Dr. Mahvash Tavassoli

Biography

Professor Mahvash Tavassoli completed her DPhil in Biochemistry studying molecular mechanisms of cellular senescence and immortalization at the University of Sussex in 1987, under the supervision of Professor Sydney. After obtaining her PhD, she received an International Union Against Cancer (UICC) postdoctoral training fellowship at the laboratory of Professor Robert Eisenman at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, USA, where she studied the role of the C-Myc oncogene. On returning to the UK, she was offered a postdoctoral Fellowship at the Medical Research Centre at the University of Sussex to research the role of the EGFR receptor family and tyrosine kinases in breast and ovarian cancer. In 1990, Mahvash was awarded a Young Career Research Fellowship from Cancer Research UK to establish her own group. She has made significant contributions to understanding c-erbB2 signaling activation and has held various positions at King's College London, culminating in her appointment as a Professor of Molecular Oncology in September 2007. Currently, she leads a research team at the Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, focusing on developing molecular strategies for early detection and improved treatment outcomes for head and neck cancers, with notable insights into the mechanisms of tumor hypoxia and interactions with cancer cells and their microenvironment.

Research Interests