Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani has been officially appointed as the new Chief Clinician at Cancer Research UK, stepping into a leading role that will see her help shape the charity’s overarching clinical research strategy and guide its ongoing national efforts to improve cancer treatment and patient care.
In her new capacity, Professor Jamal-Hanjani will work at the forefront of the organization’s scientific and clinical initiatives. She is widely recognized in the global medical community as an expert in cancer genomics and metastasis. Serving concurrently as a Professor of Cancer Genomics and Metastasis at University College London (UCL), her academic and clinical work has long focused on exploring the intricate mechanisms of how cancer evolves, spreads throughout the body, and develops resistance to conventional treatments.
Her extensive research portfolio features major, high-impact studies investigating lung cancer, a field where understanding tumour evolution is critical. Through her scientific contributions, researchers have gained deeper insights into how tumours change over time and why certain types of cancer become increasingly difficult to treat as the disease progresses. This body of work is considered instrumental in paving the way for the development of more personalized and targeted treatments, which could eventually lead to significantly better clinical outcomes for cancer patients worldwide.
The appointment has been met with widespread enthusiasm from the leadership at Cancer Research UK. Michelle Mitchell, the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, praised Professor Jamal-Hanjani’s exceptional track record and her potential to drive the charity’s mission forward.
Reflecting on the appointment, Michelle Mitchell said that Professor Jamal-Hanjani brings deep experience of leading high-performing research teams capable of delivering radical new insights into the complex nature of cancer. She noted that these insights are vital for understanding how the disease changes as it grows, spreads, resists treatment, and occasionally returns after periods of remission.
Expressing her thoughts on taking on the prestigious position, Professor Jamal-Hanjani spoke about the profound responsibility and honor of stepping into the role. She remarked that Cancer Research UK possesses an extraordinary track record of transforming laboratory-based scientific discovery into tangible, real-world benefits for patients. The opportunity to help shape that critical mission, she noted, is something she feels deeply privileged to take on.
Furthermore, Professor Jamal-Hanjani emphasized her core objective to accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research into improved clinical outcomes. In discussing the structural assets available to achieve this, she highlighted the National Health Service (NHS) as a major resource that uniquely connects groundbreaking scientific discoveries directly with the patients who need them most, facilitating a seamless pipeline from hypothesis to bedside care.
Professor Jamal-Hanjani officially assumed her new role in October 2026. In taking over the position, she succeeds Professor Charles Swanton, who had successfully held the role of Chief Clinician at Cancer Research UK since 2017, guiding the charity through a critical era of clinical advancements and genomic research initiatives.