Dr Douglas Ward

Dr Douglas Ward

Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences
Senior Research Fellow
Bladder Cancer Research Centre (BCRC) Theme Lead for Biomarkers & Proteomics

Contact details

Address
Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences
Robert Aitken Institute for Clinical Research
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Doug is a Senior Research Fellow leading the laboratory research into biomarkers at the Bladder Cancer Research Centre. His group’s research spans all aspects of tissue and liquid biopsy biomarkers - from initial candidate discovery though to validation and translation into clinical use.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Protein Biochemistry, University of Leicester 1997 
  • BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences, University of Leicester 1991

Biography

Doug spent the early part of his career using biophysical techniques to investigate protein structure and function. This led to an interest in mass spectrometry-based proteomics which evolved into utilising proteomic technologies to study bladder cancer, and the resultant identification of prognostic protein biomarkers.  Next generation sequencing has now become a key technology for DNA and RNA-based biomarker research and his group have recently developed, validated and commercialised a test based on targeted sequencing of urine DNA for the non-invasive detection of bladder cancer (“GALEAS-Bladder”).

Teaching

  • Biomedical Science BSc  Years 1&2 - Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Cancer and Stratified Medicine, Cancer: Causes to Cures
  • Genomic Medicine - MSc/Diploma/Certificate  - Omic techniques
  • Biomedical Science MSci Year 4 – Omic techniques 
  • MBChB Year 2 - Cancer

Postgraduate supervision

Currently 5 lab based PhD students.

Research

  • Evaluating the clinical utility of GALEAS Bladder
  • Further developing DNA and RNA based biomarkers in liquid biopsies for bladder cancer
  • Molecular understanding of bladder cancer through multi-omic approaches including long-read sequencing
  • Developing novel technologies for point of care biomarker testing