Our research team

Professor John Darling, Cell Biologist, University of Wolverhampton

Professor John Darling has been specialising in brain tumours since 1978. He directs the Research Institute in Healthcare Science at the University of Wolverhampton, where he leads the Brain Tumour UK Neuro-Oncology Research Centre with his colleague, Dr Tracey Warr.

'The institute co-ordinates and manages all healthcare research in the university, bringing together the school of health, the school of sports, performing arts and leisure, and the school of applied sciences. Surgery isn’t going to solve the problem if the brain tumour is diffused through the brain, so I’m interested in therapies that are targeted at these diffused cells.

'In future, I think tailoring therapy to fit the patient will become very important. The same sort of tumour might have a dozen ways of treating it and the best would be selected with a detailed biological assessment of the tumour.' Read about Professor Darling's work on creating new molecules.

'I worked in petrochemicals before taking a PhD in molecular biology at Manchester. I teamed up with clinician Professor Dick Clayton at the University of Keele to study cancers with a perspective on practical solutions. I’m interested in what we can do for the patient; there’s no point in saying: "You’ve got a very interesting tumour but there’s nothing I can do about it."

'I’m excited when I go to work in the morning. It’s prickly hairs on the back of the neck when an experiment shows the results you were hoping for.'

Read about Professor Farrell's work.

'I focused on children treated for brain tumours following my experiences in children’s neuro-oncology during two years in the USA. Since 1987, I have been working with collaborative groups of paediatric oncologists to organise studies intended to improve the outlook for these children.'

Professor Kennedy also leads their brain tumour ‘Quality of Survival’ working groups. Read more about Professor Kennedy's work.

Professor Walker is a co-director of the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre. His research interests within paediatric oncology are primarily brain tumours, health outcomes, functional imaging, drug delivery, clinical trials and adolescent medicine. He leads on the national ‘Headsmart – be brain tumour aware’ campaign.

Professor Walker has participated in the All Party Parliamentary Group on brain tumours since its inception and he now sits on the Steering Group of the revised All Party Parliamentary Group, advising on academic matters and matters related to brain tumours occurring in early life during childhood, adolescence and early adulthood.

Read more about Professor Walker’s work on the 'Headsmart – be brain tumour aware' campaign.

'I am investigating brain tumour cell biology and the genetics of different subgroups of brain tumour. My work is funded by Brain Tumour UK in the research centre managed by Professor Geoff Pilkington, where I am examining variations in the way brain tumours respond to drugs.

'My research will help expand our understanding of brain tumours and ultimately provide improved management for patients with brain tumours.'

Dr Katherine Karakoula, Brain Tumour UK Post Doctoral Researcher in Neuro-Oncology

'I did my PhD in general cancer and wanted to do something that could help people specifically, by identifying a new chemotherapy. I’ve been working on childhood brain tumours and looking for something totally new is a huge motivation. I’m looking for genes that have changed, in the hope that they can be targets for new kinds of chemotherapy.

'The most rewarding moment so far came when I presented my work at a conference in America. Parents with children with brain tumours thanked me personally for contributing to the understanding of their condition. I felt humble and proud at the same time.'

Dr Peng Liu, Visiting Fellow from North China Coal Medical University, Tangshan City, HeBei Province

'Sometimes, tumours start to grow again some time after the first anti-cancer drug has worked. So, I am looking for other drugs to enhance the effects of the first one.

'I can only do the research and I can’t be sure when we will make the breakthrough. But if we try our best, finally we will solve the problem. We can find some more drugs to treat brain tumours. The key thing is the cooperation. Often, there are not that many patients to do research with, but in China there are many more people that we can involve. We can share the essential work in China and in the UK, and get results sooner.'

Dr Farjana Rowther, Brain Tumour UK Post Doctoral Researcher in Neuro-Oncology

'I joined Brain Tumour UK’s team of researchers in May 2010 and am determined to make a difference to the lives of patients.

'As a scientist, I spend most of my working time in the laboratory and interact mainly with other scientists and clinicians. Brain Tumour UK’s conference was an opportunity for me to meet patients and understand what they really go through. At the end of the day, they are the ones I am working for – to make a difference to their lives.'

Dr Tracy Warr, Brain Tumour UK Reader in Neuro-Oncology

Dr Tracy Warr is a specialist in childhood primary tumour research and together with Professor John Darling, she leads our Neuro-Oncology Research Centre at the University of Wolverhampton.

‘In childhood tumours, we still don’t understand what’s going wrong with the genes and the biology at a basic level to make these tumours grow. Too little research has been done on those tumours so far.' Read the full story about Dr Warr's work on childhood tumours.

'I completed my BSc and first MSc in biochemistry in Turkey, but felt my work wasn’t useful; I felt frustrated. The husband of a relative of mine had a brain tumour and although I’ve seen different types of cancers nothing was as serious as that. I wanted to help people with brain tumours and the research funding here means that I can make a real difference.

'After a while, your research and growing your cells becomes a part of your life and it’s like winning the lottery when it works. When the experiment doesn’t work, you really do feel upset. If you are finding out something, the point is not just finding out in the lab. The thing you find should benefit patients as well. That is our aim.'

Aruna Narshi, MSc student in Biomedical Sciences

'I’m learning a new method of plating the cells into wells and trying to establish a cell growth curve. A growth curve shows how fast they are growing. We want to experiment on them when they are at the best part of their growth curve, growing at the maximum rate and before they start to die.

'I arrived here almost by accident but it’s absolutely fascinating. We’re having to culture and nurture these nasty cells. If they are in a human being you want to kill them. But to do that, we have to care for them in the laboratory.'

'Third year students have the opportunity of working under the stewardship of leading researchers. I’m doing my undergraduate project on two genes linked to cancerous brain tumours in adults. I wanted to make a difference and the work here is amazing.

'What I hope to achieve is to find a gene that we can target with a drug and slow down its progression. I had a relative who passed away with a brain tumour and, well, that’s why I’m here.'