therapies against these targets. Our research groups are linked through the Brain Tumour Multidisciplinary Research Group which is supported by the Wales Cancer Research Centre, and part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. We will deliver new therapies through collaborations with Cardiff’s Advanced NeuroTherapies Centre, Experimental Cancer Medicines Centre and the Clinical Trials Unit.
Affiliated research groups
Dr Florian Siebzehnrubl – Astroglia Cell Biology
Dr Mathew Clement – T cells in glioblastoma
Further links
Cancer Research Wales Brain Tumour Research Initiative
Advanced NeuroTherapies Centre
South Wales Neuro-oncology Centre/ Velindre Cancer Centre / Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission
Brain tumour Multi-Disciplinary Research Group