“Somatic mutations in normal tissues”

Dr Peter Campbell is the Head of Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, and Senior Group Leader at the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Peter Campbell's research programme focuses on the genetic changes our cells acquire as we go through life, and how these mutations are related to ageing, cancer and other disease processes. His work involves cancer genomics, and in particular genome-wide analyses of somatic mutations in tumours. Other works include the discovery of new cancer genes; the identification of somatic mutation processes operative in tumours; the characterisation of patterns of cancer evolution; and the translation of these fundamental insights about cancer biology into better management of patients. Dr Peter Campbell increasingly interested in the role of somatic mutations outside of cancer. Particular focus areas include how somatic mutations delineate clonal relationships of normal cellular populations and how somatic mutations affect normal cellular behaviour.