VISIT FROM PROFESSOR MATTHEW SMALLEY

This Wednesday the Library hosted Matthew Smalley, Director of the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute at Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences, who gave a talk on ‘What Darwin tells us about treating Cancer’ – followed by a question and answer session. Professor Smalley leads a team of researchers that look into the clinical benefits of targeting cancer stem cells, either directly to treat its spread (metastasis) or in combined therapies that will prevent tumour growth. They also look into how biological processes that occur in normal stem cells can be re-activated to drive de novo production of tumour cells with stem cell-like properties – in the hope that new methods of cancer treatment can be discovered. The talk provided students an opportunity to listen to and question one of the country’s leading cancer researchers, who is at the forefront of his field.