Dr. Wei Ting Lu

Biography

Originally from Taiwan, Wei-Ting spent his childhood on the Malaysian island of Borneo. He pursued his undergraduate and PhD studies at the University of Sheffield, focusing on genome instability. Wei-Ting joined the group of Professor Martin Bushell to investigate non-coding RNAs and DNA-RNA hybrids that regulate the maintenance of genome stability. In 2018, he joined Professor Charles Swanton's group at the Crick Institute, where he led the functional characterization of cancer drivers identified in the TRACERx lung cancer cohort. In September 2025, he became a Group Leader in the Department of Oncology, studying the molecular processes contributing to whole genome doubling and chromosomal instability. His research informs how cancer cells, which usually maintain 23 pairs of chromosomes, can undergo whole genome doubling, resulting in 46 pairs and leading to mutations and chromosomal rearrangements that correlate with clinical outcomes, drug resistance, and cancer metastasis. His lab aims to functionally characterize events contributing to chromosomal instability using existing population genomic clinical data. He is particularly interested in FAT protocadherins, a class of proteins that are mutated in lung, breast, skin, and esophageal cancers, and seeks to understand their role in order to develop novel treatment strategies.

Research Interests

Experience