Dr. Monica Olcina

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Monica Olcina studied Pharmacy at the University of Manchester. After completing the required training to become a registered pharmacist, she moved to Oxford to undertake her Masters and DPhil studies in Radiation Biology. In 2014, she joined Stanford University as an Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cancer Research Institute, identifying novel pathways targeted to improve radiotherapy. In 2019, she moved to the University of Zurich to continue these studies and in December 2020, she joined the Department as a Junior Group Leader. Her research group focuses on understanding how tumors thrive in their microenvironment to identify druggable tumor-specific vulnerabilities that can improve tumor responses while reducing treatment-induced toxicity. Specific projects include investigating normal tissue recovery from treatment-induced injury, understanding complement system dysregulation in the tumor microenvironment, and targeting glioma-immune cell interactions in pediatric high-grade glioma to improve immune and radiotherapy responses. Her work involves collaboration within a multidisciplinary team, utilizing patient samples and clinical data whenever possible.

Research Interests

Experience

Junior Group Leader

2020-12-01 — Present

Department of Oncology, University of Oxford • Oxford, ENG, GB

Leading a research group focused on understanding tumor microenvironments and improving radiotherapy responses.

Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow

2014-01-01 — 2019-12-01

Stanford University • Stanford, CA, USA

Conducted research on novel pathways to improve radiotherapy at the Cancer Research Institute.

Requirements for University of Oxford

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.7
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:24
Writing
Required:24
Speaking
Required:25
Total
Required:110
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Politics, International Relations, Economics, History, Law, Philosophy or Sociology
Application Checklist
  • Three academic references
  • Official transcripts
  • CV/Resume
  • Statement of Purpose (1,000 words)
  • Two academic essays (2,000 words each)
Specialization Notes

Department of Politics and International Relations - Higher Level English requirement.