Dr. Charles Swanton

Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Charles Swanton. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Charles Swanton is a clinician scientist, focusing on understanding the challenges of managing metastatic cancer and drug resistance. He completed his PhD in 1998 at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories as part of the UCL MBPhD program, followed by a postdoctoral clinician scientist training funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) in 2008. He became a senior clinical research fellow and Group Leader at the Translational Cancer Therapeutics laboratory at the London Research Institute (now part of the Francis Crick Institute) and serves as a consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital. In 2011, he was appointed Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Chair of Personalised Cancer Medicine at UCL Cancer Institute. Swanton is also a Chief Investigator for the CRUK TRACERx clinical study, which seeks to understand lung cancer evolution. He has published over 200 papers in prestigious journals and has made significant contributions to the understanding of genomic diversity in cancers and the mechanisms driving cancer evolution. Throughout his career, Swanton has received numerous accolades, including Fellowships in major medical societies and various prestigious awards for his research endeavors.

Research Interests

Experience

Deputy Clinical Director

2023-01-01 — Present

Francis Crick Institute • London

Overseeing clinical research and translational cancer studies.

Consultant Thoracic Medical Oncologist

2011-01-01 — Present

UCL Hospitals • London

Providing clinical care and research leadership in oncology.

Awards

#

Stand Cancer Translational Cancer Research Prize

2015-01-01
#

Gustave Roussy Prize

2025-01-01

Requirements for Francis Crick Institute

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
Prerequisites
A first or upper second-class honours degree in a relevant subject (biological sciences, physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, or computer science). Appropriate research experience gained during or outside of a university degree.
Application Checklist
  • Online application form
  • Curriculum Vitae (PDF, max 2MB)
  • Personal statement (covering scientific interest, PhD motivation, and research experience)
  • Names and contact details of two academic/scientific referees
  • Details of university degree(s) and academic transcripts
  • Selection of up to three preferred PhD projects/research groups
Specialization Notes

The Francis Crick Institute does not have traditional 'departments' but operates via interdisciplinary research groups. Candidates apply to the 'Crick PhD Programme' and select specific research topics or labs (e.g., Cell Biology, Immunology, Cancer Research) that align with the listed department names. Students register with one of three partner universities: UCL, King's College London, or Imperial College London.