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 shape the charity’s clinical research strategy and spearhead national efforts to improve cancer treatment outcomes.
Operating at the forefront of modern oncology, Professor Jamal-Hanjani brings a wealth of academic and clinical expertise to her new position. She currently serves as a Professor of Cancer Genomics and Metastasis at University College London (UCL), establishing herself as an internationally recognised researcher who specialises in understanding how cancer evolves, spreads throughout the body, and develops resistance to conventional medical treatments.
Her extensive body of work includes leading major, high-profile studies investigating lung cancer—one of the most challenging and prevalent forms of the disease globally. Through her research, she has helped scientists gain critical insights into how tumors change over time at a cellular level and why certain cancers eventually become refractory or harder to treat. This groundbreaking scientific work is considered vital in paving the way for the development of more precise, targeted treatments that can drastically improve survival rates and long-term outcomes for patients facing a cancer diagnosis.
The leadership transition marks a significant chapter for Cancer Research UK, the world’s leading independent cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, praised Professor Jamal-Hanjani’s exceptional contributions to the field of oncology and expressed immense confidence in her ability to guide the organisation’s clinical vision.
Reflecting on the appointment, Michelle Mitchell noted that Professor Jamal-Hanjani brings deep, invaluable experience in leading high-performing research teams capable of delivering radical new insights into the complex mechanics of cancer. These insights include understanding how the disease grows, spreads to secondary locations, resists therapeutic interventions, and occasionally returns after periods of remission.
Discussing her new role, Professor Jamal-Hanjani emphasised the profound responsibility and privilege of taking on the position. She noted that Cancer Research UK has an extraordinary, proven track record of translating complex scientific discoveries from the laboratory into tangible, real-world benefits for patients in clinical settings. Having the opportunity to help shape that vital ongoing mission, she said, is something she approaches with deep dedication.
Furthermore, Professor Jamal-Hanjani highlighted her overarching objective to accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research into better clinical outcomes for those affected by the disease. In doing so, she pointed to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) as a monumental asset that bridges the gap between scientific innovation and direct patient care, providing a unique ecosystem where research can be effectively deployed to benefit individuals in need.
Professor Jamal-Hanjani officially commenced her duties as Chief Clinician in October 2026. In taking on the role, she succeeds Professor Charles Swanton, a distinguished oncologist and researcher who held the position with distinction since 2017, guiding the charity through a critical era of discovery in cancer genomics and personalized medicine.