I am Dr Lindsey Compton from the School of Biosciences. My research involves developing methods for unravelling the genetic basis of complex traits. This involves studying how individuals vary on many levels, including variations in their genetic makeup and in the activity levels of every gene in the cell.
We are using DNA sequencing to collect detailed molecular profiles from lung cancer patients to discover the spectrum of abnormalities that distinguish lung tumours from healthy tissue. We are developing methods to connect the different levels of variation and discover the key mechanisms driving lung cancer. This is important because lung cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer.
Every patient’s tumour has a large number of changes that create a unique genetic fingerprint. Our work will provide detailed knowledge of the mechanisms of lung cancer, and how these differ among patients. This has huge potential for developing personalised treatments tailored to individual patient tumours. For patients, this will mean better response to therapy, and ultimately, improved survival.
Dr Lindsey Compton's profile