Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani has been officially appointed as the new Chief Clinician at Cancer Research UK, stepping into a prominent leadership position tasked with steering the charity’s clinical research strategy and spearheading ongoing efforts to transform cancer treatment and patient care.
In her new role, Professor Jamal-Hanjani will help guide the organization’s overarching mission to discover, develop, and implement innovative approaches to tackling one of modern medicine’s most persistent challenges. Her appointment marks an important transition for the organization, as she brings with her an extensive background in pioneering oncology research and clinical leadership.
An internationally recognized authority in the fields of cancer genomics and metastasis, Professor Jamal-Hanjani currently serves as a Professor of Cancer Genomics and Metastasis at University College London (UCL). Her academic and research career has been defined by a deep commitment to understanding the complex mechanisms that drive cancer evolution. Specifically, her work delves into how tumors change over time, how they spread throughout the body, and the biological factors that enable certain cancers to develop resistance to standard therapies.
Among her notable contributions to the field are major investigative studies focusing on lung cancer. These studies have provided the scientific community with critical insights into the dynamic nature of tumors, helping researchers unravel the intricate processes behind why certain cancers adapt, survive treatments, and ultimately become significantly harder to treat. By shedding light on these intricate evolutionary pathways, her research helps pave the way toward the development of more personalized and targeted therapies, which hold the promise of substantially better clinical outcomes for patients facing difficult prognoses.
The leadership transition has drawn high praise from across the scientific and medical research communities. Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, welcomed Professor Jamal-Hanjani to her new position, emphasizing the exceptional depth of experience she brings to the organization.
Reflecting on the appointment, Michelle Mitchell noted that Professor Jamal-Hanjani possesses a profound understanding of how to lead high-performing research teams. She highlighted that these teams are responsible for delivering radical new insights into the elusive ways cancer grows, spreads, resists medical intervention, and occasionally returns after periods of remission. According to the charity’s leadership, this expertise will be instrumental in driving the organization’s strategic clinical initiatives forward.
Expressing her enthusiasm for taking on the responsibilities of Chief Clinician, Professor Jamal-Hanjani shared her perspective on the significance of the role and the enduring impact of the charity. She remarked that Cancer Research UK holds an extraordinary track record of translating complex scientific discoveries into tangible, real-world benefits for patients. The opportunity to help shape that vital mission, she added, is a privilege she takes on with deep dedication.
Furthermore, Professor Jamal-Hanjani emphasized her core objective of accelerating the translation of laboratory research into actionable clinical practices that improve cancer outcomes. In discussing the broader landscape of healthcare and research integration, she highlighted the National Health Service (NHS) as a major institutional asset. The NHS plays a crucial role, she noted, in seamlessly connecting groundbreaking scientific discoveries with the patients who stand to benefit from them the most, creating a vital bridge between innovation and bedside care.
Professor Jamal-Hanjani officially assumed her new responsibilities as Chief Clinician in October 2026. In taking up the post, she succeeds Professor Charles Swanton, a renowned oncologist and researcher who had successfully held the position since 2017, guiding the charity through a period of significant scientific advancement and discovery.