Dr Shalini Rao and Dr Gianluca Mucciolo have been awarded Career Foundation Fellowships by Pancreatic Cancer UK (PCUK) to drive forward the research breakthroughs of pancreatic cancer
Both based at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Dr Shalini Rao from Jayson Carroll’s Group and Dr Gianluca Mucciolo from Giulia Biffi’s Group have been awarded PCUK fellowships to work on projects aimed at earlier detection and improved treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Recognising that pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed too late, Shalini’s research focuses on understanding the biological changes that occur in the very early stage of disease. By identifying new proteins in the blood and gaining insights into early-stage biological processes, her findings could contribute to the development of new blood tests for early detection as well as more effective treatments. Click here to learn more about Shalini’s project.
In contrast to early detection, the majority of pancreatic cancer patients are currently diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other places in the body, a process known as metastases. Gianluca’s research focuses on tackling the advance pancreatic cancer by studying cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). By understanding how CAFs protect cancer cells from treatments, his findings could lead to more effective therapies and improve survival outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients. Click here to learn more about Gianluca’s project.