Breast cancer research boost thanks to Wellcome award
Dr Francis Mprah Barnieh, an early-career researcher at the University of Bradford, has been awarded £236,455 under the competitive Wellcome Accelerator Award scheme to advance the development of safer, more targeted treatments for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
TNBC is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of breast cancer. It disproportionately affects black women and is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Dr Barnieh’s research has uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that enables cancer cells to survive in low-oxygen tumour environments, where many existing therapies are less effective.
Dr Francis Barneith said: “This award is a major milestone for my research and my career, and I am grateful to the exceptional mentorship provided by the University of Bradford and to Wellcome for their support. This award provides an opportunity to accelerate my career and support my research vision of developing safer, more effective therapies that can make a real difference for patients while addressing long-standing inequities in cancer research.”
Building on this discovery, the two-year project will develop innovative “smart” drugs that are activated only within oxygen-poor tumours, allowing more precise targeting of cancer cells while minimising damage to healthy tissue and reducing side effects.
The Wellcome Accelerator Awards support researchers of black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK to strengthen their research profile, build leadership capability and progress to the next stage of their careers. The award will also support Dr Barnieh’s development as a future leader in translational cancer research, including advanced training, international collaboration and a research placement in the United States.
Dr Francis Mprah Barnieh, an early-career researcher at the University of Bradford, has been awarded £236,455 under the competitive Wellcome Accelerator Award scheme. Credit: University of Bradford.
Clinical challenge
Professor Sherif El-Khamisy, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Bradford, said: “This prestigious Wellcome award is a powerful endorsement of Dr Barnieh’s outstanding scientific potential and of the University of Bradford’s commitment to research that delivers both excellence and impact. His work addresses an urgent clinical challenge and speaks directly to our mission to tackle health inequalities through world-class, inclusive research. We are immensely proud of this achievement and excited about the benefits it will bring for patients, the career development of Francis, and for the future of cancer treatment.”
Dr Barnieh is a Research Fellow at the University of Bradford’s Institute of Health and Social Care. He holds a First-Class degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ghana, an MSc (Distinction) and a PhD in Cancer Drug Discovery from the University of Bradford.
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