Dr Vinton Cheng BSc MBBS MRCP PGDip DPhil

Associate Clinical Professor/Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology:

• DPhil in Oncology, University of Oxford 2019
• MRCP (Medical Oncology), 2015
• PGDip in Health Research, University of Leeds, 2013
• MBBS, Queen Mary University of London, 2009
• BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, 2006

After graduating from medical school, Dr Cheng joined the Academic Foundation Programme in the North West Deanery. He undertook a 4 month research post in Respiratory Medicine, where he participated in a clinical study to collect exhaled volatile organic compounds in breath samples for early diagnosis of lung cancer and a qualitative study to design a diagnostic tool for vocal cord dysfunction. Following completion of foundation training, Dr Cheng progressed to an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. Here, he joined the Translational Neuro-oncology group, initially headed by Dr Sean Lawler (now Associate Professor at Brown University, USA) then by Professor Susan Short (Professor of Clinical Oncology and Neuro-Oncology), at the Leeds Institute of Medical Research. During his ACF, he studied the microRNA profile of glioblastoma (GBM) and also GBM invasion using 3D tumour spheroid models.

For his higher research training Dr Cheng joined the CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology where as a Clinical Research Training Fellow, under the supervision of Professor Nicola Sibson (Professor of Imaging Neuroscience) and Professor Mark Middleton (Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine), he studied the interaction between VCAM-1 and VLA-4 for the molecular imaging of brain metastasis and as a strategy to prevent metastatic seeding of cancer in the brain. 

On completion of his DPhil, Dr Cheng returned to Leeds to take up an Academic Clinical Lectureship and Honorary Specialty Registrar position. Through funding by CRUK and in collaboration with Dr Mihaela Lorger (Associate Professor), he investigated the pre-metastatic vascular niche in the brain to better understand why certain cancers, such as breast cancer, have a higher tendency to spread to this organ. During the Clinical Lectureship, he also undertook a project funded by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation in the Focused Ultrasound (FUS) group at the University of Virginia, USA. Working as a Visiting Scholar under the supervision of Professor Richard Price (Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences) and Professor Tim Bullock (Professor of Pathology), he investigated the utility of image guided-FUS to enhance immunotherapy response again melanoma brain metastasis.

After the ACL, Dr Cheng briefly worked as a Locum Consultant in Medical Oncology (breast/neuro) in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, before his current position as Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Birmingham. At Birmingham, his aim is to develop a novel therapeutic platform study that will build on the Tessa Jowell BRAIN MATRIX study led by Professor Colin Watts (Professor of Neurosurgery). He also aims to establish a greater presence of medical oncologists in brain tumour care and he contributes to the Genomics Tumour Advisory Board to deliver precision medicine for adult brain tumour patients.

Dr Cheng is happy to be contacted about any PhD opportunities. Please email Dr Cheng a copy of your CV and a covering letter outlining your research interests.

Dr Cheng is actively involved in mentoring clinical trainees and medical students.

Research Interests

1. Systemic therapy clinical trials in adult (primary and metastatic) brain tumour patients
2. Focused ultrasound for blood-brain barrier opening and enhancing immunotherapy
3. Biology of the brain tumour invasive margin and the pre-metastatic niche
4. Pre-clinical (in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo) models of brain tumours
5. Interdisciplinary techniques to study and deliver brain tumour care
6. Observational studies in primary and metastatic brain cancer patients

• Google Scholar Profile
• Research Gate Profile 
• Researcher ID Profile

Current Roles:

• Editorial Scholar, Society of Neuro-Oncology (2023 – present)
• UKRI Talent Peer Review College (PRC) member (2023 – present)
• Co-Principal Investigator: PROgesterone as a Steroid SParing agent against oEdema occurring with secondary bRain cancers. EME Award (NIHR130966) (CIs: Prof Chris Twelves, Mr Paul Chumas) (2022 – present)
• Senior Board member for British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Students (2022 – present)

Previous Roles:

• Member, NCRI Breast CSG Working Group 1 (Precision medicine) (2022 – 2023)
• Michael Beverley Innovation Fellow, University of Leeds (2020 – 2021)
• Trainee member, Screening, Prevention and Early Diagnosis (SPED) Advisory Group, National Cancer Research Institute (2018 – 2022)
• Trainee Lead for PRIMROSE: A BCTRCG prospective study of treatment and outcomes related to CNS disease secondary to breast cancer in the UK (2018 – 2022)
• Co-chair, Breast Cancer Trainee Research Collaborative Group (BCTRCG), NCRI Breast Cancer CSG (2018 – 2021)
• NCRI SPED Proposal Guidance panel member (2021)
• Doctor volunteer, Patient Liaison Group, British Medical Association (2017 – 2020)
• NCRI Multidisciplinary Proposal Guidance panel (2020)
• Emerging Clinical Leaders Network (eCLN) member, North West Deanery (2010 – 2011)

Innovation:

• Merck 350^th Anniversary Innovation Cup participant, Team Open Innovation, Darmstadt, Germany (2018)
• University of Oxford IT Innovation Challenge Award: ConnectOx project (2016)
• Project manager of BioStars (Oxford Biotech flagship bioentrepreneurship programme and business proposal competition) (2016)

Leadership:

• Oxford Global Leadership Initiative, The Oxford Character Project (2016)

Public Engagement:

• GRASP at ASCO2023 (2023)
• GRASP at SABCS22 (2022)
• GRASP Choice Award (Patient/public communication) (2021)
• Prostate Cancer UK Undergraduate Conference (2021)
• Otley Science Fair (2018)
• CRUK Oxford Centre Open Day (2017)