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 guiding the charity’s clinical research strategy and spearheading efforts to enhance cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
An esteemed figure in the scientific and medical communities, Professor Jamal-Hanjani brings a wealth of academic rigor and clinical expertise to the role. Alongside her new responsibilities with the charity, she serves as a Professor of Cancer Genomics and Metastasis at University College London (UCL). As an internationally recognized researcher, her life’s work has focused on deciphering the complex mechanisms of how cancer evolves, spreads throughout the body, and ultimately develops resistance to existing medical interventions.
Her extensive research portfolio includes spearheading major, high-impact studies investigating lung cancer. Through this pioneering work, Professor Jamal-Hanjani and her teams have helped the global scientific community better understand the dynamic nature of tumors—specifically how they change and mutate over time, and why certain malignancies ultimately become refractory or harder to treat. By shedding light on these intricate biological processes, her research aims to pave the way for the development of more precise, targeted treatments that can significantly improve clinical outcomes and survival rates for patients facing devastating cancer diagnoses.
The appointment has been met with widespread acclaim from leaders within the medical research sector. Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, expressed immense enthusiasm regarding Professor Jamal-Hanjani stepping into the role, highlighting her exceptional background in leading top-tier research teams.
“Mariam brings to Cancer Research UK deep experience of leading high-performing research teams that are delivering radical new insights into how cancer changes as it grows, spreads, resists treatment and sometimes returns,” Michelle Mitchell stated, underscoring the vital importance of translational research in modern oncology.
Reflecting on her new position and the immense responsibility it entails, Professor Jamal-Hanjani shared her perspective on joining the leadership team of one of the world’s leading cancer charities.
“Cancer Research UK has an extraordinary track record of turning scientific discovery into real-world benefit for patients, and the chance to help shape that mission is something I feel deeply privileged to take on,” Professor Jamal-Hanjani said.
She further emphasized her core strategic priorities in the role, noting an urgent need to accelerate the translation of laboratory breakthroughs into tangible improvements in patient care and clinical outcomes. In discussing how these advancements can be best delivered, she specifically highlighted the National Health Service (NHS) as a vital national asset capable of seamlessly connecting groundbreaking scientific discoveries with the patients who need them most.
Professor Jamal-Hanjani officially assumed her new responsibilities as Chief Clinician in October 2026. In taking on the post, she succeeds Professor Charles Swanton, who successfully guided the charity’s clinical research initiatives and provided steady leadership in the role since 2017.