Director of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre receives top UK scientific accolade

Professor Alan Ashworth, Director of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, has today been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is considered to be one of the highest accolades a scientist can receive, short of a Nobel prize.

Professor Ashworth was appointed Director of the Breakthrough Research Centre, the first dedicated breast cancer research centre in Europe, in 1999 by the UK’s leading breast cancer charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

He has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his major contributions to our understanding of mammalian genetics (the field of science that looks at how traits are passed down from one generation to another, through the genes, in mammals such humans). He has uncovered how inheriting genetic faults can contribute to cancer and has gone on to use this information to develop new ways of treating cancer. Recently he has provided vital insights into how cancers can become resistant to drugs.

Professor Ashworth's achievements include

• Involved in the identification of one of the two major breast cancer genes (BRCA2) and went on to study how this gene causes cancer.



• Leading pioneering research that has led to the development of a potential new treatment, called a PARP inhibitor, for women with a type of hereditary breast cancer (currently in Phase II clinical trials). It is believed this treatment might also be applicable to other forms of breast cancer that are similar to BRCA-inherited breast cancer, and this is a key area of research in Professor Ashworth’s laboratory at the Breakthrough Research Centre.



• Groundbreaking discoveries into how some cancers become resistant to treatment, including the discovery of a completely new genetic mechanism that enables cancer cells to adapt and survive.



• Currently leading (with Professor Anthony Swerdlow at The Institute of Cancer Research) the world’s most comprehensive study to investigate the causes of breast cancer – the Breakthrough Generations Study, a 40 year study involving 100,000 women.

Professor Ashworth said;

“I am thrilled to be elected by my peers as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This honour reflects the hard work of many people in my lab. I also want to thank Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Cancer Research UK for funding my work over the past 25 years.”

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer said:

“We, and all of our supporters, are delighted and extremely proud that Professor Ashworth, who is such an eminent scientist, has become a Fellow of the Royal Society. It highlights the quality of work taking place at the Breakthrough Research Centre under his Directorship. Alan is leading the way in understanding how to develop and tailor treatments for women with breast cancer to give them the best possible outcome.”

Professor Ashworth's background

Professor Alan Ashworth was born in Bolton, Lancashire in 1960. He studied for his BSc in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Imperial College, London, before completing his PhD in Biochemistry at University College, London. Since 1986, he has worked in the Chester Beatty Laboratories at The Institute of Cancer Research in London. He was appointed Director of the Breakthrough Research Centre on 1 August 1999.

In addition to his role as Director of the Breakthrough Research Centre, Professor Alan Ashworth is an elected member of EMBO and the Academy of Medical Sciences. Each year, Professor Ashworth is invited to speak at numerous scientific conferences, giving plenary and key-note lectures on his research developments.

Professor Ashworth is also on the Scientific Advisory Board for a variety of other research organisations including Breast Cancer Haven, Cancéropôle Lyon Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at Queen’s University, Belfast and a number of companies, including Almac Diagnostics and London Genetics.

The Royal Society

44 scientists, including Professor Alan Ashworth have been elected today as new Fellows of the Royal Society. Previous Fellows include famous scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.

The Royal Society is the world's oldest scientific academy in continuous existence, and has been at the forefront of enquiry and discovery since its foundation in 1660. The backbone of the Society is its Fellowship of the most eminent scientists of the day. There are currently more than 60 Nobel Laureates amongst the Society's approximately 1400 Fellows and Foreign Members from all areas of science.

For more information visit royalsociety.org.