My Breakthrough
Scientific advisory committee
The Scientific Advisory Committee provides independent expert advice on the quality of the research that Breakthrough Breast Cancer funds.
Made up of internationally renowned scientists and clinicians, the Scientific Advisory Committee ensures that Breakthrough’s research programmes are of the highest quality and bring added value within the broader context of cancer research in the UK and around the world. The quality of research is primarily assessed through formal reviews or 'site visits' that take place every five years. At site visits, the Scientific Advisory Committee assess the quality of the work that has been completed in the past five years and also judges the quality of the work proposed for the next five years.
Breakthrough is privileged to have the following scientists and clinicians on its Scientific Advisory Committee.
Professor Nancy E. Hynes
Breakthrough is delighted to have Professor Hynes as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee. Professor Hynes is based at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland. Professor Hynes’ research has significantly contributed towards understanding the mechanisms underlying the cell surface receptor, ErbB2 (HER2), which is amplified in nearly 25% of primary human breast tumours. Her research also involves developing cancer therapies to target this receptor.
Professor René Bernards
Professor Bernards is Head of the Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Professor Bernards’ research focuses on the application of innovative functional genomics tools to identify novel genes that have a role in the biology of cancer. Professor Bernards work was instrumental in the discovery of a distinctive ‘ poor prognosis’ gene expression signature in breast cancer patients that has huge implications for how patients are diagnosed. Professor Bernards has received several awards during his career and is also a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dr Mina J. Bissell
Dr Bissell is a pioneer in the role of the extracellular matrix and microenvironment in the regulation of tissue-specific function, with particular emphasis on breast cancer, where she has changed several established paradigms. Dr Bissell currently holds the position of Distinguished Scientist in Life Sciences at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – University of California, USA. Dr Bissell has received numerous honours, including the Pezcoller Foundation AACR International Award for Cancer Research the INSERM Foreign Scientist of the year in 2007 and the Excellence in Science Award from FASEB (2008). This year she had an award named after her (Mina J. Bissell award) in Portugal. Dr Bissell has authored more than 280 scientific publications and is a member of 5 international scientific boards as well as on the editorial board of many scientific journals, including Science magazine.
Professor Adrian L Harris
Professor Harris is the Cancer Research UK Professor of Clinical Oncology in the University of Oxford. He is Director of the Cancer Research UK Molecular Oncology Laboratories at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine. He is also Head of the Medical Oncology Research Team that provides research based treatments integrated with NHS care at the CRUK Medical Oncology Unit on the Churchill Hospital site. His clinical research interests include breast cancer, melanoma, and renal cancer; he is involved in trials of antiangiogenesis therapy, signal blockade inhibitors and immunotherapy. Laboratory interests include angiogenesis and the role of hypoxia in tumour biology and as targets for therapy. Professor Harris sits on the editorial boards of several leading cancer journals (Cancer Cell, Clinical Cancer Research). He is also Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Cancer.
Professor Nick Hastie
Professor Hastie is Director of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh. In 2007 Professor Hastie became Director of a new Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, a partnership between the MRC Unit, the University of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre. Throughout his outstanding career, Professor Hastie has contributed hugely to the knowledge of exactly how specific genes are implicated in human disease. Professor Hastie currently works on the Wilms’ tumour suppressor gene which has a link to childhood kidney cancer. In recognition of his work, Professor Hastie was awarded a CBE in the 2006 Queens Birthday Honours List and has just been awarded the Genetics Society Medal for 2008.
Dr C Kent Osborne
Dr Osborne is Director of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center and the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicines in Houston, Texas, USA. He is professor of medicine and cellular and structural biology and holds the Tina and Dudley Sharp Chair in Oncology. Dr Osborne’s research interests have focused on the biology and treatment of breast cancer and he is involved in several clinical trials of new biological agents. Dr Osborne has been awarded numerous honours and awards throughout his career and also sits on the editorial board for the journal Breast Cancer Research.
Professor Marc van de Vijver
Professor van de Vijver is currently Head of the department of Pathology at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam. He still has an active collaboration with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, where he was Head of both the Department of Pathology and Division of Diagnostic Oncology until 2007. Professor van de Vijver is a world-renowned pathologist whose lab is studying breast cancer, with the aim of understanding the genetics of the development of these tumours and to refine their classification for improved clinical management of breast cancer patients. Professor van de Vijver is also an associate editor of the scientific journal Breast Cancer Research.
Professor Karen Vousden
Professor Vousden is Director of The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow and prior to this was Head of the Cell Growth Regulation Laboratory at the world renowned National Cancer Institute, in Maryland, USA. Professor Vousden’s work has played a fundamental role in our understanding of the tumour suppressor protein p53 and in particular her discovery of the important regulatory role of Mdm2, an attractive target for anti-cancer agents. Professor Vousden has received many awards and honours throughout her career, including being elected as a fellow of the Royal Society in 2003, the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2004 and the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2006. Professor Vousden has also been elected as a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is also very grateful for the contribution of Professor Adrian Bird (Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh), who Chaired the Scientific Advisory Committee between 2002 – 2007 and through the first quinquennial review of the Breakthrough Research Centre in 2004.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is also very grateful for the contribution of Professor Adrian Bird (Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh), who Chaired the Scientific Advisory Committee between 2002 – 2007 and through the first quinquennial review of the Breakthrough Research Centre in 2004.
Also within "Research"
