Personal Statement
I studied Medicine at Cambridge (1983-1989) before taking up clinical training posts in Internal Medicine (Nottingham, 1990-1992) and Haematology (Liverpool, 1992-2000), during which time I completed a PhD on p53 and drug resistance in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). In 2000, I was appointed as Clinical Senior Lecturer in Haematology at the University of Liverpool, with subsequent promotion to Reader (2004) and Personal Chair (2006) and designation as the Ronald Finn Professor of Experimental Medicine (2013). I am also a Consultant in Haemato-Oncology (HO) at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre (CCC), having previously been based at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital prior to transfer of the HO clinical service in 2017. Local leadership roles have included UoL Head of Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine (2011-2020), Chair of the UoL Clinical Trials Oversight Committee (2018-2023), Director of the Liverpool Health Partners Cancer Programme (2019-2022), Director of the Liverpool Cancer Research Institute (2020-2022), and CCC Associate Medical Director for HO (2020). National Leadership roles have included Chair of the UK CLL Forum (2006-2012), Chair of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Haematological Oncology Clinical Studies Group (2012-2017), and Chair of the NCRI Lymphoma Clinical Studies Group (2017-2023). My current focus is on the UNCOVER health data research programme for blood cancer, the UK Blood Cancer Biobank as a driver/enabler of translational research in CLL and lymphoma, and the PETReA phase III clinical trial as a platform for follicular lymphoma research.

Research Overview
My research is currently focussed on three areas:
1. Clinical research
2. Health data research
3. Translational research

Clinical research
I am Chief Investigator for three multi-centre phase III clinical trials investigating therapy optimisation in indolent B-cell malignancies - the ongoing PETReA trial in follicular lymphoma (FL), and two completed trials in FL (PACIFICO) and CLL (RIAltO) which are currently being prepared for publication. PETReA is a collaboration with the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group. Following induction chemoimmunotherapy selected on an individual patient basis, participants are stratified by PET-CT into two groups. Low-risk patients who achieve a complete metabolic response (CMR) are randomised to anti-CD20 maintenance vs no further treatment, while high-risk patients who fail to achieve a CMR are randomised to anti-CD20 maintenance with or without the immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide. Recruitment finished in 2025 and the trial is due to end in 2029. Sub-studies have already examined patient perceptions, immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccination, and changes in COVID-19 risk during the pandemic, while ongoing work is investigating how CMR rates are influenced by baseline characteristics (including PET-CT) and choice of induction CIT. A nationally co-ordinated programme of translational research using stored trial samples is currently in development.

Health data research
I am overall lead for the UNCOVER health data research programme which is using routinely collected NHS data to understand more about the challenges faced by people with blood cancer. The programme is a collaboration with Professor Catrin Tudur Smith in the Institute of Population Health, and The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust who provide project management and governance oversight. Research assets include a comprehensive, anonymised database of all blood cancer patients diagnosed in England since 2014, a team of three dedicated analysts, and a national advisory network comprising expert clinicians, patients and early career researchers to scope and prioritise research questions.

Translational research
I established and lead the UK Blood Cancer Biobank - a series of sample collections linked to multi-centre clinical trials and observational studies in CLL and lymphoma co-ordinated by multiple Clinical Trials Units. Hosted by the UoL Good Clinical Practice Laboratory, the UKBCB provides high-quality, clinically annotated samples to researchers across the UK and beyond to drive and enable impactful translational research with the aim of understanding more about disease biology and heterogeneity and in doing so identify and validate potential new drug targets and biomarkers.

Research funding
I have been a grant-holder with Blood Cancer UK since 2006 and Cancer Research UK since 2008.