Breakthrough Research Unit, Manchester

As an integral part of the Manchester Breast Centre, the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit, which is based at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, comprises four Team Leaders: Professor Michael Lisanti (Director), Professor Göran Landberg, Dr Paul Lu and Dr Rob Clarke. In addition there are three Clinical Associates: Professor Nigel Bundred, Dr Sacha Howell and Professor Tony Howell.

In September 2011, Professor Lisanti was appointed as the new Director of the Unit, taking over from Professor Howell. As well as the Directorship of the Unit, he holds the Muriel Edith Rickman Chair of Breast Biology within the School of Cancer and Enabling Sciences at The University of Manchester. Michael is currently listed amongst the Top 100 Most-Cited Researchers in Biochemistry and Biology in the world and is currently ranked number 23 world-wide. He has published over 385 papers and was recently named as the new Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Pathology (ranked number 1 in Pathology).

The objective of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit is to understand and treat early breast cancer. The Unit's research goals are to delineate breast epithelial cell behaviour within its tissue context and to determine how the breakdown of normal cell interactions with the local environment result in perturbed tissue organisation, proliferation, and survival of early breast cancers. This information aims to predict patients that will develop breast cancer and identify those who will become resistant to therapy. It also aims to identify new therapeutic targets for both the prevention and treatment of the disease.

The Unit in Manchester is part of a network of research units established by Breakthrough Breast Cancer across the UK. The research centre is located at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the units are located in Edinburgh, Manchester and King’s College London.