Current Team

Walid T. Khaled

Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology &
Deputy Director of Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
University of Cambridge

PhD - University of Cambridge (2007) ~ Postdoc - Sanger Institute (2009) ~ CRUK CEA (2014) ~ Fellow of Magdalene College (2014) ~ Faculty member of the Breast Cancer Programme, CRUK Cambridge Centre (2016) ~ CRUK PFA (2021) ~ ERC Advanced (2025)

Senior staff and postdoctoral fellows

Sara Pensa

Assistant Research Professor

PhD - University of Turin (2009) ~ MSc - University of Turin (2005) ~ BSc - University of Turin (2003) ~ Current project: Identification of molecular mechanisms driving early stages of tumour development ~ Favourite techniques: FACS and Immunofluorescence

Nick Schaum

Assistant Research Professor

PhD - Stanford University (2019) ~ BSc - Virginia Tech (2012) ~
Current Project: Building a time-resolved, high-resolution map of age-associated phenotypic, cellular, and molecular changes in the mouse.
Favorite techniques: scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics

Linsey Porter

Research Associate

Yaru Zhang

Research Associate

Marija Zarocsinceva

Research Associate

TBC

Research Associate

Students and research assistants

Austin Reed

PhD Student

BA Mathematics - University of Cambridge (2021)
Current project: Characterising the cellular landscape and cancer risk modifiers in the mammary gland
Favourite techniques: scRNA-sequencing, shallow WGS

Catriona Corbishley

PhD Student

MBioSci- University of Liverpool (2017) Current Project: Investigating chromatin remodelling during aberrant differentiation and tumour initiation. Favourite techniques: Proteomics

Adam Spruce

PhD Student

MPhil - University of Cambridge (2023) ~ BSc - University of East Anglia (2018) ~ Current project: The role of DNA damage factors in the pre-cancer aberrant differentiation of mammary luminal progenitor cells ~
Favourite techniques: Flow Cytometry and CRISPR

Patrick Rainford

PhD Student

BA - University of Cambridge (2021)
Current project: Single-cell mapping of breast cancer premalignancy
Favourite techniques: Flow Cytometry, Immunofluorescence and scRNA-seq

Abigail Siu

PhD Student

BA - University of Cambridge (2022) ~ Current project: Identifying early detection methods for triple negative breast cancer ~ Favourite techniques: Immunofluorescence and organoid culture

Julius Schmiegelow

PhD student

MPhil - University of Cambridge (2024) MRes - Imperial College London (2023) BSc - Durham University (2022)
Current project: The impact of chronological ageing on breast tumour initiation
Favorite techniques: spatial transcriptomics and scRNA-seq

Daniella Faurie

Research Assistant & MPhil Student

Zichen He

DTP PhD Rotation student

Alumni

Former Postdocs and Research Assistants

Dr. Kyren Lazarus - Research Associate (Feb 2015 - May 2019)

Dr. James Thompson - Research Associate (March 2018 - April 2019)

Dr. Mark Waterhouse - Postdoc (2018 - 2023)

Dr. Heena Dalal - Postdoc (2024 - 2025)

Ms. Flavia Peci - Research Assistant (Mar 2018 - May 2019)

Mr. Jack Stenning - Research Assistant (June 2019 - July 2021)

Mr. Patrick Rainford - Resreach Assistant (October 2021 - October 2022)

Ms. Tatiana Abdul Khalek - Research Assistant (July 2021 - Jan 2023)

Mrs. Jean Dillon - Laboratory Manager/Research Assistant (Jan 2023 - June 2024)

Mr. Giorgi Melia - Research Assistant (Jan 2024 - June 2024)

Ms. Anna Munsey - Research Assistant (Jan 2023 - August 2024)

Dr. Alecia-Jane Twigger - Postdoc (2019 - 2024)

Former students

Dr. Karsten Bach - PhD Student (Oct 2016 - Sept 2020)

Dr. Fazal Hadi - PhD Student (Oct 2016 - Sept 2019)

Dr. Elisabetta Zambon - PhD Student (Oct 2016 - Sept 2020)

Dr. Rosemary Ugur - PhD Student (2018-2021)

Dr. Nicola Tsang - PhD Student (2015 - 2019)

Ms. Marija Zarocsinceva (MPhil Student 2018-2019)

Ms. Jessica Scheel - MPhil Student (2022)

Mr. Giorgi Melia - MPhil Student (2023)

Ms. Hannah Baker - MPhil Student (October 2023 - September 2024)

Visiting students/rotation students

Ms. Jade-Ellen Brown - PhD Rotation Student (2024)

Mr. Nikolas Markozanis - PhD Rotation Student (2024)

Ms. Abi Colley - PhD rotation student (2023-2024)

Mr. Adam Spruce - PhD Rotation Student (2022)

Ms. Sanjana Ananth - visiting student (Jan 2021 - Jun 2021)

Mr. Daniel Ungureanu - Visiting student (Summer 2021)

Mr. Austin Reed - Visiting student (Summer 2020 and 2021)

Mr. Patrick Rainford - Part II project student, then Summer student (2021)

Mr. Edward (Woody) Polglase - Visiting student (2019)

Ms. Pauline Pfuderer - Visiting Erasmus MSc Student (Summer 2019)

Mr. Robert Appleby - BBSRC DTP Rotation student (2019)

Ms. Anezka Macey-Dare - visiting medical student (2018 and 2019)

Ms. Baska Kara - visiting student (Summer 2018)

Mr. Giacomo Borsari - visiting Erasmus student (Mar 2018 - Dec 2018)

Ms. Diana Ivanoiu - visiting student (Summer 2017)

Ms. Rebecca Kunz - visiting Erasmus student (April 2017 - Dec 2017)

Ms. Noora Hassani - visiting Erasmus student (Aug 2017 - Dec 2017)

Mr. Youssef Madbouly - visiting student (Summer 2016)

Mr. Saeed Kayhanian - visiting student (Summer 2015)

Ms. Ania Rosado - visiting student (Feb 2015 - May 2015)

Ms. Catarina Simoes - visiting student (Feb 2015 - May 2015)

Mr. Lukas Becker - visiting Erasmus student (Summer 2015)

Dr. Waleed Kholosy - visiting Erasmus student (Nov 2015 - Apr 2016)

Dr. Karsten Bach - visiting Erasmus student (Summer 2015)

Dr. Fazal Hadi - visiting Erasmus student (April 2014 - Sept 2014)

Dr. Dorothy Yang - Part II student and visiting student (Summer 2014)