Dr Chris Jones

Profile

I am an academic Specialty Registrar in Clinical Oncology with a major focus on the biology and response to radiation of gastrointestinal cancers, and a specific interest in oesophageal cancer.

My interest in research was sparked early in my undergraduate medical studies, throughout which I balanced clinical training with extensive laboratory training; including through internships at the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester, Harvard University and MRC Harwell in Oxford. I subsequently graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2013 with a First Class Honours intercalated BMedSc in Cell & Molecular Pathology and MBChB with Honours. I additionally secured both the Sir Arthur Thomson Prize for ranking as the highest-achieving intercalating student and The Vice Chancellor’s Prize, which is the most prestigious award bestowed to an undergraduate by my alma mater.

As a postgraduate, I have continued to pursue clinical academic training both within the Academic Foundation Programme based at the University of Birmingham and as an Academic Clinical Fellow in Clinical Oncology at the University of Leeds. More recently, and shortly after commencing my training in Clinical Oncology, I secured a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellowship based at the Universities of Leeds and Manchester. My doctoral work focussed on the response of oesophageal adenocarcinoma to microenvironmental stressors and utilised a range of state-of-the-art transcriptomic, regulomic and kinomic laboratory techniques. My wider interest in oesophageal cancer is reflected by my membership of the National Cancer Research Institute Oesophagogastric Research Group and the Trial Management Group for the Study of Chemoradiotherapy in Oesophageal Cancer (SCOPE)-2 trial. I am also leading a national study that will seek to achieve a consensus on research priorities for patients diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.

Alongside my interest in the radiation response of gastrointestinal cancers, I have demonstrated considerable commitment to widening access to clinical academia. This includes establishing the National Oncology Trainees Collaborative for Healthcare Research (NOTCH) and the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Scheme. I have also been a member of the NCRI – National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Future Research Leaders Steering Group, the Academy of Medical Sciences – Medical Schools Council Clinical Academic Careers Working Group, and the RCR Clinical Oncology Academic Committee.

Research interests

Cellular biology of oesophageal adenocarcinoma

I undertake research in to the biology of oesophageal cancer within Professor John Ladbury’s laboratory at the University of Leeds and Professor Andy Sharrock’s laboratory at the University of Manchester. I  utilise biophysical and molecular approaches to analyse the role that cellular stressors play in the development and progression of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. My work has been funded by Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK, Pathological Society and NC3Rs.

Clinical outcomes in gastrointestinal cancers

I have been involved in a number of studies focussed on gastrointestinal cancer outcomes, including analyses of hypofractionated radiotherapy in lower-middle third oesophageal cancer, radiotherapy dose escalation in upper third oesophageal cancer and a national audit of chemotherapy toxicity in anal cancer.

Qualifications

• BMedSc (Hons) - 1st Class
• MBChB (Hons)
• MRCP(UK)
• PhD