Virtual Seminar: Dr Serena Nik-Zainal, CRUK Advanced Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Genetics at Cambridge

Date: Tuesday 20 October 2020

Time: 13.30-14.30

Place: Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86957509182?pwd=QWxsRHlGTUl3VGZJWCtnWGNMSHVQZz09

 

Abstract: Mutational signatures are the imprints of DNA damage and DNA repair processes that have been operative during tumorigenesis. They are biologically informative, reporting on the processes that have contributed to the developmental history of each patient’s cancer. In this lecture, on behalf of my team and my collaborators, I shall provide an update on the field, focusing on validation of these abstract mathematical concepts, untangling the mechanisms underpinning mutation patterns in human somatic cells, and describing the new insights that we have gained through combinations of computational analysis and experiments in cell-based systems. We showcase how mutational-signature-based clinical algorithms have been developed, describe the path taken in translating these towards medical utility and for balance, highlight some of the hurdles that need to be navigated in this type of translational research.

Biography: Serena is a CRUK Advanced Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Genetics in Cambridge, UK. Serena went to the UK as a PETRONAS scholar from Malaysia in 1993, obtaining a First in Physiology at University of Cambridge before completing her medical degree in 2000. She trained as a physician and specialized in Clinical Genetics. She undertook a PhD at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in 2009 pioneering exploration of breast cancers through whole genome sequencing (WGS).

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For further information, please contact Eva.