Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani has been officially appointed as the new Chief Clinician at Cancer Research UK, stepping into a prominent leadership role designed to steer the charity’s clinical research strategy and spearhead national efforts to improve cancer treatment and patient care.
Bringing a wealth of academic and clinical expertise to the position, Professor Jamal-Hanjani is widely recognized for her pioneering work in the fields of cancer genomics and metastasis. Serving concurrently as a Professor of Cancer Genomics and Metastasis at University College London (UCL), she has built an international reputation for her investigative focus on how malignant tumors evolve, spread throughout the human body, and ultimately develop resistance to standard therapies.
Her extensive body of research encompasses major scientific studies investigating lung cancer, providing the global scientific community with critical insights into how tumors dynamically change over time. By unraveling the biological mechanisms that cause certain cancers to become significantly harder to treat, her work plays a vital role in identifying new vulnerabilities in cancer cells. These insights are essential for paving the way toward more precise, targeted treatments that can ultimately deliver better long-term survival outcomes and improved quality of life for cancer patients.
The appointment has been met with widespread enthusiasm from leadership across the prominent research organization. Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, offered high praise for Professor Jamal-Hanjani’s professional background and her proven ability to drive forward complex scientific endeavors. Highlighting her qualifications, Mitchell noted that the newly appointed Chief Clinician brings a deep and invaluable understanding of how to lead high-performing research teams. These teams have been instrumental in delivering radical new insights into the intricate ways cancer grows, spreads across tissue, resists medical intervention, and occasionally returns after periods of remission.
Expressing her thoughts on taking on the prestigious position, Professor Jamal-Hanjani reflected on the legacy and mission of the charity. She emphasized that Cancer Research UK possesses an extraordinary and enduring track record of translating complex laboratory discoveries into tangible, real-world benefits for patients undergoing treatment. For her, the opportunity to help shape that critical mission is a profound privilege that she approaches with deep dedication.
Furthermore, Professor Jamal-Hanjani outlined her forward-looking vision for the role, emphasizing an urgent need to accelerate the translation of scientific research into practical, everyday cancer outcomes. In discussing the operational landscape of modern healthcare, she highlighted the National Health Service (NHS) as a monumental national asset. She noted that the NHS serves as a vital bridge, uniquely positioned to seamlessly connect cutting-edge scientific discoveries with the everyday realities of patient care in clinical settings.
Professor Jamal-Hanjani officially commenced her tenure as Chief Clinician in October 2026. In taking on this critical leadership position, she succeeds Professor Charles Swanton, who successfully guided and shaped the charity’s clinical research direction since first stepping into the role in 2017.